Tsubame (Swallow) Corp., operator of the Tsubame restaurant chain in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, goes to great lengths to display information on the beef served at each of its 21 outlets.
Tsubame has developed its own system to identify each cattle part in its bid to disclose accurate information on the beef it uses.
There has been growing consumer interest in beef safety since the first case of mad cow disease was confirmed in Japan in 2001. The government banned imports of beef and beef products from the United States late last year after a Holstein there tested positive for the disease.