The government is preparing to approve the resumption of U.S. beef imports this week, officials said Tuesday, despite a report that Japanese inspectors found problems at some U.S. meat processing plants.

Officials from the agriculture and health ministries are expected to decide soon, possibly when the Food Safety Commission meets Thursday, on whether to allow the beef back into Japan.

But inspectors who toured U.S. meat processing facilities found compliance problems "at one or two facilities," a newspaper reported Tuesday, citing unidentified health ministry officials.