Taiwan relents on beef tests

Taiwan has dropped demands for further testing of New Zealand beef in the wake of a pesticide scare which last week threatened exports to the region.

"They've basically accepted our explanation and removed the testing requirement," said New Zealand Food Safety Authority official Neil McLeod

The $400 million beef trade with Taiwan and Korea was put at risk after a Northland farmer sprayed his cattle with the plant pesticide endosulfen.

Traces of endosulfen - at levels higher than agreed safety standards - were picked up on New Zealand beef in South Korea late last month.

The chlorine-based pesticide can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and convulsions.

The affected meat was processed through Affco's Moerewa plant.

Food Safety Authority officials are still working through a process to appease the Koreans. McLeod said they had been supplied with a list of questions to which the Koreans wanted formal answers. He was optimistic that once they had considered those answers it would be business as usual again.

Korea has put a temporary ban on beef from the Moerewa plant.

Affco chief executive Tony Egan said the company was still exporting to Korea from its other plants. He was optimistic the issue would be resolved in the next week or so.

He said it was too early to determine how much the scare had cost.

The farmer who sparked the scare is likely to be prosecuted. Officials are still deciding what the charges might be.