U.S. Beef Shipment May Have Violated Japan's Age Rules

US - Last week Japan announced it was shutting down imports from Tyson Food's plant in Lexington, Neb., because part of a beef shipment from the plant couldn't be proven to have come from cattle no more than 20 months old. However, USDA Secretary Mike Johanns said Wednesday that U.S. officials don't know for certain whether the shipment actually violated the rule.

23 February 2007

1 minute read

North America

Terri Teuber, a USDA spokeswoman, said in a Dow Jones report that USDA verified that the "additional boxes in the shipment" contained beef from cattle under 30 months of age. As to whether the beef met Japan's requirement of coming from cattle under 21 months of age, she said USDA just doesn't know.

U.S. and Japanese officials are talking to try to limit any ramifications from the incident.

Source: Wallace Farmer