TOKYO -- Japan's farm ministry said Saturday that a cow backbone designated as specified-risk material for BSE was found in chilled beef imported from the United States.
The beef was imported by a meet wholesaler in Tokyo in September, but it has not been distributed to the market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Imports of such risk material is banned as it is likely to accumulate the causative substance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
The ministry has suspended imports from the shipping agent of the beef and requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigate the details.
This is the third such case of speifedrik atril ine Jaanreumd ee ipotsfrm heUnte States in the summer of 2006.
