畜産現場における安全性確保の取り組み
An Approach to Ensuring Safety at Livestock Raising Sites
山形県農業共済組合連合会 参事・酒井 淳一

Junichi SAKAI, Counselor,
Yamagata Prefecture Federated Agricultural Mutual Aid Association (NOSAI Yamagata)

Hello, I am Junichi Sakai from NOSAI Yamagata.

have four clinics, marked here in red on this map. At
present, there are 56 vets in Yamagata PrefectureFirst of all, I would like to make it clear to everybody

working against various livestock diseases and on

exactly where Yamagata Prefecture is. This is because,

damage prevention measures. This is the Chuo Kachiku

while people in eastern Japan know about the Tohoku

Clinic (Central Livestock Clinic) located in the center ofRegion very well, I realized that when I come over tothe prefecture. A total of 22 veterinarians are working

western Japan - as with my present trip to Kobe - many

here, engaged in improving the productivity of the local

people don’t have a clear idea where Yamagata is, or

farming households and on damage prevention.

even about the location of Tohoku. So I’ve marked theplaces where I live and work on this map.

Let me introduce our system. The central testing
system gathers together various test-related materials

Yesterday, as I passed through Kyoto on the way

from the four clinics in the testing laboratory shown

to Kobe, I saw that the city was covered in snow. In

here. Two technicians are assigned to the laboratory.

Yamagata, we have heavy snow warnings and this

They receive specimen materials in the early evening

snow has been the cause of a variety of disasters.

and, by midmorning of the following day, send back the

However, when the snow melts and spring arrives, ourresults data, almost complete, to the veterinarians whocherries grow in abundance as this slide shows. In fact,provided the specimens.

Yamagata is the number-one prefecture in Japan forcherry production.

As you know, there are a wide variety of livestock
diseases and our clinic works to prevent agricultural

Regarding livestock products, Kobe is well known for

insurance-related livestock disease and damage.

its beef. Likewise, Yamagata Prefecture has its own

Farmers employ a variety of technologies to help

specialty, Yonezawa beef, and we work hard to ensure

increase their pro duct ivity but some livestock

the safety of this meat.

are unable to physiologically cope with certain
technologies. Such animals exhibit a variety of172

I work for Yamagata Prefecture Federated Agriculturalsymptoms. For example, in our area farmers rear

Mutual Aid Association, a name which is abbreviatedenormous numbers of beef cattle. There is one

to NOSAI Yamagata. As in every prefecture, under the

production-related disease that can occur when the

Agricultural Disaster Indemnity Law, NOSAI Yamagata

cattle are fed on concentrated feed. This is a disorder

handles the insurance of a wide range of products

that, in serious cases, can cause animals to coughincluding livestock and buildings. Under the provisions

up blood. Such animals have developed ruminalof this law, because potential damage to livestock canparakeratosis - a disease characterized by a hardening

be so large, in addition to offering livestock insurance,and enlargement of the papillae of the rumen, as well as

NOSAI organizations operate clinics tasked withliver abscesses and metastatic pneumonia. This results

preventing or limiting such damage. In Yamagata, wein them coughing up blood.

りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

Such extreme cases are not common but there is aperiod during which the danger of liver abscesses

The fourth kind of work is marked here in red. Ourdeveloping is very high. We work hard to decrease

clinics work under the Agricultural Disaster Indemnity

this danger as much as possible and thereby stop theAct. We compensate farmers for damage so that, evendisease from occurring. This ultimately helps maintainif a major disease breaks out at their farm during thisproductivity in farming households to some extent.

fiscal year, production can be carried out again during

As Prof. Yoshikawa said earlier, unless the original

the next fiscal year. This is one of our biggest tasks.

livestock are properly secured, there is no food safety.
At NOSAI, we promote various forms of management

