Japan to relax U.S. beef export restrictions starting Feb. 1

Japan’s food safety authorities have announced that the country will relax the rules on U.S. beef exports starting February 1. U.S. beef processors will be able to ship beef from cattle aged 30 months of younger, a change from the current limitation of 20 months. The ban was originally enacted in 2005 to safeguard against BSE.

“We will implement the relaxation as early as Feb. 1” after explaining the decision to the public, Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told reporters in Tokyo, Reuters reports. The Food Safety Commission recommended the change in October.