"It's USDA's job to regulate our processing industry, not Japan's,"...
...concerned the United States could set a precedent by allowing Japan to audit the plants.
"It is critically important for Japan to recognize the U.S. food safety system and accept imports from all U.S. beef facilities approved by the USDA,"...
...but halted imports two months later after finding a shipment that contained backbone,...
"U.S. beef is the safest and highest quality beef in the world,"...