Japan Promotes 'Mother Cow' Ethical Wagyu Exports

Japan is advancing an initiative to export a new type of wagyu -- lean, healthy beef from refattened mother cows, typically processed but still bursting with umami flavor, Magali Beuchat reported for Kyodo News.

Photo Insert: Dry-aged wagyu entrecote steak

The effort is a win-win for the local exporter and breeder of the animals, which are appealing to the tastes of overseas customers and the emphasis they place on animal welfare in livestock breeding, with those concerned attracted by the new wagyu from the standpoint of ethical meat production.

As part of the initiative, the government-backed Japan External Trade Organization and the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland organized an event in Bern to provide local meat purveyors and restaurants with samples of a nicely marbled wagyu steak from the Jukuho Farm in Shimane Prefecture.

At the Oct. 14 event in the Swiss capital, Ginkakuji Onishi, a meat exporter, and processing company in Kyoto, and Jukuho Farm -- two major promoters of wagyu derived from older animals in Japan -- presented the product to about 30 participants, mainly Swiss importers, retailers, butchers and chefs from prestigious restaurants.

Wagyu beef is known worldwide for its rich marbling, soft texture as well as exceptional flavor. It is one of the most expensive and luxurious meats in the world.

The wagyu industry traditionally focuses on young animals aged 27 to 30 months because of the tenderness of their high-priced meat, but cows aged 90 to 100 months, which have given birth multiple times, are usually butchered for low-priced processed or minced meats.

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