December 21, 2005

US meat export group celebrates end of Japan's beef ban
 

Representatives of Japan's food industry dined on American beef in Tokyo Wednesday at a luncheon hosted by a US meat export group, to celebrate the end of Japan's two-year-long ban on American beef.

"It's unbelievable that we have been out of the market for two years," said Philip Seng, president and chairman of the US Meat Export Foundation. "We are grateful to be back."

The export foundation feted representatives from Japan's red meat and food service industries at Wednesday's luncheon.

Also on hand for the repast was a surprise guest - Chicago White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who has averred his power at the game comes from eating beef.

Japan had been the biggest export market for American beef before banning it in 2003, after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in a US herd.

The ban was lifted Dec 12 after a government commission judged the difference in mad cow disease risk between North American and Japanese beef to be small.

"We have a product that is delicious and safe," said US Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer, who also attended the luncheon. "We are confident that we can win back this market."

US beef still faces an uphill struggle in Japan, where consumers are particularly sensitive to safety concerns. Some restaurants are reluctant to market American meat until they are sure the public would be receptive.

Despite the wariness, Schieffer thought the prospects for US beef were good.

"The science is overwhelmingly in our favour. Now we need to persuade the Japanese consumer that it is a safe product," he said.