S. Korea bans 'downer' cattle from meat supply

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea banned the slaughter of cattle too sick to
walk for the meat supply to boost public confidence in food safety, officials
said Saturday.

Under the tightened regulation, most "downer" cattle will be banned from entering
slaughterhouses from Monday, according to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries.
"It will be a step to increase consumer confidence in the safety of local beef,"
said a ministry official.
But the ministry allowed some animals that can't walk because of injuries or
diseases related to giving birth to be slaughtered for meat supply.
The downer cattle should be inspected for bovine spongiform encephalopathy,
commonly called mad cow disease, and then legally buried or sent for
incineration, according to the ministry.
Last year, South Korea resumed imports of U.S. beef, lifting its ban that had
been imposed after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in Washington state in
2003. The resumption sparked public concerns about the disease, and weeks of
street protests rocked the Seoul government.
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