Japan - Food makers trying to reassure BSE-conscious consumers

While the government has implemented various measures since the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan three years ago, Japanese food makers are going a step further to ensure the safety of beef and beef products. The food industry uses not only beef but also cow-derived materials such as beef tallow, beef extract and gelatin, to produce various food products. After Japan's first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed in 2001, the government made mandatory the testing of all domestically grown cattle for the disease and the incineration of certain cattle parts, such as brains and spinal marrow that are likely to spread the disease. It has also banned sales of foods made from the specified cattle parts, except for those imported from countries where no BSE cases have been confirmed. As a result of these and other measures, the initial extreme consumer caution in the mad cow scare has waned. But Japanese consumers, said to be some of the world's most sensitive about food safety, still remain vaguely concerned. In response, Japanese food makers have gone a step further than observing government regulations based on a scientific point of view and have begun to focus on giving consumers a "sense of security" from a psychological point of view. Morinaga & Co, for instance, has switched from cattle gelatin to other gelatins for the production of confectioneries. The major Japanese confectionery company is doing so despite the fact that the safety of gelatin made from cattle has been ensured by government requirements regarding the use of materials from countries other than those affected by BSE. "Gelatin is safe in the first place," a Morinaga public relations officer said. "But we had to take consumers' rising concern over food safety into account." S&B Foods Inc., a major manufacturer of condiments and prepared foods, has stopped using beef tallow and beef extract in the thickener of its long-selling "Golden Curry." "We have examined cow-derived materials and confirmed their safety, but stopped using them in some products because some customers are still concerned about BSE," said a company official. The Japanese Consumers' Cooperative Union (JCCU) has asked the government to ensure food safety, while striving to maintain the safety of its Co-op brand products. With regard to the resumption of beef imports from the United States, the 20-million-strong cooperative has been pressing the government to urge Washington to take sufficient safety measures to eliminate the chance of exporting BSE-infected beef to Japan. "In Japan, the word "anzen" (safety) is often confused with "anshin" (peace of mind)," said Kazuo Onitake, a JCCU official in charge of promoting food safety measures. "Under ordinary circumstances, all we are supposed to do is to ensure the safety of foods scientifically," Onitake said. "But due to the government's poor handling of the BSE scare in the initial stage, we are being forced to give consideration to consumers' peace of mind."