December 14, 2005

South Korea might resume US beef imports in 2006
 

South Korea might resume US beef imports in 2006, should the country's livestock quarantine panel declare American beef safe to consume during its meeting this week.

The panel is considering excluding some cattle parts from imports, such as brains, backbones and spinal cords, which were considered to be at high risk of mad cow disease, or BSE.

Japan's food safety commission has already declared US and Canadian beef safe for consumption, which recently ended the country's two-year ban.

However, a survey indicated that 75 percent of Japanese consumers were still unwilling to eat American beef, although the government had imposed several conditions for resuming the imports.

Japan's decision is expected to affect discussions during the South Korean panel meeting.

South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry said another condition under consideration was the removal of bones in US beef. After the US BSE case in 2003, South Koreans became deeply concerned over 'sollongtang', the country's traditional beef bone soup. This was despite the fact that leg bones were considered to be at low risk of being infected with the disease.

South Korea would also likely allow only imports of beef from cows under 21 months, as Japan had done, since BSE has never been found in cows that young.