Taipei, July 21 (CNA) Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Friday that the current policy on beef imports from the United States will remain in place, despite confirmation of a fifth case of mad cow disease earlier this week.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare convened a meeting of experts earlier in the day which concluded no policy adjustment is necessary, Minister Chen said.

"The experts evaluated the facts and concluded that the case should have no impact on Taiwan," Chen said.

He explained that the experts had confirmed in the meeting that none of the 64 slaughterhouses that provide Taiwan with U.S. beef products are in Alabama.

In addition, the infected cow was 11 years old, while Taiwan's beef imports from the U.S. are limited to boneless and bone-in beef and specified meat products from cattle under 30 months, Chen said.

Lastly, the cow was infected with the atypical type of mad cow disease, which is less serious than the typical strain, he added.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cow in Alabama tested positive for the atypical strain of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease.

"This animal never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply, or to human health in the United States," the USDA said.

It was the fifth case of mad cow disease in the U.S. this year, the USDA said, adding that of the four previous cases, the first was a case of classical BSE imported from Canada, while the others were atypical (H- or L-type) BSE.

Chen said Taiwan will send personnel to the U.S. on July 24 to gain a better understanding of the situation.

The opposition Kuomintang and People First Party lawmakers have urged the government to ban U.S. beef imports in the wake of the latest mad cow disease case.