November 11, 2009

Japan begins inspections of US beef plants to starve off BSE risk

Japan will send officials to inspect US beef processing plants this week, including two facilities that have exported banned cow parts to the country.

The two facilities are a Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC plant located in Kansas, and a Tyson Fresh Meats Inc plant located in Nebraska.

Nine other facilities in four US states - Wisconsin, California, Kansas and Nebraska - will also be inspected.

Based on the inspections, Japan will decide whether to resume imports of meat processed at the Creekstone and Tyson plants.

Japan limits US beef imports to meat taken from cows aged up to 20 months on condition that BSE-linked risk parts, including brain and backbone, are removed.