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Hong Kong Suspends Beef Imports From Swift
Staff and agencies
12 March, 2006
1 hour, 33 minutes ago
HONG KONG - Hong Kong has suspended imports from a U.S. beef processing company after discovering its products contained bones prohibited under regulations aimed at protecting against mad cow disease, the government said.
Hong Kong partially lifted a two-year ban U.S. beef imports in December, imposed after mad cow disease was detected in a cow in Washington state. Only boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months old — and without the animal's brain, spinal cord or other parts considered high risk for mad cow disease — are allowed into the territory.
"The decision was made following discovery of beef imports with bones from that plant during inspections," the statement said. "We will contact the relevant authorities for more information concerning the beef imports in question."
The spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, Susan N. Stevenson, said it was an isolated case, with a bone shard found in Swift's products, and there was no risk of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
"This is not a food safety issue," she said. "There is not a risk of BSE from the bone shard."
Japan had imposed several conditions for resuming imports: beef must come from cattle younger than 21 months, and body parts that can carry mad cow must be removed
Staff and agencies
12 March, 2006
1 hour, 33 minutes ago
HONG KONG - Hong Kong has suspended imports from a U.S. beef processing company after discovering its products contained bones prohibited under regulations aimed at protecting against mad cow disease, the government said.
Hong Kong partially lifted a two-year ban U.S. beef imports in December, imposed after mad cow disease was detected in a cow in Washington state. Only boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months old — and without the animal's brain, spinal cord or other parts considered high risk for mad cow disease — are allowed into the territory.
"The decision was made following discovery of beef imports with bones from that plant during inspections," the statement said. "We will contact the relevant authorities for more information concerning the beef imports in question."
The spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, Susan N. Stevenson, said it was an isolated case, with a bone shard found in Swift's products, and there was no risk of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
"This is not a food safety issue," she said. "There is not a risk of BSE from the bone shard."
Japan had imposed several conditions for resuming imports: beef must come from cattle younger than 21 months, and body parts that can carry mad cow must be removed
