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

How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.