Itoham, Staggered by Pork Scandal, Gets after the Beef Business
Itoham Foods Inc., Japan's second-biggest meat processor with over $4 billion in sales, is being investigated on suspicion of imported pork customs-duties evasion estimated at more than 300 million yen ($2.77 million) according to the Nihon Keizai newspaper. A Bloomberg business news service report quoted Itoham president Masami Ito as acknowledging two company officials are under investigation. Reacting to the scandal, the value of company stock has dropped significantly.
Possibly trying to deflect criticism from its pork business, Itoham has just asked the Canadian government to allow Japanese beef importers to jointly and voluntarily screen cattle not covered by proposed mad cow testing according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Japan and Canada are now discussing how to resume partial shipments. The request by a major Japanese meat packer steps outside the delicate government-to-government diplomatic negotiations.
Itoham mailed a letter of request to the Canadian government on June 2, asking for approval of voluntary screening of animals more than 20 months old using a test developed by the Japanese company in cooperation with Prionics AG, a high-tech company in the biotechnology industry specializing in zoonotic disease research. The company claims reliable test results are available in slightly more than an hour. Itoham made a similar request to the U.S. government in April but it was rejected.
Itoham estimates the cost of screening at around $20 per animal, a cost likely to be passed on to consumers.
Itoham America Inc. operates three divisions and one subsidiary in the United States. It’s most well-know division is Ito Cariani Foods in Hayward, California, a suburb of San Francisco. Cariani manufactures Italian specialty meats and processed meat products.
Calco International Division in Denver, Colorado imports and exports meat products. NWIP Division in Sioux City, Iowa, supplies raw meat to Cariani and Calco. Wyoming Premium Farms, LLC, located in Wheatland, Wyoming, raises and develops hogs.
Itoham also founded American Peptide Company, a company with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. It manufactures peptides and related products in the U.S. and Japan.
Possibly trying to deflect criticism from its pork business, Itoham has just asked the Canadian government to allow Japanese beef importers to jointly and voluntarily screen cattle not covered by proposed mad cow testing according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Japan and Canada are now discussing how to resume partial shipments. The request by a major Japanese meat packer steps outside the delicate government-to-government diplomatic negotiations.
Itoham mailed a letter of request to the Canadian government on June 2, asking for approval of voluntary screening of animals more than 20 months old using a test developed by the Japanese company in cooperation with Prionics AG, a high-tech company in the biotechnology industry specializing in zoonotic disease research. The company claims reliable test results are available in slightly more than an hour. Itoham made a similar request to the U.S. government in April but it was rejected.
Itoham estimates the cost of screening at around $20 per animal, a cost likely to be passed on to consumers.
Itoham America Inc. operates three divisions and one subsidiary in the United States. It’s most well-know division is Ito Cariani Foods in Hayward, California, a suburb of San Francisco. Cariani manufactures Italian specialty meats and processed meat products.
Calco International Division in Denver, Colorado imports and exports meat products. NWIP Division in Sioux City, Iowa, supplies raw meat to Cariani and Calco. Wyoming Premium Farms, LLC, located in Wheatland, Wyoming, raises and develops hogs.
Itoham also founded American Peptide Company, a company with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. It manufactures peptides and related products in the U.S. and Japan.
posted by Chuck Jolley at Friday, June 10, 2005
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