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.

When 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 and 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.