Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

South Korea Eases Restrictions on Zilpaterol in Beef

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

South Korea officials said Tuesday that it will soon tolerate certain levels of the livestock feed zilpaterol in beef.

In October, South Korea announced that it planned to adjust its zero tolerance policy on zilpaterol-type products and agreed to phase out tariffs on U.S. beef products over the next 15 years.

The feed additive is produced by Intervet, a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Zilpaterol is added to feed cattle in the last three to six months before slaughter. Concerns were raised about the drug’s side effects on cattle, after a video surfaced in the United States, which showed cattle that had been fed the drug having trouble walking.

Beginning June, South Korea plans to allow 1 part per billion of traces of zilpaterol in beef muscle and 5 ppb in beef liver.  Several countries in Asia and Europe have banned zilpaterol in imported beef products.

South Korea is the third largest importer of U.S. beef.
 


Trending Video

End of June USDA Crop Reports a Dud, U S Corn Crop Conditions 73% G E, & Whisper on Trade Deals

Video: End of June USDA Crop Reports a Dud, U S Corn Crop Conditions 73% G E, & Whisper on Trade Deals


No market-moving end-of-June USDA Acreage and quarterly stocks reports. U.S. corn crop conditions at 73% good-excellent has the trade talking above-average trendline yields at 183 – 190 bpa (2-5% above trend for 2025). Rumors that Trump in Iowa on Thursday evening could announce more trade deals on top of the Vietnam trade deal, but the whisper is that there might be a trade deal with China?
Sunday night's U.S. weather outlook ahead of the key U.S. corn pollination stage and trade deals could be market-moving for Monday’s trade after a long 3-day U.S. holiday.