January 11, 2007

S. Korean lawmakers complain about denied request to visit U.S. beef farms

South Korean lawmakers have requested to visit U.S. beef farms, but USDA has denied the request, saying that the agency has no jurisdiction over private premises.
The seemingly straightforward decision did not please the Korean lawmakers, whose complaints made headline news in their country's press. Some of the legislators have reportedly been irked to the point of considering a bill that would allow the import of beef only from countries with no recorded cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which would automatically disqualify U.S. beef imports. LINK