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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (March 11) that it would suspend with immediate effect beef imports from a processing plant, Swift Beef Company, in Colorado, United States.
The decision was made following discovery of beef imports with bones from that plant during inspections last night by FEHD﷿s Airport Food Inspection Office, a department spokesman said.
"Beef imports from the United States was resumed on December 29 last year. According to an agreed protocol, only boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age, with high risk materials such as brain and spinal cord removed during slaughtering, could be imported from designated plants approved by the United States.
"We will contact the relevant authorities for more information concerning the beef imports in question," he said.
Ends/Saturday, March 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:10
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