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| Identifier: | 02ROME5917 |
|---|---|
| Wikileaks: | View 02ROME5917 at Wikileaks.org |
| Origin: | Embassy Rome |
| Created: | 2002-12-10 15:13:00 |
| Classification: | UNCLASSIFIED |
| Tags: | EAGR ETRD EU ETRD EU IT ITEAGR |
| Redacted: | This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks. |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005917
SIPDIS
STATE PASS USDA FOR FAS/CMP/DLP/RWENTZEL
CMP/GFD/RIEMENSCHNEIDER; CMP/COT/LBLUM
ITP/EAMED/MACKE/YOUNG
FSIS/SSTRATMOEN
OFSTS/RICHEY/APHIS/ATORRES
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 ROME 05917 01 OF 02 101652Z
STATE PASS USTR
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE
MILAN FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
FLORENCE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
NAPLES FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, EU, ETRD, EU, IT, ITEAGR
SUBJECT: SCANDALS IN THE ITALIAN BEEF
LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY
1. SUMMARY: CURRENT BSE TESTING DOES NOT
ENSURE A SAFE MEAT SUPPLY ACCORDING TO
ITALY'S CARABINIERI. ALTHOUGH ONE MILLION MAD
COW TESTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON ITALIAN
CATTLE DESTINED FOR SLAUGHTER SINCE TESTING
BECAME COMPULSORY AT THE BEGINNING OF 2001,
THE 83 DETECTIONS ARE NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS
ACTIONS TO AVOID BSE TESTING ALTOGETHER.
LA REPUBBLICA'S ARTICLE ON DECEMBER 6 DETAILS
ILLEGAL DRUG USE ON ANIMALS, FRAUD, CATTLE
RUSTLING, UNREGULATED SLAUGHTER, AND OTHER
MISDEEDS IN ITALY'S BEEF AND FEED INDUSTRY.
2. OVER THE TWO YEARS SINCE OBLIGATORY BSE
TESTING WAS INVOKED, THE GOI HAS BEEN
INVESTIGATING IRREGULARITIES IN THE CATTLE
INDUSTRY AND MEAT TRADE. ACCORDING TO THE
REPORT, INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE
ITALIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT RESPONSIBLE FOR
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 ROME 05917 01 OF 02 101652Z
FRAUD IN FOOD AND ANIMAL HEALTH, THE
CARABINIERI NAS, HAS DOCUMENTED EXTENSIVE
ILLEGAL HORMONE AND DRUG USE, CATTLE THEFT,
AND ILLEGAL SLAUGHTER. THE ARTICLE DETAILS
ABUSES, ARRESTS, FINES, AND THE WILEY WAYS
EMPLOYED BY SOME ITALIAN PRODUCERS TO AVOID
BSE TESTING. THE ARTICLE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS
SOME HUMAN HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF EATING MEAT
CONTAINING ANABOLIC STEROIDS, ANTIBIOTICS,
CORTISONE, AND SOMATOTROPHIN. COMMENT: NO
MENTION IS MADE OF THE REGULATED USE OF
HORMONES ON CATTLE IN THE US, SCIENTIFIC
STUDIES ON THIS PRACTICE, NOR ANY HISTORY OF
THE WTO'S CONCLUSION THAT THE EU BAN ON US
HORMONE-TREATED BEEF IS ILLEGAL.
NOTWITHSTANDING IMPLICATIONS THAT ILLEGAL
PRACTICES IN THE BEEF SECTOR ENDANGER THE
PUBLIC HEALTH, NO MENTION IS MADE OF THE GOI
MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S MANDATE TO ENSURE A SAFE
FOOD SUPPLY. END COMMENT.
3. THE ARTICLE SUMMARIZED CARABINIERI
INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT FROM JANUARY 2001
TO NOVEMBER 2002 IN ALL OF ITALY. THE
FOLLOWING SUMMARIZES THE NEWS ARTICLE:
- THE PROBLEM IS GEOGRAPHICALLY WIDESPREAD.
ALTHOUGH SICILY IS THE ITALIAN REGION WITH
THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS, LOMBARDY
(IN THE NORTH, AND THE MOST WEALTHY OF
ITALY'S 20 REGIONS) RANKS IN SECOND PLACE.
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 04 ROME 05917 01 OF 02 101652Z
- 13,746 VIOLATIONS WERE FOUND FROM A TOTAL
OF 26,707 INSPECTIONS.
