Yoshinoya fast food outlet became the third fast food chain in Japan to take gyudon off the market. Yoshinoya operates some 1,000 stores. Gyudon, a favorite of the Japanese is a spiced beef over rice.
However, since Japan banned the importation of U.S. beef following the discovery of a single case of mad cow disease last December, Japan has run out of its favorite meat product. The Japanese love American raised beef, praising the grain-fed flavour and the meat-fat ratio. They also like the price, which is at least of half that of Japan’s famous Kobe beef.
Nearly 240,000 tons of beef had been imported into Japan from America, about one third of all the beef eaten in Japan. This tonnage is about $1 billion in exports to U.S. beef producers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, Japan has also banned the importation of poultry from Thailand, China and the U.S. following the outbreak of bird flu.
In an effort to fill the void, Japanese television shows have been touting the nutritional and caloric benefits of various pork dishes. U.S. trade representative Robert B. Zoellick addressed the issue in Japan recently noting that the cow in question came from Canada and that the USDA has thoroughly investigated and has taken scientific steps to ensure the safety of U.S. cattle.
Additionally, the USDA said that beef producers will see an average drop in their net cash income of some $10,000 because of the mad cow disease scare. Cattle producers will also be paying higher prices for feed due to the strong corn and soybean prices expected throughout the year.
