Springdale, AR - Tyson Foods says it's hoping for a quick resolution of Japan's new ban on American beef. Japan imposed the ban after a recent shipment contained material it considered a risk for mad cow disease.

Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in a statement that the product that caused the ban didn't come from Tyson, the biggest meat company in the world.

Mickelson said Tyson's beef shipments to Japan had been steady since the market reopened five-and-a- half weeks ago after an earlier ban.

Japan, the most lucrative overseas market for U-S beef, originally had imposed a ban in December 2003 after the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease in the U-S.

Last month it agreed to allow a resumption of some imports.

But Japan shut off imports again today, saying a recent shipment from Atlantic Veal and Lamb contained cattle backbone, which it considers risky.

Japan says the ban will stay in place until the U-S government explains how the risky material got in the shipment.

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