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U.S. beef industry says mad cow mishap a 'technical' error(Kyodo News International (Tokyo) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 21--WASHINGTON -- Members of the U.S. beef industry said a shipment of meat to Japan that mistakenly contained spinal parts, which Japan considers to be at risk for mad cow disease, was a "technical" error, while stressing that the material is safe as it is not banned in the United States. Their response contrasts sharply with the angry reaction by Japanese consumer groups, which raises doubts in Japan about whether the United States is really committed to complying with Japanese standards and winning back Japanese consumers. A vertebral column was found in a shipment of U.S. beef that arrived at Narita International Airport on Friday, which led Japan to reimpose its ban on American beef. This discovery came only a month after Japan lifted its two-year-old import ban on the condition that shipments are limited to cattle aged up to 20 months and brains, spinal cords and other specified risk materials are removed. The vertebral column that was exported to Japan is not considered a specified risk material under U.S. standards because it was in beef under 30 months, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. But despite the U.S. failure to meet Japan's condition, members of the American beef industry lined up one after another to say that beef safety is not the issue. "It's important to remember, what's being investigated is a technical violation, not a beef safety issue," Terry Stokes, chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association," said in a statement. "The removal of such materials, however, is a specification of our agreement with Japan, and we are committed to meeting this standard," he said. American Meat Institute President Patrick Boyle said, "We deeply regret the incident that has prompted Japan to suspend all U.S. beef imports." But he noted that despite this error, "the facts are indisputable: U.S. beef and veal remain among the safest in the world." U.S. Meat Export Federation President Philip Seng also echoed the view that U.S. beef is safe and Japanese consumers are not a risk as the material "is not a food safety risk." But as Japan bans the product, Seng said the federation will work to assist the USDA and U.S.-Japanese trade to ensure a swift resolution of the matter and full compliance with Japanese standards. The incident has highlighted serious flaws at the government and private sector levels in the United States for complying with the agreement. Johanns admitted the inspection system inspected, saying it was "an unacceptable failure on our part" as a USDA inspector had certified the meat in question. Atlantic Veal & Lamb Inc. in Brooklyn, New York, which shipped the beef, also conceded that it has misinterpreted the export requirements. While announcing a thorough investigation and stricter inspection measures, however, Johanns also stressed that this "is not a food safety issue." Johanns also described the agreement with Japan as "unusual" because it involves the age limit of 20 months instead of internationally recognized 30 months, playing down the incident's impact on other trading partners. |