So far, I have been introducing the routine activities wemeasures to improve livestock production and instructcarry out up to the present. But safety questions havefarming households about best practices. Currently,

recently been raised for a variety of different foods. As

in the livestock insurance business, individual medical

for food poisoning, these are listed in order from 1 toexaminations are the norm. But in reality we should

5. In China, there have been cases where agricultural

now be using management systems for raisingchemicals were found mixed with food or industrial-use

large groups of up to two or three thousand head ofoil diverted for human consumption, and there was alivestock. So group management methods, aimed at

possibility of such products being imported into Japan.

increasing productivity, are also being actively reviewed

These cases became major problems, and I’m sure theyand considered. When we make our rounds we confer

are still fresh in your minds.

with JA staff and farm managers on a variety of issues.
These days, it is becoming increasingly important forIn the past, our livestock clinics were mostly engaged

the various parties to mutually share information andin conventional practice, but current needs dictate that

confer with each other concerning what farmers should

we must do more. Society now asks us to secure thedo according to the data on their cattle.

safety of food and livestock products. In this situation,
we must give serious consideration to how we can

Let me give a rough summary of the work of our

ensure the safety of the livestock products delivered tolivestock clinics.

consumers.

First is the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Within

The biggest catalyst in motivating us to act was BSE.

the livestock insurance business, payments are madeEven now this is still fresh in our memories. It was andepending on each individual’s medical record (forextremely sensational issue and, because it directly

individual management cases).

concerned the general public beyond the scope of
livestock farm management, we were troubled as toSecond is health management and pro duct ion

how to respond.

maintenance. As I said earlier, we support large-scalecattle and pig farming operations so that they canOn this BSE topic I wrote about of the danger of variant

maintain or increase their profitability.

Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a fear which was quickly
conveyed to the general public via the mass media.

Third is farm management. This activity is based on

It was said that if small children ingested the prions

a solid law - the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases

that cause the disease, BSE would develop as a result.

Control Act - under which countermeasures against

As a consequence, many mothers insisted that theirinfectious and contagious diseases are taken byschool authorities stop using beef in school lunches.

the livestock hygiene service center. NOSAI plays aManagement dietitians therefore decided to completely

cooperative role for this but we also take the initiative

eliminate beef from their menus. At the time, thisand actively proceed with farm management where

information was huge and a big shock for us.

necessary.

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We were in a position to explain about the risks andA major point for us in the business of food safety

possibilities at various meetings and we did manageand health management is to carry out our social

to explain things so that the consumer representatives

responsibility. When BSE occurred, the Ministry ofpresent were reassured and consumers could again

Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries announced an official

feel safe about eating beef. Our beef cattle farmers told

policy that animals should be managed individually,

them that they did not use feed that contained bone-thoroughly and traceably. We have tried to carrymeal feed. Nevertheless, because beef contaminated byout thorough individual management based on thisprions is indistinguishable from normal beef and there

policy. Also, since it is very important in the context of

is no basic difference between beef and dairy cattle,

ensuring the appropriate use of veterinary drugs based

the idea to discard beef in general became widespread.

on positive lists, we deal strictly with prescriptions

This was a matter of life and death to dairy farmers

from established medical organizations and ethical

who responded by holding a march to publicize thedrugs. Moreover, in line with the revisions to thesituation, as shown on the bottom left.

Slaughterhouse Act, we now have to certify each animal’s disease history and medication records. We fulfill our

Next came the big news that politicians had begunsocial responsibility by doing this scrupulously.

making visits to livestock farms. This was a cue for us
to act and we realized that the social role of our clinics

I should also state that, in keeping with the GAP idea,

was now far larger than the original role stipulated in

we are introducing appropriate farm management

the Agricultural Disaster Indemnity Act. We decided totechniques based on each farm’s production process.

develop our activities in that direction. So to secure the

The first thing we have to pay attention to is the safety

safety of livestock farming, NOSAI Yamagata launchedof feed. Secondly, as I’ve just mentioned, because

an initiative named the Food Safety and Healthsafe products come from healthy animals, we must

