Next Japan step is beef plant audit-USDA’s Johanns. The next step toward resumption of beef exports to Japan, barred for 28 of the last 29 months, probably will be Japanese inspection of U.S. export plants said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Johanns. [News Source]

USTR calls for Japan’s early restart of U.S. beef imports. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab on Wednesday night urged Japan to resume U.S. beef imports at an early date. [News Source]

National cattlemen group votes to support Nelson’s ban on Japanese beef. Legislation introduced by US Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., to ban Japanese beef imports received National Cattlemen's Beef Association support on Wednesday if Japan doesn't immediately resumed beef trade with the US. [News Source]

Sausages may - or may not - be ‘linked’ to scrapie. Welsh butchers and farmers are furious with a "scaremongering" food safety report which raises new fears of a BSE-style disease in sausages. [News Source]

Korea fails to open for Creekstone. South Korean-U.S. beef trade failed to reopen as expected late last week, due to Korean concerns that processing practices at seven U.S. packing plants did not meet its food safety standards. [News Source]