By JCPRESS
Last modified:
The perception that makes the meat and bone meal a source of infection has extended after the Hokkaido government announces on February 9, "The meat and bone meal was included in the cattle feed diagnosed as the 22nd mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) domestically".
Prof. Katsunosuke Mitani of the Hiroshima University graduate school (animal science and Doctor of Agriculture) stressed against such a perception on February 17, "It is necessary to examine the possibility that the raw material of the milk replacer is polluted by the causal organism of the BSE closely". Prof. Mitani plans to publish the detail of this thesis in "Stock Raising System Study Bulletin" of the publishing schedule in June.
Prof. Mitani pointed out, "It is difficult to explain the BSE source of infection in Japan by the meat and bone meal hypothesis" in the thesis executive summary that had been announced on February 17.
And, he showed the view with "If the raw material of the milk replacer had been polluted, the clarification of the mad cow disease occurrence situation of Japan can be done well".
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry adopts the following meat and bone meal hypothesis.
- The causal organism of the BSE invaded Japan through the import from Britain cow and the meat and bone meal from Italy.
- And, the meat and bone meal made from a domestic cow that did the infection to the causal organism has polluted the cattle feed.
Japan certainly used the meat and bone meal partially.
However, Prof. Mitani pointed out, "Will the meat and bone meal be really a cause?" in the executive summary in the thesis entitled "Think about the mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) source of infection". He also described, "It was difficult to explain the BSE source of infection in Japan by the meat and bone meal hypothesis , considering the probability that the meat and bone meal has been polluted by the BSE and the BSE occurrence situation of Japan".
And Prof. Mitani describes, "If the raw material of the milk replacer had been polluted by the BSE, the clarification of the BSE source of infection in Japan can be done well".
This professor stressed on that, "It is necessary to examine the BSE potential contamination of the raw material of the milk replacer closely".
The main raw material of the milk replacer is a skimmilk powder and oil, and a powder diet manufactured to make easily to be melted to the hot water, according toin the executive summary in the thesis.
Japan has used the imported powder oils and fats and the suet as the oil and fat raw material.
Moreover, the range of the shipment of the product is wide in the condition named East Japan and West Japan though the factory of the milk replacer is few in Japan.
Therefore, "When the feedstuff of the milk replacer is polluted, a possibility infected of the cow that was born at the same time on a nationwide scale is high. "
Prof. Mitani points out the features of the mad cow disease occurrence situation in Japan as follows.
"The infection cow detected in Japan is divided into four groups by every the birth time.
The fact where the BSE infection cow group has been born respectively at the same time shows the possibility that cows received the exposure of the source of infection immediately after the birth.
The food given to the calf at the earliest time is a milk replacer.
And, the Prof. describes the mad cow disease entry pathway to Japan as follows.
"The breakout of the BSE of the calf that was born in 1996 in 1995 has increased suddenly in the Netherlands and Germany" and "Japan imported powdery oils and fats from the Netherlands as a raw material of the milk replacer at this time. "
Prof. Mitani showed the idea that it was necessary to clarify the import pathway and the usage of each fodder company for the import raw material of the milk replacer. This professor pointed out, "Consumer's anxiety had not disappeared because the clarification of the BSE source of infection was late" and "Japan had to clarify the source of infection as soon as possible, and to exterminate it when thinking of a miserable situation of the farm and the farmer who faced the crisis that the infection cow was found" at the end of the executive summary in the thesis.
Prof. Mitani said to the Japan Consumer Press (JC-Press), "The raw material polluted by
Specific Risk Material
is dangerous".
And, this professor added , saying that "Normally, after having specified fodder with high potential contamination, the Japanese Government should have clarified contents of the countermeasure".
He described, "However, because the team (of the examination of the BSE of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) turned down the milk replacer hypothesis, the source of infection was not able to be clarified. Not only the consumer but also the producer was not able to understand the realities of the BSE infection as a result, and felt insecurity".
In addition, Prof. Mitani stressed, "It is important to advance the clarification of the source of infection while recognizing the BSE pollution as a problem of fodder and the entire livestock industry".
Japan Consumer Press Mar 1, 2006 No.727 , online published : Mar. 7, 2006
More Latest News.. | Link | About us | Contact us | Print Edition in Japanese