- 7,440 PERSONS WERE FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION
OF MEAT SAFETY OR ANIMAL HEALTH REGULATIONS.
- (ONLY) 60 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED.
- 363 PLANTS AND 1431 TONS OF MEAT WERE
SEIZED, TOTALING 114 MILLION EUROS IN
ILLEGALLY DRUGGED OR CONTAMINATED MEAT.
- 424,549 HEAD OF CATTLE HAVE BEEN SEIZED.
- 4034 INSPECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE IN FEED
PLANTS WITH 897 VIOLATIONS FOUND IN THE FEED
SECTOR.
- HORMONES (STEROIDS) USED TO BOOST ANIMAL
WEIGHT, CORTISONE FOR TISSUES TO RETAIN
WATER, BETA-AGONISTS TO PROMOTE MUSCLE
GROWTH, SOMATOTROPHIN TO INCREASE MILK
PRODUCTION, AND ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS TO
KEEP ANIMALS FROM FALLING ILL WERE ALL FOUND
BY THE CARABINIERI'S INQUIRIES INTO CATTLE
AND BEEF PRODUCTION. FALSE CERTIFICATES
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2997
PAGE 01 ROME 05917 02 OF 02 101652Z
ACTION EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 DODE-00
ITCE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EXME-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00
FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 LAB-01
L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 ACE-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00
TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /011W
------------------158BD7 101745Z /38
R 101513Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7267
USDA FAS WASHDC 2462
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
USMISSION GENEVA
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL NAPLES
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005917
SIPDIS
STATE PASS USDA FOR FAS/CMP/DLP/RWENTZEL
CMP/GFD/RIEMENSCHNEIDER; CMP/COT/LBLUM
ITP/EAMED/MACKE/YOUNG
FSIS/SSTRATMOEN
OFSTS/RICHEY/APHIS/ATORRES
STATE PASS USTR
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 ROME 05917 02 OF 02 101652Z
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE
MILAN FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
FLORENCE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
NAPLES FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, EU, IT
SUBJECT: SCANDALS IN THE ITALIAN BEEF
LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY
MISREPRESENTING AN OLDER ANIMAL AT A YOUNGER
AGE IN ORDER TO AVOID COMPULSORY BSE TESTS
AFTER SLAUGHTER WERE ANOTHER TYPICAL
VIOLATION. AN ANIMAL ID SYSTEM BASED ON EAR
TAGS WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE FRAUDULENTLY USED
BY MANY FARMERS WHO WOULD STATE THAT THEIR
ANIMAL'S TAG WAS LOST, APPLY FOR A NEW EAR
TAG, AND THEN USE THE DUPLICATE TAG ON AN
ILLEGALLY OBTAINED ANIMAL.
4. ACCORDING TO CONFAGRICOLTURA, ONE OF THE
MAJOR ITALIAN FARMER ORGANIZATIONS, SINCE THE
BSE SCANDAL OCCURRED IN 2000 CATTLE THEFT HAS
INCREASED 20 PERCENT IN ITALY. CORONEL
DAINESE, CHIEF OF NAS, STATED THAT ABOUT 5
PERCENT OF ITALIAN BEEF IS ILLEGALLY PRODUCED
OR MARKETED AND BSE IS NO LONGER THE MAJOR
RISK FOR ITALIAN CONSUMERS OF BEEF.
5. COMMENT: ITALY'S BEEF SECTOR HAS BEEN
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 ROME 05917 02 OF 02 101652Z
NOTORIOUS FOR THESE TYPES OF PRACTICES. WHILE
THE ARTICLE DEPICTS ABUSES IN THE BEEF
SECTOR, THIS STANDS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE
PORK SECTOR. A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THESE TWO IS THAT THE ITALIANS HAVE
SUBSTANTIAL EXPORT INTERESTS TO DEFEND IN THE
CASE OF PORK. TECHNICAL COLLABORATION
BETWEEN THE GOI'S MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND USDA
VETERINARY OFFICIALS HAS BEEN POSITIVE AND
PRODUCTIVE IN THE PORK PROCESSING SECTOR.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH OFFICIALS STATED, WHEN
ASKED ABOUT THE LA REPUBBLICA ARTICLE, THAT
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST SUCH CRIMINAL ACTS
FALLS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CARABINIERI.
END COMMENT. SEMBLER
UNCLASSIFIED
>
2002ROME05917 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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