Food safety minister Yasufumi Tanahashi said Tuesday he does not expect the Food Safety Commission to come under political pressure to approve lifting the 15-month-old ban on U.S. beef imports.
"The commission is making scientific discussions and is not expected to take any political consideration into account," Tanahashi said of the growing U.S. pressure to end the ban triggered by mad cow disease. Tanahashi spoke to reporters after a morning Cabinet meeting.
While the United States has urged Japan to specify the date for lifting the ban before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Tokyo later this month, Tanahashi told a news conference no decisions by the commission will be linked to the visit.