Management Project. It was designed on the basis of

pay attention to whether or not animals are reared

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) - an idea for producing

according to healthy management practices. Even

safe products from healthy livestock, as written here.

where these practices are being realized the possibility

As the project proceeded, we tried to popularize andof disease is still inevitable, so we need to put

entrench management technologies, and, in so doing

management innovations into practice as promptly as

we were finally able to offer produce that fully satisfied

possible to reduce the risk. Of course, if these practices

consumer demands.

impose a great a drain on the farmers they will not beable to continue in business so it is important for them

There is another point I would like to mention in thisto raise their productivity and maintain their operations

context. As was already being questioned at the time,

while adopting such innovations.

antibiotics and other drugs are present even in healthy
livestock produce, and they can also compromise theIn order to fulfill each of these roles it is essential tosafety of beef and other meat. For this reason, we try

create a great volume of technical information, discuss

to get our farmers to use as few antibiotics as possible

things with farming households, and educate farmand to only administer antibiotics in appropriate

managers. This photo was taken over 10 years ago

circumstances and amounts. We will continue towhen we had just started our food safety and healthmonitor whether antibiotics are effective or not against

management project. The farmers sitting there withactually occurring infections and diseases over the long

their arms crossed couldn’t understand what theterm. When resistant bacteria do appear it is important

lecturers were talking about. And we had no idea if

to administer appropriate antibiotics and to minimize

the results promised would actually materialize after

the amount of antibiotics by monitoring them. We haveeverything was put into practice.

implemented a monitoring project to this end.
Much later, there was the article in the Nikkei Shimbun

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りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

newspaper reporting that above-standard amounts

has unknowingly consumed feed contaminated withof carcinogenic aflatoxins had been found in somemycotoxins or aflatoxins. We developed a food safety

Chinese-made dairy products. In fact, we had suspicions

project that encompasses this research.

that this sort of thing could have occurred on any
farm in any country, not only in China. As I mentioned

One more thing I’d like to mention is our drug-

earlier, in GAP too, we believe feeding quality

resistance monitoring project. Sometimes drug-resistanttechnology should come first. So we have been doing

stains of pathogens are produced, as shown on the

research on that. Some representative mycotoxinsright side of this slide. The antibiotic substances thatare listed here. Among these toxins there is Aflatoxin

can be administered to livestock are limited in certain

B1 which gets into milk and is a possible carcinogen.

ways. Also, they are used in large quantities on cattle

Accordingly, we monitor whether or not such fungi orso there is a strong possibility that drug-resistantmycotoxins are present in feed.

strains of pathogens will emerge. This is why we arecarrying out wide-ranging monitoring and we provide

Next, although this is not our own data, we haveantibiotic usage information to veterinarians in charge

uncovered numerous food poisoning cases in whichof farms. By doing this, the veterinarians can change

mycotoxins are thought to be involved. Some of thethe antibiotic regime to one that is appropriate for each

incidents are from quite a long time ago. Also, in

farm. For example, Ampicillin has been used on this2008, there was an incident of fraudulently re-selling

farm. When we do start to use another antibiotic, thetainted rice which caused damage to production

overall amount of antibiotic substances used on theat many food-production and processing factories.

farm can be reduced. We consider it very important to

Fortunately, no contaminated food reached consumers

perform such activities on an ongoing basis to ensure

due to the incident but this was due more to good luck

healthy livestock products, and we have been carrying

than anything else. How should we monitor and takeout this project for over ten years now.

countermeasures for such situations? In keeping with
Food Safety Law provisions, the Food and Agricultural

On this next slide, I have listed some of the ways inMaterials Inspection Center monitors foreign matter

which we should conduct ourselves in order to secure

and pharmaceutical substances within the raw

food safety in keeping with applicable laws and norms.

materials of imported feed, including mycotoxins,

The biggest item is the Food, Agricultural and Rural

pesticide residues, heavy metals, etc.

