South Korea Finds Banned Bones in U.S. Beef Shipment For Third Time This Month

SOUTH KOREA - South Korea found banned bones in a U.S. beef shipment for third time this month and plans to send the entire shipment back to the United States, an official said Wednesday.

13 September 2007

1 minute read

Asia

South Korea's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said it found rib bones earlier in the day in one box of a 16.15-tonne shipment that arrived in South Korea on Aug. 5, the ministry official said. He asked not to be named, citing the agency's policy.

The official declined to identify the U.S. facility that processed the beef.

But he said Seoul had already suspended the facility from shipping meat bound for South Korea and revoked its import approval needed for export to South Korea because of similar violations in recent months.

Last year, South Korea agreed to import only boneless U.S. meat from cattle under 30 months old, lifting an almost three-year ban imposed on American beef after mad cow disease was discovered in the U.S.

Such meat is thought to be less at risk of carrying the disease.

Source: The Canadian Press