For the past two days I have examined in (sometimes excruciating) detail the facts behind the various products sold in this country as Kobe beef and Japanese Kobe beef (Part 1), and domestic or American-style Kobe, Wagyu, and domestic, American-style, or Australian Wagyu (Part 2).
After this examination, my conclusion is that these products are collectively an attempt to fool the American consumer into thinking they are buying something they are not, at very high prices, by trading on the longstanding reputation of excellence belonging to the cattle producers around Kobe, Japan, whose meat is never, ever sold on our shores.
But Kobe is just the tip of the labeling iceberg – there are literally hundreds of other food items, from the extravagant, such as Champagne and Cognac, to the more common, like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, whose production and sale in this country would violate many very old and well-known foreign trademarks – except that these trademarks are not recognized by U.S. law. Like Faux-be beef, this domestic production is undertaken mainly for one reason – to reap the benefit of good will and quality brand reputation created by someone else, namely foreigners who have no recourse in U.S. courts.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Forbes
