ure ▁( US DA ) ▁was ▁automatically ▁not ified ; ▁and ▁the ▁cow ▁was ▁exam ined ▁before ▁and ▁after ▁its ▁death ▁by ▁a ▁government ▁v et . ▁The ▁v et ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁cow ▁was ▁suffering ▁from ▁comp lications ▁of ▁cal ving . ▁Sam ples ▁of ▁t issue ▁were ▁taken ▁for ▁further ▁testing ▁for ▁B SE . ▁Part s ▁of ▁the ▁cow ▁with ▁a ▁high ▁risk ▁of ▁transm itting ▁the ▁B SE ▁pr ion ▁were ▁removed ▁but ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁sent ▁for ▁" ined ible ▁rendering " ▁into ▁food ▁for ▁non - rum in ant ▁animals . ▁The ▁car c ass ▁itself ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁continue ▁on ▁for ▁further ▁processing ▁into ▁human ▁food ▁at ▁other ▁facilities . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁when ▁tests ▁proved ▁positive ▁for ▁B SE , ▁a ▁recall ▁was ▁made . ▁The ▁cont amin ated ▁meat ▁had ▁not ▁entered ▁the ▁commercial ▁market . ▁Off spring ▁of ▁the ▁cow ▁were ▁destroyed . ▁South ▁Korea , ▁Japan , ▁Singapore , ▁Malays ia ▁and ▁Taiwan ▁b anned ▁imports ▁of ▁US ▁be ef . ▁ ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁F DA ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁Ann ▁M . ▁Ven eman , ▁a ▁former ▁lo bb y ist ▁for ▁the ▁food ▁industry . ▁ ▁Japan ▁is ▁allowed ▁" im ports ▁of ▁be ef ▁and ▁be ef ▁products ▁aged ▁ 2 0 ▁months ▁or ▁younger " ▁as ▁a ▁"' s cient ific ally ▁sound ▁and ▁intern ation ally ▁recognized ▁standard ,' " ▁states ▁US ▁Agricult ure ▁secretary ▁Mike ▁Johann