French beef verdict today

6 December 1999



French beef verdict ‘today’

By FWi staff

THE French food safety agency is today (Monday) expected to return a verdict on whether it believes British beef is safe to eat, it has been reported.

Reuters news agency quotes a government source as saying a decision is “expected today”.

The source adds: “For the moment we still havent heard anything from the scientists.”

It had been thought the agency could take as long as 48 hours to decide if there was a BSE risk from British beef.

While many commentators have been optimistic that the agency will be satisfied with British safeguards on the safety of beef, French newspaper Le Monde claims that there are still doubts.

Concerns from the French food safety agency persuaded its government to retain a boycott of British beef after the EU lifted its ban in August. It reiterated this position in October.