January 9, 2004

Vietnam Beef Imports From US Guaranteed BSE-Free

Beef exports from the United States entering Vietnam is guaranteed BSE-free, Stan Garbacz, director of the trade promotion and development panel of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture of the United States, said.

Garbacz, who was interviewed by Vietnamese reporters in Ha Noi on Wednesday, said the case of mad cow disease found in the US was a dairy cow, about 5 or 6 years-old. Meanwhile, beef exported by the US is produced from young cows, not milk cows.

Other US cow-related products such as butter and milk exported to Viet Nam are also quite safe as they are subject to international standards on food hygiene and safety, the US official told reporters.

The US exports about 200,000 USD worth of beef to Viet Nam each year, which is used in big hotels and restaurants only.