imported into the US. Industry Kobe beef in Japan is a registered trademark of the . It must fulfill all the following conditions: Tajima cattle born in Hyōgo Prefecture Farm feeding in Hyōgo Prefecture Heifer (a female that has not given birth) or Bullock (steer or castrated bull) Processed at slaughterhouses in Kobe, Nishinomiya, Sanda, Kakogawa, or Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture Marbling ratio, called BMS, of level 6 and above Meat quality score of 4 or 5, yield grade A or B Carcass weight of 499.9 kg or less. The cattle are fed on grain fodder and brushed sometimes for setting fur. The melting point of fat of Kobe beef (Tajima cattle) is lower than common beef fat. Kobe beef is expensive, partly because only about 3,000 head of cattle may qualify as Kobe per year. In Japan, all cattle, including those approved as Kobe beef, can be tracked via a 10-digit number through every step of their entire life cycle. Outside Japan Kobe beef was not exported until 2012. It was exported in January 2012 to Macau, then to Hong Kong in July 2012. Since then, exports have also been made to the United States, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Canada. In some countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, Wagyu cattle imported from Japan are farmed, either purebred or cross-bred with other beef breeds such as Aberdeen Angus. In some places meat from these cattle may be marketed under names such as "Kobe-style beef"; it is not Kobe beef, and does not fulfil the requirements for certification of the authentic Japanese product. Due to a lack of legal recognition of the Kobe beef trademark in the United States, it is also possible to sell this meat as "Kobe beef". The Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association planned to publish pamphlets about Kobe beef in foreign languages. American "Kobe-style" beef tends to be darker and stronger-tasting than the authentic product. It may have more appeal to Western palates unfamiliar with the mild taste and high fat content of true Kobe beef. See also Akaushi Geographical indication Matsusaka beef Mishima beef Yonezawa beef List of delicacies References External links Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association Kobe Beef Japanese cuisine terms