JAL apologizes for serving U.S. beef in in-flight meals

Japan Airlines apologized Friday for serving kids' meals containing U.S. beef from April last year to January this year on flights from Guam to Japanese airports operated by group company JALways despite Japan's import ban on U.S. beef due to risks of mad cow disease.

The Japanese carrier, however, said its inspection of a U.S. meat processor that provided the beef and scrutiny by outside experts have found no health hazards in connection with the meat served.

After Japan suspended U.S. beef imports in December 2003, JAL instructed about 80 companies providing in-flight meals to it to stop using U.S. beef.

But a Guam flight meal company mistakenly used U.S. beef in meat sauce for spaghetti for children aged 9 months old to 2 years old, JAL said.

About 5,200 meals containing the beef in question were served during the period."