WR Reserve, a Hastings, Neb. Beef processor, is shipping the first U.S. beef to Israel since a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE; aka mad cow disease) in 2003 closed the country’s borders to American beef exports.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska ag director Greg Ibach said processor WR Reserve complied with an inspection process that included visits from Israeli government regulators and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“This is a major step toward increasing Nebraska beef exports to an important market,” Ibach said. The ag department did not say how much beef would be shipped.
Israel reopened to U.S. beef on January 13, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
