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Ag chief says trade talks hurt by beef recall
MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Friday that the nation's largest beef recall has set back negotiations to ship U.S. beef to Japan and South Korea.
Those markets closed to the U.S. cattle industry in 2003 after a scare over mad cow disease.
Schafer said at a convention of meat packers and processors that he is hopeful trade talks will continue but that the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. recall has diplomats asking why the U.S. can't ship safe meat.
The USDA recalled 143 million pounds of beef from the Chino-based slaughterhouse after the U.S. Humane Society released undercover video that showed slaughterhouse workers there kicking and shoving sick and crippled cows and forcing them to stand with electric prods, forklifts and water hoses.
Downer cows, or those too sickly to stand, are banned from the food supply because they carry a higher risk of mad cow disease and other illnesses.
Schafer also said Friday he is not in favor of making any immediate changes to meat inspection regulations due to of the recall.
He said that one individual had an incentive to break the rules but that the USDA meat inspection system is not broken. He said he would wait for an investigation into the recall to be completed before make any policy change recommendations.
MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said Friday that the nation's largest beef recall has set back negotiations to ship U.S. beef to Japan and South Korea.
Those markets closed to the U.S. cattle industry in 2003 after a scare over mad cow disease.
Schafer said at a convention of meat packers and processors that he is hopeful trade talks will continue but that the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. recall has diplomats asking why the U.S. can't ship safe meat.
The USDA recalled 143 million pounds of beef from the Chino-based slaughterhouse after the U.S. Humane Society released undercover video that showed slaughterhouse workers there kicking and shoving sick and crippled cows and forcing them to stand with electric prods, forklifts and water hoses.
Downer cows, or those too sickly to stand, are banned from the food supply because they carry a higher risk of mad cow disease and other illnesses.
Schafer also said Friday he is not in favor of making any immediate changes to meat inspection regulations due to of the recall.
He said that one individual had an incentive to break the rules but that the USDA meat inspection system is not broken. He said he would wait for an investigation into the recall to be completed before make any policy change recommendations.