Indonesia suspends US beef imports over BSE
Vice Agriculture Minister Rusman Heriawan told Reuters that the duration of the suspension had not yet been specified.
In South Korea, major supermarkets Lotte Mart and Home Plus stopped selling US beef, citing “consumer concerns” over the first BSE case found in the US since 2003.
However, the Korean agriculture ministry said a complete import ban was unlikely, and according to CBS, Home Plus resumed sales of the product “within hours”, after the government announced enhanced control measures.
In Japan, authorities said they had no intention to apply a ban on US beef imports this time.
The disease was discovered on Monday in a dairy cow in central California, but the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said it was an “atypical case” that did not present any risk for food safety, as the animal was not presented for slaughter for human consumption.
USMEF added that it was already talking to international partners to reassure them on the safety of US beef.
