In March 1996 the EU banned UK beef and beef export products when BSE was firmly linked to Jacobs-Crutzfeldt Disease. More than 30 countries followed and banned British beef. The ban was lifted in November 1998 Domestic confidence in the British beef appears to have returned, although the repercussions of the BSE crisis continue to be felt in the livestock sector. There is a lack of integrated cooperatives in the UK to offset the power of the supermarkets. The British beef sector is in turmoil following the BSE scare.
Consumers are generally less trusting of their government and are more vocal about their food.
Animal welfare and GMOs were major newspaper stories while we were there. Such schemes also were being developed for grain. Food retailers are very powerful in England and have pushed requirements back to processors and producers regarding how animals are raised. Animal welfare measures were among the first requirements. At least one of these firms actively seeks new products for which to develop schemes.