Taiwan inspection team tours facilities, approves American beef

A team of seven Taiwanese inspectors decided to continue accepting shipments of U.S. beef following a tour of America’s slaughterhouses and farms.

The inspection team was dispatched following the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) found in a California dairy cow. The team visited feed producers and laboratories in addition to nine slaughterhouses who supply 65 percent of beef exported to Taiwan.

An inspection of U.S. slaughterhouses is conducted by Taiwan annually, but the trip was moved up this year due to the BSE case confirmed on April 24.

The Taipei Times reports the team will release a detailed report of findings from the 23-day trip early next month.

Although the trip resulted in continued shipments to Taiwan, the team discovered a Kansas-based slaughterhouse commited an oversight in its standard operating procedures involving cow tonsils. Beef produced at that facility has been barred from entry to Taiwan.

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