(JP)Mad cow slows cattle cloning research

[Guest guest]

http://www.asahi.com/english/national/K2001102400294.html

 

Mad cow slows cattle cloning research

The Asahi Shimbun

 

Research into cattle cloning has become the latest

victim of mad cow disease, with scientists unable to

procure fresh ova from carcasses that must first await

testing for the disease.

 

Previously, researchers were able to remove ovaries

from slaughtered cattle and have the eggs in their

laboratories in two or three hours.

 

Since the central government last Thursday began

testing all beef cattle for bovine spongiform

encephalopathy (BSE) before going on the market,

internal organs cannot be removed from the

slaughterhouse or inspection station until they have

tested negative.

 

Researchers must now wait until the day after

slaughter to obtain ovaries from cattle that have gone

through the screening process, which takes about half

a day.

 

``We are now unable to conduct experiments as we did

before,'' said cloning scientist Yukio Tsunoda.

 

According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Ministry's Research Council, prefectural livestock

research stations throughout the country are also

failing to obtain fresh ova for their work.

 

The National Livestock Breeding Center in Fukushima

Prefecture, for instance, is considering freezing ova

at the meat processing plant or at the meat inspection

stations that screen cattle, officials said.

 

Some researchers are considering taking ova-albeit in

smaller numbers-from live cows. Others say ova can

stay fresh for a whole day if preserved at 20 degrees.

But officials of the ministry's Research Council said

that would not suffice for experiments requiring fresh

ova.

 

The ministry, which has earmarked about 200 million

yen this fiscal year for research into the cloning of

somatic cells of cattle, plans to leave it up to

individual research institutions to deal with the

current situation, officials said.

 

The agriculture ministry said Monday, meanwhile, that

Britain revised downward to 166 tons the amount of

meat and bone meal (MBM) it said it had exported to

Japan between 1990 and 1996. London said the original

figure of 333 tons was based on erroneous customs

documents, according to the ministry. The beef

by-product is believed responsible for the spread of

BSE.

 

Ministry officials said 132 tons of those MBM imports

were actually pulverized chicken feathers, and the

remainder was likely also a poultry product. They said

the import had posed no risk of BSE contamination.

 

Japanese government trade statistics contained no

mention of those imports.

 

On the consumer front, the Japan Food Service

Association, a restaurant industry group, has produced

40,000 stickers reading, ``Beef is safe, feel safe

eating,'' for display in restaurants.

 

The association said Monday it has received orders for

about 26,000 of the stickers, which are aimed at

restoring consumer confidence in barbecue restaurants

and beef bowl outlets.

 

(10/24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a great connection at Personals.

http://personals.