May 5, 2008

South Korea ministers assure US beef safe for consumption

US beef is safe to consumption and poses no health risks, according to South Korea's Agriculture minister Chung Woon-chun and Health and Welfare minister Kim Soung-yee on Friday (May 2, 2008).

The number of mad cow cases has been significantly reduced due to improved control of protein-based feed that has been cited for causing the disease, said the ministers in a news conference that was held to dispel rising public unrest over the beef agreement signed between Seoul and Washington on April 18, 2008.

The agreement allows most beef cuts, including bone-in-beef and byproducts to be imported, and South Korea's import sanitation rules that only allowed boneless beef from cattle under 30 month old would be rewritten.

There have been only three confirmed mad cow cases in the US and while the public may be uncertain of US imports, US beef are consumed by Americans and tourists, according to Chung.

Bones and byproducts are also used in the US to make soup and sauces.

Chung also assured that South Korea would import beef from US facilities that have met proper standards and are regulated by experts.

South Korea also plans to introduce traceability methods for local cattle and beef and to strengthen country-of-origin rules for imported beef so that consumers could choose their preferred beef, said Chung and Kim.