"Inadequate documentation" at 75% of U.S. slaughterhouses
The U.S. Agriculture Department's inspector general has ordered his staff to do more to ensure that high-risk parts are removed from U.S. beef exports, according to NHK. In a report released on Thursday, the inspector general's office lists 22 items to be improved, including checks at all slaughterhouses and meat-processing plants. Based on two years of inspections, the office maintains that it could not find any cases of banned parts entering the food supply.
However, the report says that at nine out of 12 slaughterhouses, inadequate documentation made it impossible to determine whether guidelines for detecting high-risk materials were followed.
AP also reports that the U.S. Agriculture Department cited slaughterhouses or processing plants more than 1,000 times in 2004 and 2005 for violating the rules.
In December, Japan ended a two-year ban and allowed U.S. beef imports without high-risk parts from cattle up to age 20 months. But Japan suspended imports two weeks ago, after a US beef shipment was found to contain spinal cords.
I really wonder how Japan's politicians will deal with this issue, that has dragged on for too long, but also helped expose the U.S. meat business for what it really is.
BSE/Mad Cow Disease previous
However, the report says that at nine out of 12 slaughterhouses, inadequate documentation made it impossible to determine whether guidelines for detecting high-risk materials were followed.
AP also reports that the U.S. Agriculture Department cited slaughterhouses or processing plants more than 1,000 times in 2004 and 2005 for violating the rules.
In December, Japan ended a two-year ban and allowed U.S. beef imports without high-risk parts from cattle up to age 20 months. But Japan suspended imports two weeks ago, after a US beef shipment was found to contain spinal cords.
I really wonder how Japan's politicians will deal with this issue, that has dragged on for too long, but also helped expose the U.S. meat business for what it really is.
BSE/Mad Cow Disease previous
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