Tc
Fri, Jan-20-06, 17:16
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