Japanese supermarket chain Daiei Inc. said Monday it will resume sales of beef produced by Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. in June following a recent suspension prompted by the discovery of banned bones in a shipment to Tokyo.

Tokyo banned imports of beef from National Beef's Brawley, Calif., beef plant after quarantine inspectors found in a shipment a portion of vertebral column, a specified risk material associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy prohibited by Japanese protocols. (See Japan suspends imports from National Beef plant on Meatingplace.com, April 23, 2008.)

Daiei immediately removed National Beef product from its shelves following the incident. The company said it will not import beef from the Brawley plant, but will import from two National Beef plants after having conducted inspections to confirm their safety, according to the Jiji Press in Japan.

Sales will resume June 5 with all 333 Daiei-owned outlets selling five types of beef product from National Beef.

By Tom Johnston on 5/20/2008 for Meatingplace.com