05/10/05 Beef returns to Taiwan;Restored viewpoint

It has been a celebration for both the U.S. and Taiwan since last week when the first shipments of U.S. beef in over a year reached the docks at Taipei. Patrick Boyle of the American Meat Institute says the importance of the resumption of beef trade of Taiwan is not just restoration of the U.S. beef industry's third largest market. It also has a symbolic meaning as Taiwan is the first major Asian nation to again accept our beef. BOYLE: Their openness to U.S. beef imports again may have a more positive effect on consumer attitudes in neighboring countries like Japan and Korea. Both those nations remain closed despite U.S. attempts to iron out logistics and safety concerns in order to get our beef back in. Just in time for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend & a Northwest landmark has been reopened for tourists. Not just any landmark. The Johnson Ridge Observatory, the closest viewpoint of Mount Saint Helens. The Observatory has been closed since last October when the most recent rash of volcanic activity began. This past Friday was the opening of the Observatory, and barring any more seismic action, should be a major tourist stop this season, and not just because of the current dome building activity inside the crater. May 18th, is the 25th anniversary of the famous 1980 eruption. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: We are a society that thrives on fear. Look at the success of programs like Fear Factor and the headlines that make our papers. Despite having the healthiest food in the world, many of us remain afraid of food. From soup to nuts, obesity to e-coli, even new technology like irradiation and genetic modification scares the scares the living daylights out many people. Surprising though the majority of Americans remain oblivious to how venerable our food system is to an act of terrorism. Last week in Kansas City, government and law officials plus scientists, gathered for a summit on "agro terrorism". Topics ranged from the availability of vaccines if a disease like Hoof and Mouth were planted in feedlots to attacks on our food distribution system through weak borders. . Thankfully we have yet to experience agro terrorism, but we should be prepared. Other countries haven't been so lucky. In parts of the Middle East and Africa, crops and animals have been poisoned during conflicts. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.