Japan Tightens Inspections on U.S. Corn

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http://news./s/ap/20051228/ap_on_he_me/japan_corn_fungus_1

TOKYO - Japan has tightened inspections on corn from the United States after

finding a poisonous fungus in a shipment that arrived in the country, a

government official said Wednesday.

The Health Ministry ordered quarantine offices across Japan on Tuesday to

tighten inspections after detecting aflatoxin a week ago in U.S. corn unloaded

at Yokkaichi port in central Japan, said Yasuki Matsui of the ministry's

quarantine station administration.

Aflatoxin, a fungus found on corn and other grains, can cause illness in

animals and is associated with liver cancer in humans. Symptoms of aflatoxin

poisoning include lethargy, loss of appetite, yellowish eyes and gums, and

severe or bloody diarrhea.

Matsui said the aflatoxin was found by sample testing among from 200 tons of

yellow corn, imported by Sojitsu Corp., a Japanese trading company, the ministry

said on its Web site.

The ministry has ordered the importer to either destroy or take back the

entire shipment of corn contaminated with aflatoxin.

Sojitsu officials were not immediately available for comment.

Japan has imported a total of 3.76 million tons of corn from the United States

this year. That includes 21 tons of sweet corn and 7,613 tons of popcorn,

according to ministry figures.