060106 Atlantic Veal & Lamb Sent Banned Product to JapanJanuary 20, 2006Des Moines, IA - A closely held Brooklyn, NY, meat processor, Atlantic Veal & Lamb, said Friday it included veal backbone material in a beef shipment to Japan because of a "misinterpretation" of export requirements. The company's president, Philip Peerless, called the incident "an honest mistake." "We sincerely regret that we shipped product not approved for export to Japan," he said in a statement, insisting that the item was safe "and is widely consumed" in the U.S. "We regret that there was a misinterpretation of the export requirements and an honest mistake," his statement said. The shipment is believed the company's first since Japan lifted its ban on U.S. beef imports several weeks ago. "Were this product shipped to San Francisco, there would be no question about its safety. But because we shipped it to Japan, and because it contained bones that are not accepted by the Japanese, we have now been prohibited from exporting to Japan," Peerless was quoted as saying. He said the material in question probably came from an animal less than 4-1/2 months old. The statement added: "It is important to note that Atlantic Veal produces veal derived from very young animals - animals that have never tested positive for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, which in a related form can be fatal to humans).
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