Meat importers challenge U.S. beef rumors ( 08/05/30 ) | |||||
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Part | Charger | tankjs | date | 08/05/30 | |
‘Mixing SRM and non-SRM meat is impossible.’
May 28, 2008
Beef imported to Korea is the same beef Americans eat at home and in restaurants, beef importers said yesterday to ease concerns over resuming imports of U.S. beef. Considering how American beef is distributed in the United States, there is nothing to worry about here, they said.
“We are heart-stricken that people say we are importing low-grade beef that Americans don’t even eat,” said Park Chang-gyu, the owner of A-Meat, a beef importer.
The importers not only bring in American beef but also Australian and New Zealand beef. Recently 50 beef importers created an association to correct misunderstandings and relieve anxiety over American beef.
Some parts such as eyes, brains, skulls and some parts of backbones from cattle under 30 months old are not included in the banned list, but they are not going to be imported, they said. Importers say the parts are not circulated in the U.S. and thus there is no chance that these parts are going to be imported.
“These parts are eliminated in the process of butchering and they are not distributed in the U.S.,” Park said. “It is nonsense to think they are going to be imported.”
Park said that even in the U.S., Hispanics use organs and leg bones to make stew. Cow tails are also sold in large stores. “What is sold in the U.S. for food is what’s going to be imported,” he said.
They also said there are misunderstandings about meat collected from advanced meat recovery. AMR is a process that collects meat through high pressure. Meat from the process is not going to be imported, they said.
“Meat from AMR is used as food, but even before mad cow disease broke out, it was problematic because it was unsanitary,” said Park Bong-su, the chief executive officer of High Food. “Meat from AMR was not imported even before the mad cow disease outbreak. It is not going to be imported at all,” Park said.
Rumors also say specified risk materials could be imported in a mixture with non-SRM meat.
“Australian beef is traded in a full set, or an entire cow, but American beef is traded in different parts, and mixing and selling SRM and non-SRM meat is impossible,” said Kim Tae-hyeong, CEO of BF International.
“Like before 2003, parts like beef ribs will be imported,” Kim said. “The price of organs moves in a wide range, and it will be difficult to import organs soon.”
Those who oppose U.S. beef imports also say beef from cattle 30 months old or over is not fit to eat.
“In the U.S., there is no indication of the animal’s age on beef packages sold in the market,” said Lee Jong-kyung, CEO of Nerf. “They only indicate the beef’s grade. Beef from cattle 30 months old or over is sold and consumed in the U.S., although rumors [in Korea] say Americans do not consume beef from older cattle.”
The meat importers’ association said they would bring in boneless beef first and start importing organs and leg bones later to avoid unnecessary controversy.
By Sohn Hae-yong JoongAng Ilbo [jbiz91@joongang.co.kr]
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