Japan halts US beef imports

News.com.au ^

[hole_n_one]

Japan halts US beef imports
From correspondents in Tokyo
December 24, 2003

JAPAN has temporarily banned the import of American beef after the US reported its first suspected case of mad cow disease, an official said today.

"We are now withholding the issuance of import permits" on US beef, said Japanese agriculture ministry spokesman Hiroaki Ogura.

"That means for now, (beef) imports have been banned."

He said the measure enacted early this morning was temporary until further information could be gathered.

US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced that a cow from Washington state had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

Japan is the number one export market for US beef, accounting for 32 per cent

[riri]

ha! Torstars just the person I wnted to run into. Could you explain prions and what they do to in layman's terms?

[torstars]

How do you think a muscle cut from a down Holstein would grade?

Its grade might be low and maybe just used for hamburger, but it would be fit for human consumption.

What do you think about cross contamination at the processing plant? This will be a major problem and a huge recall and many cattle (up or down) will be slaughtered and tested.

[Mr. Lucky]

The article indicated that the animal was killed and then sent for processing. If this is true the USDA inspector should be hanged, drawn and quartered. (or we should admit that the whole system of USDA inspection on kill floors is a fraud which has nothing to do with the quality of meat and everything to do with protection of large processors from competition)

[Maigrey]

But the other question remains: can prions be passed through milk? I know you can acquire CJD by consuming infected brain and spinal matter.

[Mr. Lucky]

You've convinced me. Until this whole thing sorts itself out, I'm staying away from McDonalds and eating nothing but prime ribeye.

Do you think a couple of martinis before evey steak would help stave off any disease?

[Iowa Granny]

marking

[riri]

I'm staying away from McDonalds

Gulp. I took my kids there today.

I lived in Germany during the last Euro mad cow scare. They found a mad cow a half hour from my house.

I can't even begin to tell you what it was like living in that god-for-saken place, having to cook most of our meals (eating out there is a chore) and not have beef available.

You just don't realize the versatility of ground beef until you don't have it anymore.

[GrandMoM]

BUMP

[Dec31,1999]

Beef shipments from Canada have since resumed.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

[Mr. Lucky]

I breed, raise and feed polled herefords, none of which ever touch animal by-products. If the cattle market crashes, at least my Christams and birthday gift giving problems will be solved.

[torstars]

Prions are mis folded proteins and they are not prone to inactivation by cooking, autoclaving, etc. The disease takes years to develop and can be acquired by eating meat from infected animals or receiving a blood transfusion from an infected person. The blood transfusions just made the news last week because someone who received a transfusion in 1996 just died of vCJD (the donor was well at the time of the donation, but that person died of vCJD about 3 1/2 years after donating the blood).

Some suspect transmission may have occurred via animal feed (which would then seem likely to have infected many cattle). However, I have been concerned about CWD in wild animals (deer and elk) and potential transmission to domestic animals. CWD has been spreading in the western US and I would not be surprised by a spread to Washington State.

In either case however, it is fairly easy to imagine many cattle being infected some time ago. At the USDA news conference, they cited tests on something like 26,000 head of cattle, which they think is good and I think is a drop in the bucket. They caught this one because the Holstein was "non-ambulatory", but I find it amazing that such an animal was slaughtered and its muscle cuts processed.

As noted in the blood transfusion case, the donor was healthy at the time of donation and it took 6 1/2 years for the recipient to develop symptoms. Thus, the possibility that there are more mad cows seems quite large and it also seems likely that other ambulatory Holstein were slaughtered and eaten prior to this presumptive positive.

[riri]

Thanks. Prions have always existed, no?

Might we have a time bomb on our hands, if not?

[torstars]

I know you can acquire CJD by consuming infected brain and spinal matter

The highest prion concentrations are in brain and spinal cord. Transmission via transfusion seems likely (based on a fatal vCJD case last week), so the prions do seem to get out and about. I suspect meat from infected cattle would be something to avoid. I would expect milk to have low concentrations, which could mean no disease or longer incubation periods (which are in terms of years, not days or months).

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[torstars]

I breed, raise and feed polled herefords, none of which ever touch animal by-products.

Any thought on CWD crossing from deer or elk to herefords?

[torstars]

Thanks. Prions have always existed, no?

I think that prions have been around for awhile. Human transmission was first seen in cannibals who ate the brains of victims. The outbreak in the UK began in the mid-80's, but new cases are still cropping up.

[Dec31,1999]

Just fed my kids beef hot dogs. We're supposed to have a beef roast for Christmas.

An important tid-bit I don't want to let slip by, is that certain candies are said to have beef by-products in them, but I can't remember where I read that. I've read a lot of stuff on BSE over the years, but I still eat cow and lots of other meat products. I hope it's not so serious. :)

Cows are supposed to eat grass!

[Mr. Lucky]

Now that's a scary thought. Since neither deer nor elk eat carrion, I wouldn't think there would be a direct opportunity for contamination. But jeez, about the only way to isolate disease within a wild herd is to exterminate the whole herd.

[Wayne07]

Shocking that they aren't recalling the beef from the infected cow. I assume it ends up in some bigger lot of meat that woudl be a pain to recall, but still. For PR reasons alone it is worth it to clean this up quick. Hiding the problem, and playing it down is the total wrong approach.

[torstars]

CWD is transmitted via feces and saliva.