Mike
Well-known member
Itoham offers to BSE test for JPN mkt
Company offers to test all cattle coming into Japanese market
Jun 30 2005
CBC News
Canada
A Japanese company is offering to pay the cost of testing every cow
processed and shipped to Japan for mad cow disease.
Japan closed its border to Canadian beef in May 2003, when the first case of
BSE in a Canadian-born cow was confirmed. The country, which has had a
number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases of its own, tests all
cattle destined to be eaten by humans.
Before allowing trade with Canada to resume, Japan wanted a promise that
each animal shipped over would have been tested. Canada has refused, arguing
that that's not scientifically necessary.
The Canadian government's position is that testing should be done for
scientific reasons and not market access.
Itoham Foods, which processes and sells beef in Japan, says it will pay
those testing costs in order to get Canadian beef back into the market.
The Canada Beef Export Federation supports individual animal testing, if
that's what the specific customer wants.
"One processor in Canada has actually applied for permission to undertake
BSE testing for market access, for the purpose of selling to Japan,
including selling to Itoham," Ted Haney, the federation's president, said.
"Other processors, for concern about relative cost and the potential for
negative effect on consumer confidence in Canada, have not been receptive to
this kind of offer."
Itoham can't pay for the testing without the approval of both the Canadian
and Japanese governments.
Itoham made a similar offer to test U.S. cattle earlier this year, but were
turned down.
The U.S. confirmed its first case of BSE in a U.S.-born cow last week. The
first case of mad cow found in the United States, in Washington state in
December 2003, was traced back to Canada. That dairy cow had been born near
Leduc.
* FROM JUNE 24, 2005: U.S. confirms mad cow case
The U.S. shut its border to Canadian beef and cattle on May 20, 2003, when
the first case of the disease in a Canadian-born animal was confirmed. While
the U.S. resumed some shipments of beef that August, the border has remained
closed to live cattle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to reopen the border to
cattle under the age of 30 months on March 7, but R-CALF, a group of
American ranchers, won an injunction against the move, arguing Canada
doesn't adequately test for BSE.
Two other animals have tested positive in Canada since May 2003.
Federal Judge Richard Cebull, who agreed to the injunction on March 2, has
set a July 27 date for trial on R-CALF's concerns with the USDA. The USDA is
appealing Cebull's injunction decision, which will be heard July 13.
calgary
Company offers to test all cattle coming into Japanese market
Jun 30 2005
CBC News
Canada
A Japanese company is offering to pay the cost of testing every cow
processed and shipped to Japan for mad cow disease.
Japan closed its border to Canadian beef in May 2003, when the first case of
BSE in a Canadian-born cow was confirmed. The country, which has had a
number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases of its own, tests all
cattle destined to be eaten by humans.
Before allowing trade with Canada to resume, Japan wanted a promise that
each animal shipped over would have been tested. Canada has refused, arguing
that that's not scientifically necessary.
The Canadian government's position is that testing should be done for
scientific reasons and not market access.
Itoham Foods, which processes and sells beef in Japan, says it will pay
those testing costs in order to get Canadian beef back into the market.
The Canada Beef Export Federation supports individual animal testing, if
that's what the specific customer wants.
"One processor in Canada has actually applied for permission to undertake
BSE testing for market access, for the purpose of selling to Japan,
including selling to Itoham," Ted Haney, the federation's president, said.
"Other processors, for concern about relative cost and the potential for
negative effect on consumer confidence in Canada, have not been receptive to
this kind of offer."
Itoham can't pay for the testing without the approval of both the Canadian
and Japanese governments.
Itoham made a similar offer to test U.S. cattle earlier this year, but were
turned down.
The U.S. confirmed its first case of BSE in a U.S.-born cow last week. The
first case of mad cow found in the United States, in Washington state in
December 2003, was traced back to Canada. That dairy cow had been born near
Leduc.
* FROM JUNE 24, 2005: U.S. confirms mad cow case
The U.S. shut its border to Canadian beef and cattle on May 20, 2003, when
the first case of the disease in a Canadian-born animal was confirmed. While
the U.S. resumed some shipments of beef that August, the border has remained
closed to live cattle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to reopen the border to
cattle under the age of 30 months on March 7, but R-CALF, a group of
American ranchers, won an injunction against the move, arguing Canada
doesn't adequately test for BSE.
Two other animals have tested positive in Canada since May 2003.
Federal Judge Richard Cebull, who agreed to the injunction on March 2, has
set a July 27 date for trial on R-CALF's concerns with the USDA. The USDA is
appealing Cebull's injunction decision, which will be heard July 13.
calgary
