Many gourmets still addicted to U.S. beef despite BSE threat

A frequent judge at the Taipei Beef Noodle Festival, Hu Tian-lan said that U.S. beef differs from beef products from other sources mainly in the fact that its fat is evenly spread and is extremely tasty after being fried.

Hu said that U.S. cattle switch their feed to corn from grass several months after they are born, making U.S. beef boast attractively delicious and stay bright red after being fried, instead of turning dark as seen in beef products from other countries.

Meanwhile, Liang You-hsiang, another gourmet who runs a restaurant in Beitou, said that while some Japanese would defy the risk of losing life to eat globefish, the delicious taste of U.S. beef would also make some people to do so.

Liang said U.S. beef boasts unparalleled meat juice and taste, making it the top choice for many beef lovers.

On another front, a civic movement has collected enough signatures in the initial stage of a drive to launch a referendum on U.S. beef imports, the Consumers Foundation said, but the biggest hurdle to achieving the goal still lies ahead.

The Consumers Foundation said it had worked with the Homemakers Union and Foundation, the John Tung Foundation and others since Nov. 1 to collect 132,402 signatures supporting a referendum to re-open talks with Washington on U.S. beef imports.

“The government should address consumers' concerns and answer their appeals to ensure public safety,” a Consumers Foundation official said.

Washington and Taipei signed a protocol on Oct. 22 under which Taiwan agreed to lift its ban on bone-in beef and other beef products — including ground beef and beef offal — from the U.S.

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