title: Cattle traceability system in Japan for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
abstract: To promote consumer confidence in the safety of beef and to ensure the proper implementation of eradication measures against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the Cattle Traceability Law was approved by the Diet in June 2003 and a cattle traceability system has been in operation in Japan since December 2003. The system enables tracing the cohort and offspring animals of a BSE case within 24 h of its detection. The traceability database system also provides distributors, restaurants and consumers with information on the cattle from which the beef that they sell, serve and consume, originate.
authors.affiliation: Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Centre, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama 330-9731, Japan. katsuaki_sugiura@nm.famic.go.jp
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onodera