Secondly, we did a lot of inspections in the United Kingdom and the results are now all positive, so it is justified now to lift the ban. Beef from Northern Ireland was accepted for export under a separate plan more than a year ago. Depressed sales were a clear indication to British cattle farmers of the difficult battle ahead. But he and others in the meat industry were under no illusions that problems of Britain's beef industry were over. They faced a long struggle to regain a foothold in international markets.
Strict conditions remain.
Only deboned beef from cattle born after August 1996, when a ban on feeding meat and bonemeal to animals became fully effective, will be allowed. A British Ministry of Agriculture spokeswoman said the stringent safety standards meant British beef was now among the safest in the world. The embargo devastated farming communities. The British meat industry is taking steps in its uphill battle to regain consumer confidence in the safety of British meat. NFU officials targeted Italy, France, Belgium and Holland, previously big buyers of British beef.