Mad Cow Facts

By Joseph Coleman
Associated Press
December 26, 2005

Excerpt…

The California red was served, the oysters on the half-shell consumed. Finally, Bumpei Kawanaka had what he really wanted on his fork: a glistening red slice of American steak.

“It’s very juicy and, of course, tasty,” says Kawanaka, who became one of the first people in Japan to savor U.S. beef since the country eased an import ban. “It’s a special taste.”

American beef made a small but significant appearance on grills in Japan Dec. 19, signaling what U.S. producers hope will be a triumphant return to what once was their most lucrative overseas market.

The feasts - at a private party in Tokyo and a chain of barbecue restaurants in western Japan - followed limited meat shipments in recent days allowed by Japan’s Dec. 12 decision to partially lift its embargo.

Japan shut its doors to American beef imports in December 2003 after the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, depriving producers of a $1.4 billion market - and consumers of a favorite meal.

Tasting the beef

The private banquet in Tokyo attended by Kawanaka was hosted by Nebraska, which held a good chunk of the market before the ban. U.S. officials praised the lifting of the embargo - and then lifted some ribeye to their lips.

“We are so happy … to have you as the first people to taste the beef which we all know is delicious, safe and affordable,” Dan Berman, minister-counselor for agricultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy, told some 30 guests before slicing into a steak.

At the same time in western Japan, the wider public got its first mouthfuls at the Zenshoku Korean barbecue chain.

American beef was on the menu in 30 restaurants in that region Dec. 19 and returned to 26 outlets in Tokyo and other parts of eastern Japan Dec. 20.

Despite the celebrations, it is expected to be weeks or even months before Japanese shoppers at supermarkets or diners at popular and cheap beef-and-rice bowl outlets savor their first tastes of U.S. beef.

Yoshinoya, a favorite beef bowl chain, also is concerned that remaining restrictions on U.S. imports will limit beef’s availability. Japan has agreed to only import beef from U.S. cows 20 months or younger - a small percentage of the U.S. herd…

…Japan shut its ports to U.S. beef on Dec. 24, 2003, after the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease - formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy - in the U.S. herd.

At first, Tokyo demanded that Washington test each head of cattle as it goes to slaughter as Japan has done to contain its own mad cow spread, but U.S. producers balked, saying that was too costly and unnecessary.

After months of negotiation, the two sides agreed to allow the importation of meat from younger cows, which so far have been free of the disease. Japan’s Food Safety Commission recently approved that decision.

U.S. beef still faces an uphill struggle in Japan, where consumers are particularly sensitive to safety concerns. Some restaurants are reluctant to market American meat until they are sure the public will be receptive.

Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, hit hard on those doubts in a toast Dec. 19, assuring diners that producers were willing to go all out to win back Japanese palates.

After all, big money is at stake: Nebraska beef sales were $150 million to $300 million a year in Japan before the ban.

“Over the past two years, our producers … have embraced evolving international standards to maintain our reputation,” Ibach says.

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