Cattle given tainted feed found safe from mad cow disease

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) announced Tuesday that a medical examination of three cows given tainted feed showed that they did not have "mad cow disease."

The ministry said that no traces of the disease were found in the three cows, owned by a livestock breeder in Namyangju City, Kyonggi Province, in the course of three-day examination jointly conducted by experts from Seoul National University and the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service among others.

The cows were found to have been given tainted feed since 1999, and the ministry bought them from the owner for the test on Feb. 9.

After the announcement, some 50 people, including ministry officials, consumer group members, livestock organization members and professors ate "pulgogi¡¯¡¯ made from the meat of the three cows at a restaurant in Kwachon City, Kyonggi Province.

The ministry also said that 2,301 head of cattle that were also given tainted feed all tested safe in clinical examinations. But the government said it will keep them separated from other stock until a further examination is completed.