S Korea toughens quarantine inspections on US beef following mad cow case
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea on Monday began strengthening quarantine checks on US beef imports following a report of a mad cow disease case, reported Yonhap news agency.
Seoul's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it increased sampling inspections carried out on American beef from the previous 3 per cent to 10 per cent, after the US announced an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, in a beef cow at a plant in South Carolina last week.
It was the seventh detection of BSE in the US since 2003, according to foreign media reports.
The Seoul government has asked for additional information regarding the case from the US to come up with necessary quarantine measures further in consultation with related authorities and experts.
The US Department of Agriculture said the animal never entered slaughter channels and it did not expect any trade impacts as a result. - BERNAMA-YONHAP
