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1. Contributed by Chris Griot. Source: BBC News, 21 October 2000 (edited)

Authorities in France say a leading supermarket chains has sold up to a ton of beef which may be infected with the agent causing BSE. The beef came from a cattle herd slaughtered earlier in October. Tests later showed one of the 13 animals had the disease, but by then meat from the other animals was already on sale in 39 Carrefour supermarkets.

France banned the use of meat and bone meal (MBM) in foodstuffs for cattle herds in 1990. But the state consumer fraud agency, which checks compliance with the 1990 law, is reported to have tolerated MBM in cattle feed for at least 2 years, however at levels of less than 0.3 per cent. Unlike Britain, France - which refuses to lift its ban on UK beef imports in defiance of an European Commission ruling - does not bar all cattle over the age of 30 months from human consumption. Under the 30-month rule, all cows in the UK over this age have to be slaughtered and their carcasses incinerated.

2. Contributed by M Cosgriff and Marjorie Pollack. Source: Reuters, 27 October 2000 (edited)

France has reported seven more cases of BSE amid growing consumer fears after supermarkets unknowingly sold beef potentially contaminated beef; six were detected under the traditional surveillance system while the seventh was spotted under the country's new BSE testing program launched in June. The new discoveries bring to 78 the total number of cases of BSE reported this year in France.


This article was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 24, No 10, October 2000.