Japanese maximum residue limits (MRLs): Packer's perspective

摘要

As stated on the Pork.org website, "Japan represents a market for over 1 billion dollar of US pork or 45 percent of the value of US pork exports. Japan is the largest market for US pork, in both volume and value, and they purchase approximately 753 million pounds of US pork". In 2006, the industry had to adjust very quickly to new standards for Maximum Residue Limits or MRL's. MRL's are the allowable amount of a metabolite from veterinarian drugs or agricultural chemicals (pesticide) that can be detected using a given test in meat.