TOKYO, June 16 — The Japanese agriculture ministry said on June 15 that it has suspended tenders and sales of Canadian wheat indefinitely after the discovery of genetically modified wheat in the exporting country. This is the first case Tokyo suspended wheat imports from Canada. Canada is Japan’s No. 2 wheat supplier. Last year, Japan imported 1.54 million metric tons of wheat, with Ottawa accounting for 30 percent of imports. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that the wheat found was genetically modified and herbicide-tolerant. Because GM wheat is not authorized for commercial use in Canada, the CFIA said in a June 14 statement that it is working “with … Continue reading →

TOKYO, June 28 – The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan is going to lift the ban on the sale of tofu at room temperature partially in mid-July at the earliest, according to a report released on June 27, 2018. At present, tofu sellers in Japan are required to sell only refrigerated tofu, but the ministry is to permit the sale of unrefrigerated one only if it’s packed in an aseptic container. Some of the tofu producers today already have the technology to make biologically clean tofu suitable for selling at room temperature, and the change in the law may support their extended efforts to market the soy … Continue reading →

TOKYO, June 12 — Japan’s food exports rose 20% in April from a year earlier on strong demand for wagyu beef and fishery products, the government said. Shipments of products such as agri-food, meat and seafood totaled 77.6 billion yen in April, 12.8 billion yen higher in the same month a year earlier, according to data from the agriculture ministry. Wagyu beef exports soared 30% to 1.9 billion yen due to rising demand in the U.S. and Hong Kong as well as Taiwan lifting a 16-year import ban. Fish and seafood exports jumped 40% to 30 billion yen in the same month a year earlier thanks to a recovery in … Continue reading →