TOKYO – Eighty percent of respondents in a Yomiuri Shimbun survey said they were concerned, either greatly or to some extent, about the safety of U.S. beef, whose imports resumed recently.

The survey also found that only 19 percent of respondents said they had no concerns about the beef’s safety.

Asked whether they want to eat U.S. beef, nearly 90 percent of respondents had negative views, with 45 percent of the respondents saying they did not want to eat it, and 43 percent saying they would like to decide after more consideration. Only 10 percent of the respondents said they wanted to eat U.S. beef.

The survey was conducted Aug. 5-6 on 3,000 eligible voters selected at random at 250 locations nationwide, of whom 1,741 people, or 58 percent, gave valid responses.

U.S. beef has already gone on sale at some large retailers, with sales expected to expand. But the survey found many consumers were concerned about the safety of the product and were reluctant to purchase it.

About the government’s decision on the resumption of U.S. beef imports, those who said they did not support the decision and others answering they would prefer not to support it totaled 59 percent.

The figure is higher than the 37 percent who said they supported the government decision. But even among those who supported the government’s decision, 60 percent of the respondents said they had concerns over the safety of the beef.

Ninety-two percent of respondents said it should be mandatory for restaurants and other businesses to indicate the country of origin of beef used in processed food products and on menus so consumers could be informed of the use of U.S. beef, an indication that consumers are wary they might eat U.S. beef without knowing it.