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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N20301723.htm
USDA sends team to Japan after mad cow violation
20 Jan 2006 15:04:45 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. meat inspectors were dispatched to
Japan to re-examine American beef shipments following a violation of
mad cow rules and beef processors will be under stricter scrutiny,
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said on Friday.
Johanns announced a series of steps to assure the safety of U.S. beef
exports within hours of Japan announcing that it found a backbone --
prohibited under a U.S.-Japan agreement -- in a shipment of U.S. beef.
As a result, Japan said it would reimpose its ban on American beef,
lifted only a month ago. Japan traditionally is the No. 1 foreign
customer for U.S. beef and winning re-entry to its market, after a
two-year ban, was a landmark for the Bush administration.
"I am dispatching a team of USDA inspectors to Japan to work with
Japanese inspectors to re-examine every shipment currently awaiting
approval, to confirm compliance with the requirements of our export
agreement with Japan," Johanns said in a statement.
Additional USDA inspectors will be sent to every plant approved to ship
beef to Japan "to ensure compliance with our export rules," Johanns
said. Two inspectors will review every shipment bound for Japan to
confirm that rules are followed and surprise inspections will be
conducted at every U.S. plant approved for beef exports.
"We take this matter very seriously," Johanns said.
The plant that shipped the beef was immediately barred from further
shipments, he said, and "appropriate personnel action" will be taken
against the USDA meat plant inspector who wrongly approved the
shipment.
The USDA did not identify the plant.
U.S. beef exports plummeted following discovery in December 2003 of the
first U.S. case of mad cow disease. The Bush administration has given
priority to regaining access to markets around the world.
Under the agreement with Japan, U.S. processors can send meat to Japan
only from younger cattle and if spinal cords, brains, nervous tissue
and other items thought to carry the highest risk of mad cow disease
are removed.
*****
This opens up the entire Japanese beef market to Canada. You know the
country that the US banned beef from for so long. The country that has
a significantly better BSE monitoring system than the US. The country
that actually looks for BSE and actually tells the world when they do
find BSE. You know, they country that isn't stupid enough to include
banned beef parts in beef shipments to Japan.
It cuts both ways and now it is the US's turn to bleed.
TC
USDA sends team to Japan after mad cow violation
20 Jan 2006 15:04:45 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. meat inspectors were dispatched to
Japan to re-examine American beef shipments following a violation of
mad cow rules and beef processors will be under stricter scrutiny,
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said on Friday.
Johanns announced a series of steps to assure the safety of U.S. beef
exports within hours of Japan announcing that it found a backbone --
prohibited under a U.S.-Japan agreement -- in a shipment of U.S. beef.
As a result, Japan said it would reimpose its ban on American beef,
lifted only a month ago. Japan traditionally is the No. 1 foreign
customer for U.S. beef and winning re-entry to its market, after a
two-year ban, was a landmark for the Bush administration.
"I am dispatching a team of USDA inspectors to Japan to work with
Japanese inspectors to re-examine every shipment currently awaiting
approval, to confirm compliance with the requirements of our export
agreement with Japan," Johanns said in a statement.
Additional USDA inspectors will be sent to every plant approved to ship
beef to Japan "to ensure compliance with our export rules," Johanns
said. Two inspectors will review every shipment bound for Japan to
confirm that rules are followed and surprise inspections will be
conducted at every U.S. plant approved for beef exports.
"We take this matter very seriously," Johanns said.
The plant that shipped the beef was immediately barred from further
shipments, he said, and "appropriate personnel action" will be taken
against the USDA meat plant inspector who wrongly approved the
shipment.
The USDA did not identify the plant.
U.S. beef exports plummeted following discovery in December 2003 of the
first U.S. case of mad cow disease. The Bush administration has given
priority to regaining access to markets around the world.
Under the agreement with Japan, U.S. processors can send meat to Japan
only from younger cattle and if spinal cords, brains, nervous tissue
and other items thought to carry the highest risk of mad cow disease
are removed.
*****
This opens up the entire Japanese beef market to Canada. You know the
country that the US banned beef from for so long. The country that has
a significantly better BSE monitoring system than the US. The country
that actually looks for BSE and actually tells the world when they do
find BSE. You know, they country that isn't stupid enough to include
banned beef parts in beef shipments to Japan.
It cuts both ways and now it is the US's turn to bleed.
TC