January 14, 2004

US Confident of Convincing Beef Safety

US agricultural officials are confident that they will be able to convince Asian countries of the safety of US beef. Officials insist that no beef from the mad cow case had been exported and that safeguards had been in place against the spread of mad cow to beef supplies for about a decade.

"Over the next month or so, we're very optimistic that may of these countries will be moving forward to limit some of the bans that are in place," Gary Greene, a US agriculture department director for Asia, told a press conference in Manila.

"We're making the rounds," of Asian countries, to assure them of the safety of US beef, Greene added.

Greene said a Japanese delegation was visiting the United States to check on mad cow-prevention measures.