WHEREAS, the government of Japan issued an Administrative guidance to prohibit the use of ruminant meat and bone meal for ruminant feed in April 1996;

WHEREAS, Resolution No. XXII of the International Committee upon recommendation of the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) dated May 26, 2009 recognizes Japan as having a controlled Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) risk in accordance with Chapter 11.6 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code;

WHEREAS, recent international guidelines set out by the OIE Animal Health Code on controlled BSE risk calls for certain conditions under which all beef and beef products from animals of all ages maybe safely traded;

WHEREAS, Department of Agriculture (DA) Memorandum Order No. 30, series of 2006 has lifted the ban on the importation of beef and beef products from Japan;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ATTY. ARTHUR C. YAP, Secretary of Agriculture, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby authorize the importation of beef and beef products from Japan provided the following specific measures are observed:

1. Boneless and bone-in beef can be sourced from cattle of all ages devoid of any nerves and other BSE-specified risk materials (SRM) shall be imported.

2. The beef, whether boneless or bone-in should come only from healthy ambulatory and not downer cattle.

3. The age of the slaughter cattle shall be certified by the government authority.

4. The slaughter date of the cattle or the production date of the beef shall be included in the packaging label.

All shipments into the country of beef and beef products originating from Japan not complying with these conditions shall be confiscated by DA Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major sea/airports.

All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

This ORDER shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 01 July 2009

(SGD.) ATTY. ARTHUR C. YAP
Secretary