Posted on 07/27/2011 4:02:47 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Turmoil over radiation-contaminated beef spreads to luxury brands
MORIOKA (Kyodo) -- Turmoil caused by the recent detection of cesium contamination of beef shipped from Fukushima Prefecture, home to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, is spreading to hurt producers of high-quality beef in other parts of the country.
With cattle shipments and bidding suspended or canceled due to people's fears over the contaminated beef, livestock farms and related firms worry they may be forced out of business.
Since radioactive cesium above the government-designated limit was detected in beef cattle from Fukushima at a Tokyo slaughterhouse on July 8, it has been discovered that cattle possibly fed with contaminated straw have been transported across the country, except for Okinawa Prefecture.
(Excerpt) Read more at mdn.mainichi.jp ...
They can just buy lowly American or Australian beef for that. They are cesium-free. These days, that counts a lot more than some delicate taste of high-end domestic beef.:-)
P!
No more Wagyu beef for the First Couple?
Or “AmericanInTokyo” for that matter (for the time being) ;-)
I am hopeful that they already have eaten a lot of tainted beef. Next thing you know they’ll need food tasters.
There, I fixed it for you.:-)
Now that it is affecting the elites, something might get done to fix the problem.
Waygu is the breed of cattle. Kobe is the place of origin.
The diet and manner of production can even vary.
http://baygourmet.tripod.com/wagyu.html
To be honest, even though I consider myself a foodie, I dislike fatty beef (or fatty meat, period) and doubt I would ever pay for this sort of beef. I prefer a New York Strip or a Porterhouse to a rib eye, for example. Brisket that has been smoked to the point where the fat is all melted out is more to my taste than slow cooked brisket where more of the fat remains after cooking.
For beef sashimi, I like tenderloin. For the _taste_ of beef sashimi, mahi-mahi sashimi comes very close. Shabu-Shabu is another favorite that I believe usually includes beef tenderloin.
Seems to me that Wagyu is just an acquired taste like foie gras. I think the price and the marketing is paramount for many people. Old-fashioned chopped chicken liver made to grandma’s recipe beats foie gras, hands down.
Of course, everyone’s mileage may vary.
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