Japan to halt U.S. beef imports completely

Japan will halt U.S. beef imports completely due to the discovery that a shipment of beef from the country includes a bovine body part considered a mad cow disease risk, government officials said Friday.

The officials said the halt will be maintained for the time being.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said he has endorsed a proposal from farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa to totally halt U.S. beef imports due to the discovery. ''Ensuring food safety is extremely important,'' Koizumi said. ''I told him that (a total halt) is a good idea.''

Earlier in the day, Nakagawa said a U.S. meat-processing facility is suspected of having shipped beef to Japan containing a cow backbone, which is among the body parts designated risk material for mad cow disease.

According to Japan's farm ministry, the shipment in question has arrived at Narita airport, imported by a Japanese trading company as a sample product.

Japan banned the import of U.S. beef in December 2003 but lifted the ban on Dec. 12 on condition that the meat comes from cows aged 20 months or younger and spinal cords and other specified risk material that could transmit mad cow disease are removed.