July 26, 2006

Safeguards vastly cut BSE risk to people

The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis was cited as saying on Tuesday that the U.S. government virtually eliminated the threat of mad cow disease to consumers by requiring the removal of brains, spinal cords and other high risk items from older cattle.
Two consumer groups applauded the progress but said the Agriculture Department was unwilling to take the more stringent steps suggested by an international advisory panel, such as banning high-risk materials from cattle 12 months or older from food and feed use. Yahoo News Link

July 27, 2006

Japan opens market to U.S. beef…again

Japan’s government officially approves resuming imports of U.S. beef following months of negotiations. First shipments of U.S. beef should begin within two weeks.
Today (Thursday, July 27, 2006), Japan formally reopened its market to U.S. beef, according to a Kyodo News report.
Japan first closed its market to U.S. beef in December 2003 after the United States reported its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). After nearly two years of intense and often heated negotiations, Japan agreed to resume importing U.S. in December 2005. However, almost one month later in January 2006, Japan slammed shut its doors to U.S. beef once again after inspectors discovered backbone in a shipment of U.S. veal. Under the 2005 agreement which reopened the Japan market to U.S. beef, processors must remove bones – along with nerve tissue and other organs -- from the carcass. Health officials believe these tissues harbor the prion which causes BSE. Food Safety News Iowa State Link