Brown disputes beef hormone ban

16 June 2000



Brown disputes beef hormone ban

By FWi staff

AGRICULTURE minister Nick Brown is demanding firm scientific evidence to justify a proposed European Union ban on the beef hormone 17-beta oestradiol.

The drug is only provisionally banned for use as a growth promoter. Imports of beef from countries using this and five other hormones are also disallowed.

But Brussels wants to ban 17-beta oestradiol outright on the grounds that it can cause cancer after a recent opinion from its scientific advisory committee,

“We do not accept that the scientific case for a ban has been made,” said Mr Brown, adding that the UK would nonetheless have to abide by European rules.

The USA recently announced it would be changing the list of EU food products it targets with 100% import taxes in retaliation for the hormone beef ban.

Currently the UK is the only country exempt from these penalties. By reinforcing its support for the USA, it should continue to benefit in this way.