The government formally announced Monday that it will impose a comprehensive ban starting Thursday on the distribution of imported and domestically produced meat-and-bone meal, an animal feed suspected of causing mad cow disease.

Tsutomu Takebe, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, holds a news conference at the ministry.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said the temporary move is in response to concerns among consumers over the safety of meat-and-bone meal, a protein feed made from the crushed internal organs, skin and bones of cows.