Customers may be wary of the molten cheddar, but no one at the packed saloon seems to fear the beef, despite new concerns that the first case of mad-cow disease may have infiltrated the United States. While many say they're paying close attention, they have stopped short of shunning meat. Farmers, however, have begun bracing for the fallout from the ailments. Should mad-cow disease appear in the United States, grocers, restaurateurs and shoppers say much could change overnight.
Some experts say it's only a matter of time.
It won't be a public health crisis because of its rarity, but it will be a huge public confidence crisis over the safety of food. And I think you'll see the government pick up on it more quickly than they did in Great Britain. So far, it doesn't appear that beef consumption has dropped off. The most recent survey, last month, showed that 81 percent of those questioned had heard about the disease, while 87 percent said they're confident beef is safe to eat. But that confidence may be eroding.