Areas Basic Act, shown on the left side. If you shift yourgaze to the right, you can see the Codex standards,

However, when we checked the law in detail, we

which are global standards, etc. Moreover, we havediscovered that self-supplied feed produced in Japan is

to pay close attention to continuing our practice by

exempt from these provisions and thereby not subject

sensitively grasping contemporary requests and styles.

to inspection. There are agricultural plants producing
self-supplied feed in our area and, when we have

I’m sure there is no need to tell you, but let me sum up

checked their feed, we have occasionally come across

how the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control

feed partly contaminated by fungus. As I said, unless

Point) was developed. HACCP is a system developed

the original feed is safe, the health of the animals eatingby the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a body jointly

it cannot be maintained. So it is vitally important toestablished and operated by the FAO and the WHO,

control any contamination by mycotoxins or aflatoxins

and it is promoted globally. In Japan too, after thewhich can transfer into milk. In our field, silage

occurrence of BSE, the MAFF actively recommended

adjustment measures (as per 1, 2 and 3) are extremely

introducing HACCP in order to improve the safety ofimportant from a zootechnical standpoint. From ourfood and farm produce.

research we have found that absorbent agents canbe effective when there is a possibility that an animal

I will explain the differences between conventional

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production inspection methods and the HACCP method.

OK.

Roughly speaking, with HACCP, in order to specify theimportant management points for predicting potential

Based on farm HACCP, NOSAI Yamagata consulted withharm in the production process and preventing it fromthe prefectural government. Then, in cooperation withoccurring, each process is recorded and appropriate

a variety of prefectural and JA bodies, we organizedcountermeasures implemented. On the other hand,

the Association for Promotion of Food Safety fromwith conventional methods, safety checks are made2006 to 2009. However it proved very difficult toby making sampling inspections on the finishedrun the association because the related parties were

final products after they have been through all theslow to act. Consumers were not represented and no

production processes. So the biggest difference ischange in mindset had yet taken place. For example,

that, under HACCP, all processes are monitored. In

participants would make such comments as: “What are

the pattern diagram for HACCP, checking for potential

the benefits for farms? The labor costs are too high soharm and important management checks are performed

it won’t balance out.” “Differentiating between types offor each process. This means that any problem productfarm management is just another way of saying thatcan be removed at any stage, as it is detected. As suchincompetent farms should close down.” “Who will takealmost all of the final products are OK for shipment.

responsibility when abnormal products are dispatched

Under the conventional method, most problem products

from certified farms?” In addition, the participants

are not detected until the final inspection. This is a

asked NOSAI to take on a leadership role. So, althoughmajor difference.

we ran the association for four years, it did not progress
to sufficiently build an active system.

Now, for food safety and farm HACCP that will ensure
improved safety of the food dispatched to consumers,

Against this background, the MAFF decided to introduce

HACCP checking mechanisms must be carried out for

HACCP systems for farm units. The goal was to increase

all processes. So on our production sites we are looking

the number of farms using such systems from 2,000 in

at how we can best fulfill our responsibility to ensure

2007, to 5,000 by 2013. I have heard that about 2,600

product safety through HACCP.

farms have introduced HACCP systems so far.

There are many different ways in which products can

The MAFF has conducted various trials, issued notices

be harmed. For example, in the dairy industry, we

and announced a farm HACCP certification standard,

check whether products have been affected by bacterial

which is shown here. Since this robust standard wascontamination and propagation, or antibiotic substancecompiled the members of our association - who were

contamination, and whether detergent or fungicide

previously dragging their feet - have begun to movehas contaminated raw milk. In the case of fatteningsome way forward.

cattle, we check for body surface contamination fromfood poisoning pathogens and for antibiotic residue.

