Threat of new bone-in ban
2 December 1999
Threat of new bone-in ban
AS the farming industry celebrates the lifting of the beef-on-the-bone ban, a new threat has emerged which could see the ban imposed once more.
The European Union is due to consider a proposal by former agriculture minister Jack Cunningham that all member states should remove specified risk materials.
If this is adopted, reports BBC Online, oxtails, T-bone steaks and ribs of beef could be removed from butchers shops by April.
Back in 1997 at the height of the BSE crisis, Mr Cunningham put it to the European Commission that since the level of BSE was not known, all countries should remove materials such as eyes, brains and spinal column from carcasses.
The EU put forward a proposal to do that which, if accepted, would come into effect in April. Member states are due to discuss the issue next week.
Countries categorised as high or low risk are against the plan, but those categorised as BSE-free favour it, as it would free them of further responsibility.
EU specialist Roger Waite of newsletter AgraFacts said that, while this proposal was likely to be amended if there was a final agreement, now was the time to start lobbying.