Beef-on-the-bone ban ends today

30 November 1999



Beef-on-the-bone ban ends today

By FWi staff

THE beef on the bone ban will be lifted across the whole of the UK at 3.30pm today (Tuesday, 30 November), a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed.

Agriculture minister Nick Brown will announce the lifting of the controversial two-year-old ban in a statement to MPs in the House of Commons.

Mr Brown has been ready to lift the ban for England for some time following advice from Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England.

But he waited until similar advice was available from Mr Donalsons counterparts in Scotland and Wales because food safety is now a devolved issue.

Chief medical officers for Scotland and Wales, who had until now recommended that the ban should stay, changed their minds following the findings of a new report.

The report, by scientists from Oxford University, concluded that there was no longer a risk that beef on the bone was contaminated with BSE.