Japan Cracks Down on Store Selling Banned Imported Meat for 1st Time

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's agriculture ministry said Friday that it had taken enforcement action against an Asian food store that stocked and sold meat products from Vietnam and Indonesia, whose imports are prohibited in principle, in the first such crackdown.

On Sept. 29, the Animal Quarantine Service inspected the store in the city of Koga in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, and disposed of all banned imported products found on sale at the store.

Japan has banned the import of meat products without a license to prevent outbreaks of livestock infectious diseases such as African swine fever, which has not been detected in Japan.

Cases of prohibited products being brought into Japan after evading quarantine inspections at airports and other entry points have posed a challenge for authorities.

The revised livestock infectious diseases prevention law, which took effect on July 1, has strengthened measures, allowing on-site inspections of food stores, disposal of prohibited products and public disclosure of violations.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]