December 7, 2006

South Korea detects beef in third US shipment

The South Korean government reported a third case of bone fragments in the US beef shipment.

The meat was traced to cattle slaughtered in Nebraska and processed in Iowa, US noted Kang Mun-il, director general of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS).

About seven bone fragments were found in the 10.2 tonnes of chuck short ribs from US cattle, according to the quarantine service reports.

Bone inclusion in shipments was in violation of import conditions between the two countries, settled after the resumption of beef trade. South Korea would now either return the shipment or destroy the same, said the quarantine service.

Apparently, the US conducted an X-ray test on the third batch of beef before dispatching the same. The US probably failed to detect the bone fragments as they were too thin, said Kang.

He rejected reports that such beef had already been consumed by some US soldiers and people in South Korea.

South Korea barred US beef imports in December 2003 after the first reported US case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy but later resumed on the condition that the US would only export boneless beef.