Anlmal,Plant and Flsherles Quarantine and Inspection Agency

Government inspectors are to be dispatched to U.S. slaughterhouses that want to export beef to South Korea, The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Sunday. It said seven experts from the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) will be sent this week to the 22 U.S. meat processing and packing facilities to review operations and to see if they conform to established export rules. "They are to check if the facilities can safely remove specified risk materials (SRMs) and properly control the age of animals that can be slaughtered for export to South Korea," an official said. At present, only 30 meat processors and slaughterhouses can send beef to South Korea. Under the April 18 revised import agreement and addendum rules, U.S. meat packers can only send beef from cattle under 30 months old, and they must remove most SRMs, with the exception of tongues. SRMs include such parts as the brain, skull, vertebra and parts of intestines. They are banned because they run a greater risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans. The "Less than 30 Month Age-Verification Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program" went into effect on June 26, with bone-in beef that had been banned since December 2003 reaching store shelves, although in small numbers at present. Depending on the findings of the two-week long visit Seoul could reject the application or ask for remedial actions to be taken before exports are permitted. 2008.9.7. Excerpted from 'The Korea Times'