August 2, 2007

South Korea effectively halts US beef imports over shipment
 

South Korea has effectively suspended US beef imports over mad cow concerns after a recent shipment was found to have contained banned parts, a news report said Thursday (Aug 2).

The agriculture ministry said it halted quarantine inspections of American beef shipments Wednesday after finding a banned vertebral column in a recent 18.7-tonne shipment, Yonhap news agency reported. Without such inspections, the beef cannot be brought to market.

Meanwhile, Japan and the US started a technical meeting Thursday to discuss keeping US beef imports free of mad cow disease amid Washington's calls for Tokyo to relax its import restrictions.

Japan only allows imports of US beef from cattle 20 months old or younger, because mad cow disease has not been detected in meat from young cattle.

The two-day, closed meeting of officials will focus on fresh data provided by the US on cattle feed and the surveillance system in the United States upon request from Japan, according to agriculture ministry official Toshio Katagai.

A briefing on the results is planned for Friday (Aug 3).

The meeting was a follow-up for previous talks held in Tokyo in June.