(JP)Unwanted cow parts plaguing beef dealers

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http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20011004p2a00m0fp004000c.html

 

Unwanted cow parts plaguing beef dealers

 

Beef dealers and processors, ordered to burn off

bovine organs following the outbreak of mad cow

disease in Chiba Prefecture, are struggling to dispose

of unwanted cow parts.

 

A lack of incinerators has fueled the problem, which

stems from agriculture ministry directives asking

dealers to refuse beef from animals aged 30 months or

over and for cow brains and other " dangerous " parts to

be incinerated.

 

" We've got no incineration facilities, so even if

restrictions on receiving meat are lifted, we can't

ship out any, " one processing worker said.

 

Freezing is being eyed as an option -- brains and

other organs emit harmful gases if not immediately

processed or destroyed, so if processors can't burn

the parts, they say they'll pack them off for

refrigeration.

 

Beef dealers are also at a loss over what to do with

parts they can't dispose of, even if the cows are

under 30 months old.

 

" This year, we had 24 cows aged under 30 months

brought here, but we couldn't incinerate the dangerous

parts, so we sent the cows back, " an official from a

Fukushima Prefecture distribution center said.

 

Until now, meat and bone meal processors had accepted

cow organs and bones to grind them up as feed. But the

government has since required all brains be

incinerated separately from these organs.

 

Even when incinerators are available to burn off the

unwanted beef, problems crop up.

 

The Fukui meat distribution center had an incinerator

but was unable to use it because it spewed out high

dioxin levels.

 

Center officials asked three private disposal

facilities in the prefecture to take care of the

unwanted parts, but two refused and another said it

was reluctant to get rid of them. It would cost tens

of millions of yen to make their incinerator comply

with dioxin regulations, center officials added.

 

Other distributors have simply witnessed a drop in the

number of cows being delivered. Two Kanagawa

Prefecture centers reportedly received about 50

animals a day before the government imposed its

restrictions on Sept. 27. The next day, they received

only seven cows; none came on Oct. 1 and 2.

 

Other government bodies are seeking to put the squeeze

on the disease, linked to a fatal human ailment.

 

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced

Thursday that it would from Oct. 18 begin testing of

all beef cattle for mad cow disease, aiming to

complete half of the forecast 1 million tests within

this year. (Mainichi Shimbun, Oct. 4, 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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