A U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) proposed rule to permit
imports of Japanese boneless beef based on the
science is an admirable effort to restore trade
with Japan, but stands in stark contrast to
Japan’s reluctance to reopen its market to
American beef, according to comments filed
yesterday by the American Meat Institute (AMI).
The proposed rule also is intellectually
inconsistent with the Department’s
prohibition on certain cattle imports and beef
from Canada.
In the comments, filed in
response to Docket No. 05-004-1; Importation of
Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan, AMI
President J. Patrick Boyle said that, according
to Office of International Epizootics (OIE)
parameters, Japan can be considered a
controlled risk region, and should be eligible
to export beef consistent with the conditions
appropriate for such regions.
“To
that end, AMI supports the application of the
guidelines in this proposal,” Boyle said.
“However, it is both ironic and exceptionally
disappointing to the beef industry that APHIS
is expeditiously moving forward to reopen the
American market to these products from Japan
while the Japanese government refuses to apply
the OIE guidelines with respect to American
beef products.”
Boyle also
detailed the intellectual inconsistency of
permitting Japanese beef into the U.S. while
continuing to preclude the import of cattle 30
months of age and older (OTM cattle) and the
beef products derived from those animals from
other minimal risk regions such as Canada.
"The very OIE guidelines that APHIS
cites as justification for the proposal, which
would allow the import of certain beef products
from Japan from cattle of any age, also would
allow the import of OTM cattle and the beef
from those cattle from any minimal risk region.
Yet, APHIS refuses to allow those cattle or the
beef from them to enter the U.S.,” Boyle
said. In the comments, he noted that AMI
agrees that boneless beef from Japan poses
negligible risk to U.S. consumers. He also said
that that Canada and the U.S. have virtually
identical risk profiles regarding BSE and
arguably can be considered to be negligible
risk countries under the OIE guidelines.
According to the comments, both Canada
and the U.S. have had effective feed ban rules
in effect for eight years, both countries have
conducted extensive BSE surveillance programs,
and both countries have extensive specified
risk material removal regulatory requirements.
Japan, by contrast, did not implement an
effective feed ban until 2001 after the
diagnosis of its first case of BSE. “Indeed,
a compelling argument can be made that Canada
and the U.S. are negligible risk regions based
on the above, which would support allowing
Canadian OTM cattle and beef into the U.S.,”
Boyle said. “There is no justified reason to
permit beef from Japan to enter the U.S. and
not provide the same treatment for Canadian
cattle and beef. “
Boyle also
argued that the scientific evidence
demonstrably proves that food safety is not
dependent on the age of the animal, but whether
SRMs that may contain the infectious agent have
been removed and eliminated from the human food
supply. The governments of Japan, the U.S., and
Canada require the hygienic removal of all
known potentially infectious material (SRMs)
from the food supply, assuring the safety of
the beef supply.
Prohibiting the
import of older Canadian cattle, while
permitting the import of Japanese beef derived
from the same age animals damages the integrity
of American inspection system, according to
Boyle. “Such a policy calls into question
USDA's ability to enforce its regulations
because it incorrectly suggests that SRM
removal can be effectively accomplished in a
foreign country to render beef safe, but that
U.S. slaughterers may not be capable of
effectively performing the same procedures,”
he said.
“Although AMI supports
the proposal to allow the importation of
Japanese beef, consistent treatment should also
be afforded Canada and other minimal risk
regions. AMI urges the agency to act
expeditiously to reestablish fully trade for
all cattle, beef, and beef products produced in
Canada,” Boyle said. “U.S. cattle
slaughterers and beef processors have suffered
substantial economic damage over the past 20
months. Fully restoring cattle and beef trade
in North America is a critical step to
preventing further equity losses in the
industry, enhancing our competitiveness in an
increasingly global market, and protecting jobs
in the U.S.”
To read the
comments, go to: http://www.meatinstitute.org/Sept05ImportJapanBeefComments.pdf
USDA Proposal to Permit Japanese Beef Imports Is Intellectually Inconsistent, AMI Says
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
For more information contact:
David Ray Vice President, Public Affairs 202-587-4243 dray@meatinstitute.org |
Janet Riley Sr. Vice President, Public Affairs 202-587-4245 jriley@meatinstitute.org |

