The UK beef export ban may be about to be lifted, but will you be tucking into British burgers?

EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler has said EU inspectors are ready to give British beef the go ahead, and a resumption of exports is predicted in March 1999.

Great news for farmers, but persuading European consumers that British beef is BSE free looks set to be a tough challenge.

Mr Fischler insists that consumers need to be given more evidence that there is not a problem.

He said, "the best way to restore confidence is to show how the system in Great Britain works and what was done in the past and what is going on now to make British beef safe".

Have you lost your appetite for British beef?

Germany was the staunchest critic of Britain during the beef crisis. Farmers, butchers and consumers there still accuse the UK of giving the world BSE.

German butcher, Magi Rosen, said she did not believe customers would buy British beef because controls were not satisfactory.

"Even today they still have BSE and the checks in Germany are much better," she added.

However, before the crisis France was the biggest importer of British beef, and wholesalers there are gearing up for its return.

French wholesaler Claude Thieblemont said, as long as they guarantee the meat comes without risk then everybody will be happy.

What do you think?

Would you eat British beef?

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