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Standards and requirements for meat and beef liver to be eaten raw have been established
Standards and requirements for meat to be eaten raw
Overview
On October 1, 2011, “standards and requirements” and “labeling standards” based on the Food Sanitation Act were establishedfor meat to be eaten raw (beef sold to be eaten raw, excluding organs).
These standards were established by the Consumer Affairs Agency and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare due to food poisoning incidents from Enterohemorrhagic E. coli likely caused by eating raw beef including beef Yukhoe served at restaurants of a barbecue chain in Toyama Pref. and other places in April 2011.
<Relevant circulars> For more information, see the following.
- Standards and requirements for meat to be eaten raw (Japanese) (PDF: 91 KB)
- Prevention of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli food poisoning (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)
The main contents of the standards and requirements for meat to be eaten raw are as follows.
- Subject:
Beef sold to be eaten raw (excluding organs.)
E.g.: Beef Yukhoe, beef tartare steak, beef sashimi, and beef tataki
- Ingredient standards
- Negative for Enterobacteriaceae
- Keep the inspection records indicating negative confirmation for one year
- Equipment and utensils:
At a hygienic place clearly separated from other equipment along with dedicated devices necessary for washing and disinfecting hands,use dedicated impermeable utensils which are clean, hygienic, and easy to wash and disinfect.
- Processing method:
Promptly place pieces of meat taken from the dressed carcass in a hygienic way in an airtight container and package, seal it, and sterilize it by heatto a depth of 1 cm for 2 minutes or longer at 60°C or by an equivalent or better method, and thenpromptly cool it down to 4°C or lower.
In addition,records of the temperatures and duration of heat sterilizationshould be kept for one year.
- Preparing method
Processed beef according to item 4should be processed and provided.
In addition, processed beef to be eaten raw should be served promptly.
- Preservation method:
Place beef to be eaten raw in a clean and hygienic container and packaging to preserve at 4°C or lower. However, frozen beef to be eaten raw should be preserved at -15°C or lower. - Approved handler of meat to be eaten raw:
Meat to be eaten raw should be processed or prepared only by an“Approved handler of meat to be eaten raw”.
* However, at a facility for handling only properly processed meat to be eaten raw, the food sanitation supervisor of the facility is considered the approved handler of meat to be eaten raw.
Contact
Business operators planning to handle meat to be eaten raw are advised to consult with a nearby public health center in advance.
For more information on points of contact, click here (Japanese).
Labeling standards for meat to be eaten raw
The main contents of the labeling standards for meat to be eaten raw are as follows.
- When serving or selling meat to be eaten raw without placing it in a container and packaging at a store including restaurant,
it is required to display the following two items in an easily visible location such as at the entrance or on the menu.- Generally speaking, there is a risk of food poisoning from eating raw meat
- Those who have little resistance to illness, such as children and the elderly, should refrain from eating raw meat
- When selling it in a container and packaging,
it is required to display the following three items in addition to the two points above in an easily visible location on the container and packaging.- To be eaten raw
- Name of the prefecture in which the slaughterhouse where the slaughtering or dressing was done (for imported meats, the country of origin),
the name of the slaughterhouse, and the confirmation as a slaughterhouse - Name of the prefecture in which the facility where the process was done in a way that meets the processing standards for meat to be eaten raw (for imported meats, the country of origin), the name of the processing facility, and the confirmation as a processing facility
Handling of beef liver
Overview
Due to a report that Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 was detected in beef liver, the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council discussed the issue. As a result, because an effective preventive measure was not found for eating beef liver safely, it was prohibited to provide or sell beef liver to be eaten raw from July 1, 2012 onward. It is prohibited to serve or sell raw beef liver except that which is to be cooked.
The main contents of the standards and requirements for beef liver are as follows
- Beef liver should be provided or sold “to be cooked.”
- When beef liver is provided or sold, information must be provided to the effect that cooking thoroughly to the center is necessary.
- When a seller uses beef liver in manufacturing, processing, or cooking with an aim to sell to general consumers directly, it is required to heat to the center of the beef liver 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 3 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.
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.
- The facility standards for meat to be eaten raw (beef) went into effect on November 1, 2012.
For more information, click here.
Related circulars and links
- Prevention of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli food poisoning (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)
- Establishment of the standards and requirements for meat to be eaten raw (beef) Q&A (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese) (PDF: 237 KB)
- For business operators handling beef to eaten raw (Consumer Affairs Agency and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese) (PDF: 108 KB)
- Refrain from eating raw beef liver (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japanese)