US: America's task of convincing the world it has the BSE outbreak under control grew more difficult yesterday after the US agriculture department announced that infected meat had been distributed far more widely than initially believed.
Meat from the infected cow, which was slaughtered in Washington state, was sold as far away as the US Pacific islands of Guam and Hawaii, as well as to Alaska, Idaho and Montana. Earlier, officials had said the meat was sold mainly in Washington state and Oregon, with lesser amounts to California and Nevada.
The announcement will make it more difficult for a delegation of US agriculture officials who will today try to persuade the Japanese government to lift a ban on US beef imports amid fears that the BSE scare could prove disastrous for the multibillion-dollar American cattle industry.
The Japanese government, however, seems unlikely to bow to American pressure, and may insist that the US begins inspections of all beef exports before the restrictions are lifted.
Japan was one of more than 20 countries to impose the ban after a four-year-old Holstein cow in Washington state tested positive for BSE last week.
It has also asked retailers to recall any US beef products that pose a potential risk. Japan, which bought more than $1 billion worth of US beef last year, is the world's largest importer of the product. Japan, South Korea and Mexico accounted for 89% of US beef exports this year, according to the US agriculture department. American officials are clearly disturbed by the prospect of a prolonged ban by its most important customer.
Sales of beef in Japan have only just recovered following the country's first confirmed BSE cases in September 2001. Consumption plummeted, inflicting $2 billion in losses on US, Australian and other beef exporters.
The sensitive issue of the origins of the infection was disputed by Canada and the US at the weekend. Canadian agriculture officials demanded DNA tests to confirm US assertions that the afflicted cow came from north of the border.
On Saturday, Canada's chief veterinarian, Mr Bob Evans, said Washington was "premature" in stating that the diseased cow was among a herd of 74 imported from Alberta in August 2001, and said there were discrepancies in the animal's US and Canadian records.
"As yet, there is no definitive evidence that confirms the BSE-infected cow originated in Canada," he said.
The origins of the diseased cow are crucial to US efforts to prove its beef industry is safe.