12/9 Newspaper Article Discussion

Newspaper Article Discussion

“U.S. plans to ban beef from sick cows”
Asahi Shim bun May 21, 2008


Written Summary:

According to this article, the U.S.

Agriculture Department has proposed banning from the food supply all cows that are too sick or injured to walk.


The new regulation would end an exemption (official permission) that allowed animals, known as downer cows, into the food supply if a government veterinarian (who connected with caring for the health of animals) examined the animal and deemed it fit for slaughter.


Edward Schafer who is an Agriculture Secretary said that while the exemption was rarely granted - it applied to fewer than 1,000 of the 34 million cattle that were slaughtered last year - it had nonetheless created confusion among consumers.


By the declaration, he said that "it will be the reliance for food safety, and the improvement in humane handling of an animal."


“It was just a small percentage, but a small percentage of 34 million is a lot of animals and a lot of suffering,” Pacelle said.




Opinion Statement:

I think that the U.S. was so slow to take any actions for cow problems that it is not amusing things if many people who infected with BSE come out.



Discussion Questions:

1. Nowadays BSE or mad cow disease is becoming serious problem in the world. Do you mind eating American beef? Why and why not?

2. What do you think about the import of beef from other countries into JAPAN?

3. What do you think of Japanese dependent on other countries for food and oil and so on?