frenchie
Well-known member
S. Korean Experts to Inspect U.S. Meat Processing Facilities
Asia Pulse Pte Ltd, May 04, 2006
SEOUL, May 4 Asia Pulse - South Korean inspectors plan to look at 37 U.S. meat processing facilities that want to export beef to South Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday.
It said four teams of two quarantine officials each will make a 16-day visit to the United States starting on Saturday to inspect the designated meat processing facilities.
South Korea banned U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after a mad cow case was discovered in the country. It agreed earlier this year to allow U.S. beef back into the country, but imposed an age restriction of 30 months on animals slaughtered for shipment to South Korea and required the U.S. processors to remove all bones.
Seoul had temporarily suspended import proceedings for American beef after another mad cow case was reported in March. It has made it clear that it will look more carefully at U.S. beef safety standards, although the latest mad cow case provided no reasons for Seoul to suspend its imports of U.S. beef.
"The eight inspectors will go through each processing facility based on a prepared checklist to look meticulously for any deficiencies," a government official said.
He said the checklist will include the verification of sanitation standards at the facilities, such as sanitation standard operating procedures and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plans.
The official added that the teams will pay particular attention to how workers at the facilities remove potentially harmful materials, including the brain and spinal cord, from the animal.
Brain matter runs a greater risk of being contaminated by mad cow disease, which can be transmitted to humans.
Once the inspection teams return to South Korea, an expert panel will look at their reports and decide on granting export permits to facilities that passed the set standards.
The ministry said American beef should arrive in the country in early June.
(Yonhap)
(C) 2006 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd.
-- Email This to a Friend
-- Printer-friendly format
Asia Pulse Pte Ltd, May 04, 2006
SEOUL, May 4 Asia Pulse - South Korean inspectors plan to look at 37 U.S. meat processing facilities that want to export beef to South Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday.
It said four teams of two quarantine officials each will make a 16-day visit to the United States starting on Saturday to inspect the designated meat processing facilities.
South Korea banned U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after a mad cow case was discovered in the country. It agreed earlier this year to allow U.S. beef back into the country, but imposed an age restriction of 30 months on animals slaughtered for shipment to South Korea and required the U.S. processors to remove all bones.
Seoul had temporarily suspended import proceedings for American beef after another mad cow case was reported in March. It has made it clear that it will look more carefully at U.S. beef safety standards, although the latest mad cow case provided no reasons for Seoul to suspend its imports of U.S. beef.
"The eight inspectors will go through each processing facility based on a prepared checklist to look meticulously for any deficiencies," a government official said.
He said the checklist will include the verification of sanitation standards at the facilities, such as sanitation standard operating procedures and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plans.
The official added that the teams will pay particular attention to how workers at the facilities remove potentially harmful materials, including the brain and spinal cord, from the animal.
Brain matter runs a greater risk of being contaminated by mad cow disease, which can be transmitted to humans.
Once the inspection teams return to South Korea, an expert panel will look at their reports and decide on granting export permits to facilities that passed the set standards.
The ministry said American beef should arrive in the country in early June.
(Yonhap)
(C) 2006 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd.
-- Email This to a Friend
-- Printer-friendly format
