Frozen French Fries Prefried In Beef Tallow Sit In Limbo

January 2, 2004

POSTED: 11:26 p.m. EST January 1, 2004

UPDATED: 11:19 a.m. EST January 2, 2004

KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Fallout from the mad cow scare in Washington state has hit

the potato industry, with more than $500,000 worth of frozen French fries --

prefried in beef tallow -- held in limbo at ports.

The delay raises concerns that other exports containing beef products could be

affected by the bans countries have imposed on U.S. beef because of mad cow

disease.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Dec. 23 the disease had been

discovered in a dairy cow from Mabton, about 40 miles southeast of Yakima. Since

then, more than 35 countries have imposed bans on U.S. beef imports.

French fries and other potato products are prefried in beef tallow or vegetable

oil by the manufacturer before they are frozen and shipped. They are then fried

again before being served.

Most products fried in beef tallow are exported, while vegetable oil is used

domestically, said Pat Boss, executive director of the Washington State Potato

Commission.

At least 60 containers of frozen potatoes have been delayed at Northwest and

Asian ports. Each container can hold about 40,000 pounds of frozen potato

products.

Boss said potato processors were concerned the containers might not be allowed

into China and Korea. Japan was allowing some containers into the country but

holding them in warehouses, he said.

There is no evidence that beef tallow can transmit mad cow disease to humans,

Boss said, but that doesn't matter if customers don't think it is safe.

" The buyers are reporting that they want to move away from those products, " Boss

said. " I really do think there is a level of hysteria building because of mad

cow, and unfortunately other products are being lumped in. "

Potato processors and growers in the Northwest depend especially on Japan's

large export market. About 500,000 tons of fries or $100 million worth went to

Japan last year, Boss said. The other largest export markets for fries include

Mexico, China, Korea and Taiwan, all of which have acted to ban U.S. beef.

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