On 21 September 2001, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries identified the country's first cow suspected of having BSE, and the suspicion was confirmed the following day. The government began testing all cattle in October that year, banned the manufacture and sale of meat-and-bone meal, and moved to create a database of distribution histories.
On 21 September 2001, Japan's first cow suspected of having BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) was found, and it was announced that the suspicion had been confirmed that same day. BSE is an infectious disease that causes sponge-like cavities to form in the brains of cattle. Although there were concerns that it could be transmitted to humans, no established treatment was available at the time. The government announced a policy of strengthening its response before the end of that year.
In October of the same year, the government began testing all cattle intended for human consumption and banned the manufacture and sale of meat-and-bone meal. In 2003, BSE was confirmed in a cow from Canada in the United States, and Japan took further measures, including suspending imports of U.S. beef and beef products. These steps demonstrated the government's commitment to ensuring the safety of beef.
Thereafter, Japan assigned an individual identification number to every cattle raised for human consumption and recorded the information in a database. This system enabled distribution histories to be traced from producers through slaughterhouses to retailers and food-service operators, increasing transparency before the meat reached consumers.
No cases of BSE infection in humans have been confirmed in Japan since the announcement at that time. The Nikkei Stock Average closed at ¥9,554.99 on 21 September 2001.