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BSE                                     

Published: Apr 23, 2004

BSE                                                                                                

Briefing For International Media Held In Washington, D.C.

USMEF and the American Meat Institute (AMI) hosted international media during a BSE briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Thursday (April 22). More than 20 reporters from 15 media outlets attended the briefing, including Fugi TV, NHK TV, TV Tokyo, Hokkaido Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Jiji Press, TV Asahi, Tokyo Broadcasting, Nikkei Newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, Kyodo News, Televisa, El Universal and Reuters.

USMEF President Philip Seng and AMI Foundation President Jim Hodges provided an overview of the U.S. multi-firewall strategy to prevent BSE during the briefing. Seng shared recent international consumer research findings relating to BSE and discussed the economic impact the BSE case has had on the U.S. and international beef industries. He said that the United States is exporting beef to important markets like Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the European Union, Poland and Middle East, and noted that more than 40 other countries either have lifted or never put bans in effect. He also discussed negotiations still under way with significant beef trading partners, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and Russia.

Hodges offered a detailed overview of the U.S. response to a single case of BSE in a Washington state cow, announced Dec. 23. He described the U.S. response as “extraordinary” and called for full restoration of trade. He also said that the media and some trading partners have focused heavily on testing as a food safety issue when it actually is an animal disease surveillance tool. Hodges said the removal of specified risk materials is what helps the public health in the unlikely event that an animal did have BSE. AMI President J. Boyle, during a question and answer session, said he was “hopeful” that progress would be made in ongoing discussions with the Japanese.

The  full presentation is available on line at www.usmef.org. This briefing was one element of a USMEF-coordinated global public relations effort now underway in major markets worldwide, includingJapan, Mexico, Korea, China, Russia and the Middle East launched in January.

BSE                                                                                                

Briefing For International Media Held In Washington, D.C.

USMEF and the American Meat Institute (AMI) hosted international media during a BSE briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Thursday (April 22). More than 20 reporters from 15 media outlets attended the briefing, including Fugi TV, NHK TV, TV Tokyo, Hokkaido Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Jiji Press, TV Asahi, Tokyo Broadcasting, Nikkei Newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, Kyodo News, Televisa, El Universal and Reuters.

USMEF President Philip Seng and AMI Foundation President Jim Hodges provided an overview of the U.S. multi-firewall strategy to prevent BSE during the briefing. Seng shared recent international consumer research findings relating to BSE and discussed the economic impact the BSE case has had on the U.S. and international beef industries. He said that the United States is exporting beef to important markets like Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the European Union, Poland and Middle East, and noted that more than 40 other countries either have lifted or never put bans in effect. He also discussed negotiations still under way with significant beef trading partners, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and Russia.

Hodges offered a detailed overview of the U.S. response to a single case of BSE in a Washington state cow, announced Dec. 23. He described the U.S. response as “extraordinary” and called for full restoration of trade. He also said that the media and some trading partners have focused heavily on testing as a food safety issue when it actually is an animal disease surveillance tool. Hodges said the removal of specified risk materials is what helps the public health in the unlikely event that an animal did have BSE. AMI President J. Boyle, during a question and answer session, said he was “hopeful” that progress would be made in ongoing discussions with the Japanese.

The  full presentation is available on line at www.usmef.org. This briefing was one element of a USMEF-coordinated global public relations effort now underway in major markets worldwide, includingJapan, Mexico, Korea, China, Russia and the Middle East launched in January.