A
Anonymous
Guest
While I agree with USDA allowing Korea to do this--Whats really sad is that the USDA/Packers have segregated and labeled Canadian beef for the Japanese, and now will for the Koreans- but still say they can't and refuse to do it for the US consumer.....
DJ S Korea Officials Arriving In US Thu For Beef-Plant Audits
Agriculture Online
2:43 PM, August 24, 2006
By Bill Tomson
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A South Korea delegation is scheduled to arrive in
the U.S. on Thursday and begin a new review of several U.S. beef production
facilities on Friday in efforts to restart trade, U.S. Department of
Agriculture officials said.
South Korea listed problems with seven U.S. plants after a previous
delegation conducted audits in May, but the country's concerns have been dealt
with, said USDA officials who asked not to be named.
South Korea complained that six U.S. plants didn't segregate U.S. and
Canadian cattle and one U.S. plant didn't use separate equipment to cut up
younger and older cattle.
A misunderstanding was the root of the cattle-segregation issue, one USDA
official said. The U.S. plant in question had a plan to segregate the cattle,
but did not have it in place because it wasn't yet allowed to begin exporting
beef to South Korea. Now, though, the company will demonstrate to the visiting
delegation its segregation plan even though it is not in effect yet.
"Middle ground" was reached on South Korea's demand for separate equipment
for older and younger cattle, a USDA official said, but would not elaborate on
details.
The South Korean delegation is visiting the seven U.S. plants to verify that
promised changes have indeed been made.
South Korea and the U.S. agreed to terms for trade to resume earlier this
year, but U.S. beef exports are still blocked. South Korea originally banned
U.S. beef in December 2003 after the USDA announced finding the first case of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, in the U.S. South Korea
imported about $815 million worth of U.S. beef in 2003, according to USDA data.
There is another issue, outside of individual plant matters, that still has
South Korean and U.S. officials at odds. The U.S. wants South Korea to agree on
a tolerance level for any small bone fragments in U.S. shipments, but South
Korea has resisted.
-By Bill Tomson; Dow Jones Newswires
agriculture.com
DJ S Korea Officials Arriving In US Thu For Beef-Plant Audits
Agriculture Online
2:43 PM, August 24, 2006
By Bill Tomson
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A South Korea delegation is scheduled to arrive in
the U.S. on Thursday and begin a new review of several U.S. beef production
facilities on Friday in efforts to restart trade, U.S. Department of
Agriculture officials said.
South Korea listed problems with seven U.S. plants after a previous
delegation conducted audits in May, but the country's concerns have been dealt
with, said USDA officials who asked not to be named.
South Korea complained that six U.S. plants didn't segregate U.S. and
Canadian cattle and one U.S. plant didn't use separate equipment to cut up
younger and older cattle.
A misunderstanding was the root of the cattle-segregation issue, one USDA
official said. The U.S. plant in question had a plan to segregate the cattle,
but did not have it in place because it wasn't yet allowed to begin exporting
beef to South Korea. Now, though, the company will demonstrate to the visiting
delegation its segregation plan even though it is not in effect yet.
"Middle ground" was reached on South Korea's demand for separate equipment
for older and younger cattle, a USDA official said, but would not elaborate on
details.
The South Korean delegation is visiting the seven U.S. plants to verify that
promised changes have indeed been made.
South Korea and the U.S. agreed to terms for trade to resume earlier this
year, but U.S. beef exports are still blocked. South Korea originally banned
U.S. beef in December 2003 after the USDA announced finding the first case of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, in the U.S. South Korea
imported about $815 million worth of U.S. beef in 2003, according to USDA data.
There is another issue, outside of individual plant matters, that still has
South Korean and U.S. officials at odds. The U.S. wants South Korea to agree on
a tolerance level for any small bone fragments in U.S. shipments, but South
Korea has resisted.
-By Bill Tomson; Dow Jones Newswires
agriculture.com