Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

Japan aims to reduce household food waste in half by 2030

TOKYO, June 20 — Japan has set up a target to halve household food waste to 2.15 million tons by 2030 from the fiscal 2000 level, the government said. The environment ministry will work with municipalities to reduce household food waste, including campaigns to raise awareness among consumers. The move is part of the government’s efforts to follow the U.N.’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), which seek the fight against food waste at the international level. Last year, Japanese households threw away 2.89 million tons of food that could have been eaten, according to the agriculture ministry. That means it needs to reduce 25 percent from the 2017 level in order to … Continue reading

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Gifu pref. slaughterhouse approved for beef export to Australia

TAKAYAMA, June 18 — A slaughterhouse in Gifu prefecture, home to Hida beef, was approved for beef exports to Australia by the ministry of health, labor and welfare. The move comes as Australia has lifted a 17-year ban on beef imports from Japan in May, which could boost Japanese exports to the lucrative meat market. Shipments of eligible Japanese beef have been allowed to enter Australia without any age limit conditions, according to the agriculture ministry. The slaughterhouse in Takayama city aims to start shipments as early as late July. The facility is also approved for exports to the EU and the U.S. Australia’s lifting the import ban is a … Continue reading

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Japan suspends sales of Canadian wheat after GMO discovery

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

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Who is up for a mountain sweet of melon that weights 2kg?

SAIJYO, June 10 — A Japanese farmer co-operative café has introduced a sweet treat, containing a giant melon that weighs 2kg. Created by the café in Saijyo city, Ehime prefecture, the sweet uses a melon cut in half, which has a diameter of 18 cm. The café names it “Mega Mountain” priced at 1,500 yen ($14). The café sells “Melon Mountain” that uses an ordinary-sized melon at 880 yen ($8). But the sizes of harvested melon are bigger this year, the café operator said.

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Japan to relax sale of unrefrigerated biologically clean tofu in July

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

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