Some 15 percent of hot dogs sold by McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) Ltd. contain US beef while its hamburgers are only made with Australian beef, the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun says.

With the sales suspension, which starts from Tuesday, all of McDonald's Japan's beef products are made with Australian beef, it said.

A company spokesman could not be reached for confirmation due to the New Year holidays.

On Monday, Japan rejected a call from the United States for the early lifting of a ban on imports of US beef, saying Washington needs to clarify infection routes for the disease.

Japan, America's largest beef export market by value, was among the first of dozens of countries to ban US beef following the first US case of mad cow disease announced on December 23.  
 
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