February 22, 2008

Indonesia allows US beef imports
 

Indonesia has allowed a local company to import beef products from the US, which ends a three-year ban on US beef imports, said an agriculture ministry official.

A permit has been issued to CV Sumber Laut Perkasa to import 4,200 tonnes of US beef this year from four slaughterhouses in the US, which have met health, security and Islamic Halal standards, according to Turni Rusli Syamsudin, director of veterinary public health at the ministry.

The import ban has been officially lifted, but only imports from the four slaughterhouses are allowed, Syamsudin told Reuters.

Indonesia has banned US beef and beef products in June 2005 when a new case of mad cow disease was discovered in the US.

US was later placed under 'controlled risk' status for mad cow disease in May 2007 by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Indonesia imported about 119,500 tonnes of beef in 2007.