Reuters is reporting that Tyson Foods Inc. said a packaging mistake was responsible for shipments of beef being recently blocked from entering Japan. Tyson Inc. apparently “did not comply with safety standards designed to guard against mad cow disease.”According to the company, in one of its boxes of beef shipped to Japan there was spinal bones. Spinal material is prohibited from being shipped to Japan under a trade agreement. Additional brain material and other cattle parts associated with mad cow disease are also banned from being shipped to the Asian nation.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said that the company plans to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “to investigate the cause of the mix-up at its Lexington, Nebraska beef plant [.]” Meanwhile the company’s seven other plants are still approved to ship meat to Japan. “The mix-up comes as U.S. officials hope to negotiate an end to certain restrictions put in place for beef exports after the first cases of mad cow disease in the United States.”
Japan use to be the top export market for U.S. beef prior to the discovery of mad cow disease in a downer cow back in December, 2003. Tokyo’s response to discovery of mad cow was to bar importation of U.S. beef. However, since 2006 Japan “has allowed imports of [beef] from animals under the age of 20 months.” At that young an age a cow cannot contract mad cow disease. U.S. producers would like to see the ban lifted, more products allowed in, and/or an increase in the age limit to 30 months.
“Tyson said its shipment, a 35-pound box of short loins, complied with the age requirement and was safe to eat.”
To read the Reuters story click here.
Posted: 10/12/09
