South Korea Halts Some U.S. Beef Imports over Found Traces of Zilmax

Oct 09, 2013

South Korea Halts Some U.S. Beef Imports over Found Traces of Zilmax

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

South Korea has suspended U.S. beef imports from a unit of JBS USA after detecting traces of the feed additive Zilmax in the meat. The feed additive, Zilmax is banned in South Korea. The meat tested positive in a shipment of beef on Sept. 24. South Korea has asked the U.S. to investigate the Zilmax case.

Merck & Co, the company which makes Zilmax, suspended sales of the additive while it conducts an audit into the drug’s effects on cattle. Zilmax was in the spotlight a few months ago after a video surfaced showing animals having trouble walking when arriving at the slaughter plant. The initial observations prompted Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill to stop buying cattle fed with the drug.

South Korea is the third largest buyer of U.S. beef. From January to September, the country imported 75,426 tonnes of U.S. beef with 4,697 tonnes coming from the unit which the additive was traced back to. The country agreed to phase out tariffs on beef over the next 15 years after a free-trade deal was struck last year.

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