Japan- Maybe-- Someday???

[Oldtimer]

Could be a cold day in Hates before we ship beef to Japan--If they are going to hold us to the standard of proving the USDA and the US Government "efficient".... ;-)

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Most U.S. beef processors safe: LDP team


By KANAKO TAKAHARA


Staff writer
Most U.S. beef processing facilities looking to export beef to Japan are taking sufficient measures to satisfy the criteria agreed upon between the United States and Japan, an inspection team of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Tuesday.


Kumiko Ito of the activist group Peace Boat takes a heart-shaped chocolate that reads, "I love you for protecting our lives and safety" to the farm ministry for minister Shoichi Nakagawa, asking the government to keep tight restrictions on U.S. beef.

Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who headed the five-member mission, said the Department of Agriculture should be held responsible for authorizing a facility that did not know the requirements for beef to be exported to Japan. Veal from that facility was found at Narita airport on Jan. 20 with backbones that should have been removed before shipping, prompting Japan to reimpose a ban on U.S. beef.

"Most facilities are doing enough," Matsuoka told a news conference. "The irresponsible system of the agricultural department has caused a great deal of trouble for diligent factories."

A team from the Democratic Party of Japan that visited the U.S. earlier this month said prohibited high-risk parts were not being completely removed from beef processed by Tyson Foods, Inc. The company denied the allegations.

The LDP team was in the U.S. on Friday and Saturday to inspect Tyson and another major processing facility that had been shipping beef to Japan. They did not visit the New York meatpacker that included the spinal material in its shipment because it is no longer on the list of facilities allowed to export to Japan.

Matsuoka also said the central government should check whether measures taken by the U.S. government are efficient before it resumes U.S. beef imports.

Earlier in the day, the inspection team met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to report the results of the U.S. trip.

It is necessary to get to the bottom of why the spinal-cord incident occurred and take measures to prevent it from happening again, Matsuoka quoted Koizumi as saying.

The Japan Times: Feb. 15, 2006

 

[branxchar&charx]

the only thing i aint a gettin is why in the h*ll was the USDA not all over that boxed beef before it even left the US? u would think that they would have inspected every bit of it before it even left the plant, and y a plant like that was even shipping to Japan? cant wait for the USDA to start implementing that livestock tracking system. after all u saw how well they got that first shipment of beef to the highly sensitive market of Japan to Japan.

Even though I have criticisms of both, I am currently working for Tyson and I would like to work for the USDA someday. weird, eh?

and as far as those consumer groups go in Japan or anywhere else for that matter, they wouldnt have US beef anywhere near that country. people who can actually believe into that "all-natural" and "organic" beef. :roll: :roll: please

 

[Oldtimer]

Aussies Say U.S. Beef Is Out Of Japan Until July
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) contends U.S. beef won't be allowed back into Japan until July. That delayed entry is the reason MLA reassessed this week its 2006 forecast for Australian beef exports to be up 1%.

 

[SEC]

I have a friend that was over in Japan last fall and he felt that the grass fed beef thing would fall backwards once the Japanese starting eating grainfed beef again. By his reports to most weren't to thrilled with eat the grass fed beef.

 

[MikeC]

I have a friend that was over in Japan last fall and he felt that the grass fed beef thing would fall backwards once the Japanese starting eating grainfed beef again. By his reports to most weren't to thrilled with eat the grass fed beef.

The Aussie's have been ramping up feedlots BIGTIME in the last two years. Not all of the Australian cattle are grassfed.............
by any stretch of imagination.

 

[Oldtimer]

I have a friend that was over in Japan last fall and he felt that the grass fed beef thing would fall backwards once the Japanese starting eating grainfed beef again. By his reports to most weren't to thrilled with eat the grass fed beef.

The Aussie's have been ramping up feedlots BIGTIME in the last two years. Not all of the Australian cattle are grassfed.............
by any stretch of imagination.

How right you are MikeC...Any many of these feedlots are owned and/or financed by the same multinational Packers that are operating in the US and Canada....

Both Cargill and Tyson are invested in the Australian market....

 

[buckaroo_bif]

News Update
Feb. 21, 2006



Japan Wary of U.S. Beef, Despite USDA Report

Japanese officials yesterday gave no indication of trade resumption after receiving the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report explaining the Jan. 20 shipment of banned beef materials.

According to The Associated Press, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called the 475-page report "insufficient," stating that a quick resumption of U.S. beef imports is unlikely. Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe reported that the Japanese government was still examining the USDA report. Abe added that officials there could have some questions for the agency following a careful reading of the report.

"If, after all that, the U.S. can convince us that preventive measures will be firmly taken from the perspective of food safety and security, then we will resume the imports at that point," Abe stated in the AP article.

The Japan Times reported that it could be several days before Japanese officials finalize their response to the report.