November 14, 2006

South Korea may allow US beef with bones
 

South Korea has now been considering allowing in US beef with bones, a move that would result in giving the latter easier access to South Korean markets.

However, the two sides did not determine a detailed criteria for US beef to be marketed in South Korea, felt officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with one adding bits of bones that come with beef would not pose health risks.

Regarding the ministry's earlier stance not to import any bones or bone chips, the official in charge of livestock quarantine downplayed the risks of ordinary bones.

He stressed that specified risk material (SRM), which incidentally, was the main germ for mad-cow disease only existed in restricted parts of US cattle and that the Agriculture-Forestry Ministry was fine-tuning the criteria for importing US beef.

Meanwhile, the USDA applauded the move terming it a positive one. It earlier announced that the South Korea had agreed to exclude cartilage, breast-bone and bone chips from the list of "specific risk material."

Seoul also clarified that it would remove silver skin from the list of prohibited items.

US beef imports resumed after being banned for nearly three years following the outbreak of BSE. Despite the ban, about 29,000 tonnes of US beef, including ribs were distributed on the South Korean market in the years 2004 and 2005, according to the South Korea Customs Service.

The lifting of ban was done on the condition that the US would only import boneless beef to South Korea, a move US has been trying to get rid of.