Moreover, in September 2011, upon receipt of thisThe government continues to prohibit bone-meal feed,certification standard, the Japan Livestock Industry

which was linked to BSE, so we also check for that

Association (JLIA) resolved to launch a Farm HACCP

kind of contamination. In pig farming, we check that

Certification Association in order to actively promote

no syringe tips have been left in the animals’ bodies ascertification. Under the farm certification system, thethese can also cause harm. So a condition of no harm

association issues a permit to a certifying organizationmeans that the products are free from all of the abovethat that can certify each farm’s level of complianceproblems.

with the standard. When livestock farms make HACCP
certification applications, this certifying organization

176

By putting farm HACCP into practice consistently it isgrants the certification to those they judge to bepossible to ensure that almost all livestock products arecomplying with the standard. Finally, the organization

りぶ・らぶ・あにまるず 神戸アニマルケア国際会議 2012

notifies the Farm HACCP Certification Association thatit has granted certifications to specific livestock farms,

In addition, veterinarians from the Farm Supervisingand the association makes the award public.

Veterinary Medical Association and the Japan Pig
Farm Practice Veterinary Medical Association have

In line with this system, we decided to rise to challenge

formed groups and are developing activities aimed atagain for implementing farm HACCP. We have madepromoting farm HACCP. But the problem is that there

progress to the point that 55% of dairy cooperatives

are presently around 24,000 dairy farming households

in Yamagata are now employing the Farm HACCPand 80,000 beef cattle households. They are producing

system. We conduct harm analysis and management

this much produce and raising this many head of cattle.

and are mounting a response to each of the main

The MAFF is aiming to certify 5,000 of these farms

sources of harm. Regarding the writing of checklists,

within 2013, but their actual promotion levels andrecording daily activities, etc., we have held numerous

activities for achieving food safety in a real sense seemmeetings with dairy cooperatives and farm workers.

to be at odds with each other.

However, regarding certification screening, we are stillin the process of selecting judges. Also, we decided

Finally, when we look at the issue of how to secure foodto use certification levels divided into gold and silver

safety, it is obvious that consumers must be involved

certifications because, if we set too tough a standard

and should also bear some of the costs, while a practicalfrom the beginning, most farms would have great

system must be constructed and the certification levels

difficulty in satisfying it. So the silver level covers a host

unified.

of general issues including food safety, pharmaceuticaland health management matters, while the gold level

I have a friend who is a Mongolian nomad. Whensatisfies the requirements recommended by the Japan

I visited him in Mongolia quite a while ago I was

Livestock Industry Association.

conversing with him and some of his fellow nomads.
There was one particular exchange I remember. I

Since Yamagata Prefecture has only just begun to re-asked, “What do you do with sick animals?” “We don’tackle this issue, the biggest effects of the efforts aret give them any treatment. We never have done.” “Whystill to come. Since the appearance of BSE, Niigata

not?” “To eat animals beginning with the weakest is thePrefecture has responded steadily over a number

essence of nomadic grazing.” When I head these wordsof years to employ farm HACCP. Niigata is acting

the scales fell from my eyes. In nomadic grazing, people

strategically. Currently the prefecture is actively

make use of animals that grow naturally. While in the

promoting this certification system so that all farms

livestock industry, the animals are raised by people.

that produce milk, beef, pork, eggs and poultry will takeAnd “people” in this instance doesn’t refer to livestock

part. The details are as written on this slide. The systemproducers alone, but to society in general. In order to

has its own certification committee members and the

secure food safety, we need cooperation from society

prefecture carries out high quality promotions.

itself. Up until now we have only taken a few steps
towards achieving the goals, so at our production sites

In Shimane Prefecture too, there is a certification

we are continuing to make efforts towards realizing

system called the Bimi Shimane Certification. Accordingthem.

to the article shown here, what is most notable is that
it is not primarily the production farmers attempting

Thank you very much for your attention.

to gain this certification. It is the students of Shimane
Prefectural College of Agriculture who are seeking it.
To have young people, who are aspiring to become
production farmers, embracing this system is somethingthat augurs well for the future.

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