International consumers want assurances

In Europe, many animals (even some pets) are required to have "passports" designed to help government officials trace their lives back to birth. In Japan, consumers often are able to learn right at the meat case about the individual producers supplying them beef. The information is voluntary, often personal down to a photo of the producer - and usually includes a complete description of how the animals were cared for.

These are two of the many "trace-back" scenarios noted by U.S. Meat Export Federation field representatives around the world. The governmentally imposed European passport system stems from public health concerns, while the voluntary Japanese system is a reaction to growing consumer concern over product safety and wholesomeness. Both are indications of the challenges U.S. producers face or may face as they market products internationally.

Europe
In Europe, producers are required to subscribe to a cattle tracing system so that "data relating to where cattle are kept is recorded by the Government so that the animals can be traced for a variety of reasons, including animal disease," according to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food "cattle tracing" home page. It is at http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/tracing/cts.htm. The system involves tagging, farm records, "passports" and the computerized cattle tracing systems.

According to Richard Ali, U.S. Meat Export Federation's London-based director for Europe, Russia and the Middle East, "Traceability has been of great importance in the European Union since British BSE broke in 1996. Cattle ID programs across the European Union's 15 Member States are an integral part of the bloc's beef labeling regulations.

"However, as recent events have shown, Europe's consumers are fast realizing that cattle traceability should not be confused with a guarantee of food safety," he notes.

As most cattlemen know, the United States hasn't been able to sell much of its beef to the European Union since it imposed a ban on hormone treated beef in

1989. Although declared illegal by the World Trade Organization last year, European Union standards still have to be met in order to sell U.S. product. USDA created the Non Hormone Treated Cattle Program to provide U.S. producers and packers with an opportunity to trade with the European Union.

According to Ali, "The USDA Non Hormone Treated Cattle Program is actually a lot better at providing audited guarantees on feed and identity than anything the EU has itself."

To provide assurances that the cattle are hormone free, the Non Hormone Treated Cattle Program requires that animals must be identified at the earliest opportunity following birth with unique, individual identification, traceable to their farm or ranch of birth. The animals must be accompanied by a signed affidavit from each sale or transfer of custody. USDA audits every approved producer or packer to make sure identification and other standards are met. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service details the program at http:www.ams.usda/gov/lsg/mgc/nhtc htm

Japan
In Japan, Sam Harada, deputy director of USMEF's Tokyo office, says a verifiable program of cattle identification would be welcome by the Japanese meat trade and by Japanese consumers. In fact, he notes, "Japanese consumers view what they consider to be the direct purchase of domestic products from farmers as a ‘must' to underscore the safety and to be assured of the source of products."

And, he adds, this interest in trace back already extends to imported beef. "Source verification is synonymous with the safety issue in Japan," he says. "This issue becomes more important when we realize that many consumers perceive imported beef as unsafe, whereas the domestic beef is 'unconditionally' safe."

Harada says the more source verification there is throughout our cattle production, the more appealing U.S. beef may be in Japan. "(Verification) would give us more reasons why U.S. product is safe and would show that we are committed to overseas markets," he notes.

But, is it required? Not today.

"We see growing interest by consumers worldwide in systems that can provide them assurances about the safety and wholesomeness of the food they eat," says USMEF President and Chief Executive Officer Philip Seng. "Unfortunately, consumer interest often gets translated into government action and regulations are put into place that make it more difficult for our country to compete. What we really are trying to do is establish a level of trust between our producers and the consumers we appeal to worldwide. Assurances about our production and processing industries help to engender that trust.

"Now that we're seeing many U.S. producers voluntarily identifying their animals to gain consumer market information about their cattle, the information they're collecting also can provide assurances to foreign buyers about safety and wholesomeness. This could be a win-win situation for our producers and international consumers without government intervention," Seng concludes.