Measures Regarding U.S. Food Corn Exported to Japan

September 25, 2001  (October 17, 2003, revision)
 

Introduction

 

The U.S. has and continues to implement measures to identify StarLink corn and direct it to feed and non-food industrial use. Over 98 percent of the year 2000 StarLink crop has been identified and directed to approved uses in the United States. Residual supplies of the 1998 and 1999 StarLink crop and the remaining 2000 crop have resulted in very low levels of StarLink being commingled with U.S. corn.

 

The objective of the Measures Regarding U.S. Food Corn Exported to Japan (herein after referred to as “the Measures”) is to provide for a practical quality assurance process to meet the Government of Japan Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) food regulatory requirements for StarLink corn.   The Measures describes the procedures for testing corn for StarLink and for preserving the identity of corn from the point of testing to the export vessels.  Provisions for implementing the Measures will be dependent on the terms of the export sales contract.

 

At Interior Shipping Points

 

1.   Interior sampling and testing services will be conducted either by USDA or in accordance with the USDA procedures, as specified in the terms of the export sales contract.

2.   Barges and railcars at interior loading sites will be cleaned according to the USDA standards.

3.      During barge and railcar loading at interior shipping points, a representative sample will be taken using the official USDA sampling procedures.

4.      Samples will be tested for each consignment of corn using the lateral flow methodology. The number and size of samples should be consistent with U.S. Government guidelines for domestic food use, but no fewer than 2400 kernels per test1.  If no StarLink corn is detected in these tests, the railcar or barge will be sealed and its identity preserved (IP) to the export location.  Corn on the railcar or barge that tests positive for StarLink will not be exported to Japan.

5.      USDA will provide randomly selected samples taken from corn shipments intended to be exported to Japan to MHLW at a designated ratio for monitoring purposes.  (See “Monitoring” below.)

 

 At Export Location

 

1.      USDA will monitor industry cleaning of elevator unloading equipment, conveyors, scales, storage bins, etc. to prevent inadvertent commingling.

2.      USDA will monitor the unloading of incoming railcar or barge shipments.

3.      USDA will examine the stowage space of each export vessel to ensure cleanliness.

4.      USDA will sample all export corn in accordance with U.S. Grains Standards Act.

5.      USDA will retain a representative file sample of each export shipment for 90 days in accordance with USDA regulations. This sample will be available for monitoring purposes.

6.      Sampling and testing services for the purposes of the Measures may also be conducted by USDA, or in accordance with USDA procedures, at the export location, in lieu of testing at interior locations.  Sampling methodology, the number and size of samples to be taken, and monitoring are to be consistent with procedures for testing and sampling at interior shipping points.¹

 

At Import

 

The following documentation will be made available upon request:

·        Interior test results

·        Documentation on IP handling (e.g., seal certification number)

·        Examination certificate from USDA for vessel stowage

 

Monitoring

 

This section fulfills the requirement for random samples to be submitted to MHLW for monitoring purposes.

This monitoring program will provide the means necessary for MHLW to confirm that tests conducted by USDA under terms of the Measures and tests conducted in Japan consistently yield equivalent results. The monitoring program will serve to validate the effectiveness of the Measures in assuring that food corn exported to Japan does not contain StarLink corn.

USDA will select samples of corn from shipments intended to be exported to Japan for monitoring purposes.  Samples for monitoring will be drawn according to the official USDA sampling procedures. Each sample will be approximately 2 kilograms in size and identified by date and sample number (1 through 3).

USDA will grind the samples and divide the samples in half with an approved divider. One half will be tested for StarLink according to the procedures outlined in GIPSA2  Directive 9181.1, “Testing for StarLink Corn,” which is located at the following website:

http://www.usda.gov/gipsa/reference-library/directives/9181-1.pdf

USDA will test three sub-samples per sample.

 

USDA will mail the other half of the sample (approximately 1 kilogram), with their test results, to MHLW at the rate of 3 samples monthly. USDA will mail the samples to the following address:

Laboratory of Yokohama Quarantine Station

Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare 
107-8 Nagahama, Kanazawa-ku

Yokohama 236-0011

Japan

 

MHLW will share their test results with USDA on a periodic basis.  USDA, in addition to submitting test results under the monitoring program, will regularly share aggregate data comprising results of all USDA tests for StarLink.

 

Review of  the Measures

 

The Measures is subject to revision upon review of test results from MHLW.

October 17, 2003, revision

 

 

  /s/  Suzanne Hale______________                 _/s/  Akira Endo_____________

Suzanne Hale                                                     Akira Endo

Minister-Counselor                                            Director-General        

American Embassy                                              Department of Food Safety

Tokyo, Japan                                                      Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare  Tokyo, Japan