S. Korea, Canada resume beef talks

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Canada resumed negotiations on Monday
that may open the local market to Canadian beef imports after a five year ban.
The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the technical
consultation talks with officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will
examine Ottawa's request to regain full access to the South Korean market in
accordance with a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) ruling reached in
May 2007.
The two countries held talks last November but made little headway on the beef
import issue. Government insiders said Canada, which had been barred from
exporting beef from May 2003 wanted to export all beef cuts with no restrictions
placed on the age of animals that can provide meat.
The OIE gave Ottawa a "controlled risk" classification, that technically allows
it to export all beef cuts from cattle regardless of age as long as so-called
specified risk materials (SRMs) are removed.
SRMs refer to parts including brains, eyes, tonsils and certain intestine parts
that run the highest risk of transmitting bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
or mad cow disease, to humans.
South Korean officials said without going into details that because Canada
reported 14 confirmed cases of BSE and domestic law revised in August places
tighter restrictions on imports from such countries, Seoul may only permit meat
from cattle under 30 months old from entering the country.
The 30 month age limit is important because most mad cow cases involve older
animals.
Industry experts also said that since Seoul already lifted a similar ban against
U.S. beef in June, restrictions placed on Canada will most likely be lifted. The
United States reported three cases of mad cow disease as of late 2003, but
received the same controlled risk classification from the OIE as Canada.
Before the ban, Canada was the fourth-biggest exporter of beef to South Korea
behind the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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