April 25, 2007

USDA: Tyson's Nebraska plant remains on list of approved beef exporters

The US Department of Agriculture has denied a Japanese request to remove a Nebraska processing plant from a list of plants authorised to export beef to Japan.

In February, Japan stopped beef imports from the Lexington processing plant operated by Tyson Foods after finding boxes of beef that had not been verified as from cattle 20 months old or younger, as required by Japan.

Japan has been skittish about foreign beef since the first case of mad cow disease was found in the US.

Although the USDA declined the Japanese request, the Tyson plant remains under voluntary suspension, said USDA spokeswoman Amanda Eamich. Tyson, she said, is fixing the problem, and the shipment in question, while ineligible in part, was inspected and passed before being sent to Japan.

Corrective measures have begun at the Lexington plant, said Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson.

"Meanwhile, we continue to supply our Japanese customers through our six other beef processing plants," he said.

Earlier this month, Japan ordered imports halted from Cargill Meat Solutions in Dodge City, Kansas, after a beef shipment arrived without proper papers. In March, Japan also suspended beef imports from California meatpacker Jobbers Meat Packing Company.