The Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced here Thursday that it would resume processing applications for beef imports from the United States with immediate effect.

"After a thorough assessment and having satisfied ourselves with the enhanced control measures implemented by the United States against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, we will partially lift the suspension of imports of US beef," a spokesman from the department said.

The spokesman said that at the initial stage, only boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age, with high risk materials such as brain and spinal cord removed during slaughtering, can be imported from designated establishments approved by the United States according to an agreed protocol.

Also, the import of each and every consignment of beef shall have the department's prior written permission and shall be accompanied by a health certificate.

"We will closely monitor the situation and review our import requirements as and when necessary," he said.

The import of beef from the United States had been temporarily suspended since Dec. 24, 2003 after the detection of a case of BSE in the State of Washington on Dec. 23, 2003.

Source: Xinhua