| TOP |
| 7th Report of Market Access Ombudsman Council (March 18, 2002) |
1. Complainant: Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2. Ministry concerned: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
3. Complaint:
When importing asparagus from China, an ordered inspection concerning the residual concentration of dichlorvos, an agricultural chemical, is required under the "Concerning implementation of ordered inspection based on Article 15-3 of the Food Sanitation Law" (Notice issued by the head of the Inspection and Safety Division, Food Safety Dept., Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau). When we referred the matter to the Chinese agency concerned, it replied that the above agricultural chemical is no longer used in asparagus.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare should grasp the actual situation in foreign countries and abolish unnecessary ordered inspections by taking necessary measures, including deleting the good in question from the above notice.
4. Corresponding Policy of the Ministries concerned:
With regard to Chinese green asparagus (excluding those processed), an ordered inspection has been implemented since September 4, 1998, as dichlorvos was detected in the amount exceeding the standard (0.1ppm) in 1998. The current fiscal year is the third year since the ordered inspection was first implemented. There was no case of violation during the three years. Therefore, the ministry will study deleting the good from the notice when it reviews ordered inspection items at the end of the current fiscal year.
However, unripe peas produced in China (excluding those processed) will not be deleted from the ordered inspection goods, as cypermethrin was detected in the amount exceeding the standard (0.05ppm) even this fiscal year.
Incidentally, cases of violation discovered at quarantine stations are published in the homepage of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
(Reference)
1)Dichlorvos: Organic phosphorus insecticide. Intake of dichlorvos in excess of the standard may cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, or spoil appetite.
2)Cypermethrin: Synthetic pyrethroid insecticide registered in 1987. It has an extremely wide spectrum of killing insects. Intake in excess of the standard may cause headaches, nausea, etc.
5. Remarks
The complainant accepted this policy.