U.S. beef returns to restaurants in Japan
By The Associated Press
TOKYO -- Released from a two-year ban over mad cow fears, American beef sizzled once again on Japanese grills Monday, debuting at a popular barbecue chain and a private banquet put on by U.S. producers.
The feasts followed limited shipments over the weekend triggered by the Japanese government's decision last week to ease the embargo on U.S. beef imposed in December 2003.
The fete on Monday heralded the return of American beef to what once was its most lucrative overseas market. U.S. producers sold some $1.4 billion in beef to Japan in 2003, and supporters were eager to woo Japanese palates once again.
"We want to show them that our Nebraska beef processing firms ... are able to meet their import regulations," said Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, which hosted the private banquet at a Tokyo restaurant.
Ibach and his delegation got a small shipment of ribeye and tenderloin through customs over the weekend for private use at the banquet for a select group of importers and companies with links to Nebraska, and at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
He said producers back home were eager to get meat back onto Japanese plates: Nebraska had been the state with the largest share of the Japanese market for American beef, exporting between $150 million and $300 million worth a year.
Ibach toasted some 30 guests over California wine and hors d'oeuvres alongside Dan Berman, the minister-counselor for agricultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy, before both sliced a grilled steak and indulged.
"This is a historical day -- one that we have waited two years for," Berman said.
The wider Japanese public got its first mouthful of the new U.S. beef at the Zenshoku Korean barbecue chain. The beef was to debut in 30 restaurants in the area in western Japan on Monday, and then return to 26 outlets in Tokyo and other parts of eastern Japan on Tuesday.
"The public might not easily accept American beef, but we respect the opinions of a minority, and we welcome those who choose U.S. beef," said Hiroyuki Toriyama, a spokesman for the chain.
"The past image of American beef as tasty meat is deeply rooted," he said.
It was expected to be weeks or even months, however, before Japanese consumers at supermarkets or cheap, popular beef-and-rice bowl outlets savor their first tastes. Ongoing safety restrictions have severely limited the amount of beef coming into Japan.
Japan shut its ports to U.S. beef on Dec. 24, 2003, after the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease -- known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE -- in the U.S. herd.
At first, Tokyo demanded that Washington test each head of cattle as it went to slaughter, as Japan had done since 2001 to contain its own mad cow spread. U.S. producers balked, saying that was unnecessary and too costly.
After many months of negotiation, the two sides agreed to allow the importation of meat from cows aged 20 months or younger. No cow that young has been shown to have mad cow disease.
The final opening of the market had to wait for Japan's Food Safety Commission to compile and approve a report that concluded that U.S. beef was almost as safe as Japanese beef if proper safety steps were taken.
U.S. beef still faces an uphill struggle in Japan, where consumers are particularly sensitive to safety concerns and will often shell out more money -- for more expensive homegrown beef, for instance -- rather than run a risk.
A recent poll shows a strong majority of Japanese still harbor fears about American beef. And some restaurants were reluctant to market American beef until they are certain the public will be receptive.
The upscale Porterhouse Steaks, the outlet hosting the Nebraska banquet, was no exception. A spokesman said the restaurant has no plans to put U.S. beef back on the regular menu yet.
