Portal site for Food-related Business Operators » Standards, Requirements and Facility Standards for Raw Meat to be Eaten Raw » Standards and requirements for pork meat
Standards and requirements for pork meat have been established
Handling of Pork
Overview
The national government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government have repeatedly instructed that meat or organs of livestock or poultry, including pork, must be heated well because of the possibility of contamination with bacteria which causes food poisoning.
The Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council reviewed the issue from August 2013 and concluded that it is necessary to prohibit serving pork to be eaten raw due to the high risk it poses to public health based on facts including that some restaurants had served pork to be eaten raw; there are hazards caused by hepatitis E virus (hereinafter, “HEV”), food poisoning bacteria, and parasites; and there is no risk reduction method other than heating to the center, given the nature of meat that has been contaminated by HEV or parasites.
As a result, it became prohibited to sell or serve pork to be eaten raw from June 12, 2015. It is prohibited to serve or sell pork except that which is to be cooked.
<Relevant circulars> For more information, see the following.
- Establishment of standards for pork Q&A (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese) (PDF: 85 KB)
The main contents of the standards and requirements for pork are as follows.
- In the standards and requirements, pork includes the organs of pigs.
- Pork should be served or sold “to be cooked.”
- When pork is served or sold, it is necessary to provide information to the effect that that cooking thoroughly to the center is necessary.
- When a seller uses pork in manufacturing, processing, or cooking with an aim to sell to general consumers directly, it is required to heat to the center of the pork for 30 minutes or longer at 63°C or to sterilize by heat by a method which has the equivalent or better efficiency of sterilization.
- When such food is sold on the condition of being cooked when served to general consumers, item 4 does not apply. In that case however, it is required to inform general consumers that cooking the food thoroughly to the center before eating is necessary.
In addition, when such meat products are sold, item 4 does not apply.
Other
- For horse meat to be eaten raw, it is required to keep sanitation management in accordance with the “Ensuring safety of meat to be eaten raw” (No. 1358 by Environmental Health Bureau on September 11, 1998) (Japanese) as before.
- For meat to be eaten raw, it is required to meet the “Standards for meat to be eaten raw (beef sold to be eaten raw, excluding organs).”
- As in the case of pork, it is prohibited to sell or serve beef liver to be eaten raw.
Related circulars and links
- Refrain from eating raw pork liver (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)
- Infection cases of hepatitis E virus and Hepatitis E virus Q&A (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)
- Refrain from eating raw beef liver (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)