South Korea To Expand Domestic Cattle, Beef Tracking

In a nod to farmers fearing a flood of foreign beef if South Korea further opens its border, the South Korean government said Monday it would expand its nationwide cattle and beef tracking systems to show consumers exactly where the beef they buy comes from, according to Yonhap News.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said the new system, passed by the National Assembly last week, would include time and place of animal birth, transfers and sales, butchering and general movement of meat through the distribution chain.

"Because comprehensive information on cows and beef will be provided, consumers will not be overly concerned if there are reports of animal diseases in the country or abroad," Yonhap quoted a ministry official as saying. He added that past bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) reports caused consumers to stay away from all beef because there was no way to determine its origin.

Local cattle farmers have been pressing the government to expand the nationwide tracking systems set up in 2004 so consumers will know for certain whether the beef they are eating comes from locally raised cows or from abroad.

Seoul is in talks with the United States and Canada to rewrite beef import rules to allow more beef products from both countries.

Source: Janie Gabbett on 11/26/2007 for Meatingplace.com