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Japan to Ease Restrictions on U.S. Beef Imports Next Month

Japan to Allow U.S Beef Cattle Up to 30-Months Old

By , Farms.com

Japan announced that it will be relaxing restrictions on U.S. beef imports starting Feb. 1, 2013 - after authorities said that the change wouldn’t pose health risks.

Prior to the mad-cow disease case in 2003, Japan was the biggest buyer of U.S beef and in 2005 it lifted a two-year ban on beef as a precautionary measure. When the ban was lifted in 2005, Japan only took beef from cattle that were 20-months old and the recent announcement would have them accept beef from cattle up to 30-months of age.

The recent shift in regulations will likely pave the way for reform before negotiations are over for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact. 


Trending Video

Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim



In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.