S. Korean inspectors fail to visit site of latest U.S. BSE case

Published : May 5, 2012 - 11:14 Updated : May 5, 2012 - 11:14

FRESNO, California (Yonhap) -- South Korean inspectors sent to the United States to check the safety of beef failed to visit a cattle farm in central California that reported the latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), an official source said Friday.

Joo E-suk, head of the inspection team, said indirect contact was made with the owner of the farm through a veterinarian.

He did not elaborate on details but said the team did not visit the farm.

Others said inspectors asked a local veterinarian to pose questions to the owner with the answers given relayed to the South Korean inspection team.

South Korean experts had wanted to visit the farm and check how the animals were raised, including the kind of feed used. They also wanted to check details pertaining to the dairy cow that was confirmed to have caught the atypical form of BSE. The dairy cow was more than 10 years old with some reports saying it was slated for rendering when it was discovered to have contracted the brain-wasting disease.

The failure to visit the farm is a setback for the inspectors who placed considerable importance on an on-site examination of the farm.

Inspectors had said they had repeatedly tried to arrange a visit to farm but were unable to make headway due to the adamant refusal of the owner.

Insiders said having failed to check the cattle farm where the dairy cow was raised, the team will visit related cattle raising facilities, such as rendering plants, feed factories and cattle ranches in Fresno County to get an overall understanding of how animals are raised and processed.

The inspectors led by officials from the farm ministry are in the United States after Washington confirmed its fourth BSE case late last month. The discovery raised consumer concerns in South Korea with some calling on the government to halt the quarantine inspection of all beef from the North American country.

Seoul refused to take such a step and sent a team of experts to confirm scientific findings made by the United States and look into general cattle raising practices to see if official guidelines are being followed.