Sandhusker
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WASHINGTON - The meatpacking industry is keeping a close eye on the fate of 9 tons of U.S. beef now sitting in South Korea.
South Korean workers unload packs of U.S. beef Monday. It was the first shipment from the United States in nearly three years after South Korea lifted an import ban sparked by fears of mad cow disease.
That meat, which arrived Monday in Seoul, is the first such shipment to the country in the nearly three years since mad cow disease fears prompted South Korea to close its market to U.S. beef. South Korea had been at least the third-largest market for U.S. beef before the ban.
South Korea announced in September that it would again accept U.S. beef, but American companies were told the country would be enforcing a strict zero-tolerance policy toward bone matter. The policy could prohibit even the presence of material such as cartilage or membranes.
That policy made the shipping of beef to South Korea economically impossible and is the reason most companies have held off on sending their product, said James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute Foundation.
The 9 tons of beef that arrived Monday were sent by Kansas-based meatpacker Creekstone Farms.
Kevin Pentz, vice president of Creekstone Farms, said the company came to believe that South Korea's restrictions actually are similar to other countries with open markets.
Pentz said talk about ultra-tight restrictions was the result of miscommunication with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Impatient with the delays, the company simply decided to send a shipment, Pentz said.
The Creekstone Farms beef is now undergoing intense testing by the South Koreans before it can be distributed commercially. That should take about one to two weeks.
"This is critical - to see the successful clearance of this initial product," said Floyd Gaibler, acting undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services.
Gaibler said the government is working on an agreement with South Korea to clarify policies and pave the way for U.S. shipments to once again flow to the country.
Heightened inspections will be waiting for the first few shipments of beef but the plan is for less intense, routine examinations to take their place after that, Gaibler said.
One important point that the USDA is seeking to clarify involves penalties if South Korean inspectors find a problem with part of a shipment.
"If they do find a box that is out of compliance, it's our hope they would simply reject the box and not the whole shipment or close the whole market again," Gaibler said.
South Korean workers unload packs of U.S. beef Monday. It was the first shipment from the United States in nearly three years after South Korea lifted an import ban sparked by fears of mad cow disease.
That meat, which arrived Monday in Seoul, is the first such shipment to the country in the nearly three years since mad cow disease fears prompted South Korea to close its market to U.S. beef. South Korea had been at least the third-largest market for U.S. beef before the ban.
South Korea announced in September that it would again accept U.S. beef, but American companies were told the country would be enforcing a strict zero-tolerance policy toward bone matter. The policy could prohibit even the presence of material such as cartilage or membranes.
That policy made the shipping of beef to South Korea economically impossible and is the reason most companies have held off on sending their product, said James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute Foundation.
The 9 tons of beef that arrived Monday were sent by Kansas-based meatpacker Creekstone Farms.
Kevin Pentz, vice president of Creekstone Farms, said the company came to believe that South Korea's restrictions actually are similar to other countries with open markets.
Pentz said talk about ultra-tight restrictions was the result of miscommunication with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Impatient with the delays, the company simply decided to send a shipment, Pentz said.
The Creekstone Farms beef is now undergoing intense testing by the South Koreans before it can be distributed commercially. That should take about one to two weeks.
"This is critical - to see the successful clearance of this initial product," said Floyd Gaibler, acting undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services.
Gaibler said the government is working on an agreement with South Korea to clarify policies and pave the way for U.S. shipments to once again flow to the country.
Heightened inspections will be waiting for the first few shipments of beef but the plan is for less intense, routine examinations to take their place after that, Gaibler said.
One important point that the USDA is seeking to clarify involves penalties if South Korean inspectors find a problem with part of a shipment.
"If they do find a box that is out of compliance, it's our hope they would simply reject the box and not the whole shipment or close the whole market again," Gaibler said.