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Beef possibly, lamb where's the proof, you shouldn't destroy peoples livelyhoods without very serious proof, until you do best to keep quiet. Brussel's appears quite wicked in releasing unsubstantiated scares.
Michael J. Edwards, UAE

What I eat and drink (and smoke for that matter) is entirely up to me, smoking is bad for you but we are warned about this every time we pick up a packet, why not stick a government warning on beef ? and on eggs, chickens, water and so on .......!
Stuart Pike, England

I eat beef and will continue to do so. Maybe I'm being foolish but I just feel that throughout my life their will increasingly be health scares about everything. I feel dreadfully sorry for the families of the victims of CJD, but feel I'm more likely to die from the cigarettes I smoke or from a car crash than eating a nice T-bone steak.
Philippa Adam, England

The risk of CJD is very small. 100,000 People die each week from heart attacks, cancer or road traffic accidents, but only a handful of CJD victims have been found, lets get our priorities in order.
Eirian Jones, Wales

You have the same problem we have with the government trying to protect us from ourselves.
Raymond Worth, USA

Has the government gone mad there is a 1 in 600 million chance of contracting BSE and they want to ban beef on the bone? Can they not understand that they are not there to play nanny to the people? Why not ban cars, after all I am sure most people have got more chance of getting hit by one!
Moir Croy, USA

There is too much scare-mongering over this subject. At chances of 1 in 600 million of catching CJD surely the livelyhood of the farmer must come first.
Bob Vale, England

As an informed adult, I prefer to make up my own mind about the risks involved in eating beef on the bone - surely it is everyone's right to take such decisions without over-protective politicians intervening. We are all going to die of something - at least let us enjoy the pleasures of living.
Val Law, United Kingdom

The simple fact is that British beef is probably safer at this point than any other beef in the world. We can't be sure about foriegn beef, but we can be sure that beef here at present IS safe.
Michael J Cavers, United Kingdom

I haven't eaten red meat for over 15 years. A good choice noting the bad press meats have received in the past years. I don't miss it at all.
Richard Weston, USA

I agree with Richard Weston's views exactly. Neither I nor my wife eat red meat, I stopped 15 years ago and found I didn't miss it, in fact I feel a lot better for it ! The thought of slaughtering God's creatures, these noble animals I find totally unecessary, especially as tons of beef is wasted.
Digby Dyson, England (presently with UN in Lebanon)

Yes, I eat beef. It is not for government to decide what I eat. There is much, much less risk from eating beef than from smoking cigarettes (or cannabis, which I am sure a lot of the trendy veggies would like to legalise). As an adult it is up to me to decide what risks I take in life, otherwise there is no freedom for the individual and we have surrendered to totalitarianism. The trend in the UK to restrict peoples freedom is very worrying.
Steve, United Kingdom

If CJD is the Human form of BSE, and BSE is the bovine form of Scrapie (carried by sheep). Why is everyone concerned about Beef but not Mutton? Scrapie has been known to affect the brain of sheep for hundreds of years, and yet you can still buy a neck of lamb.
Anon, United Kingdom

Personally, I feel it is a decision for the individual, much like whether you choose to be a vegetarian or not. The problem is that this is just another government health scare, much like eggs - which are now good for us again. We cannot win the war against scaremongering, but we can choose to eat a healthy balanced diet containing, in moderation, all those items which we have been warned about over the last 20 years. I really believe that your metabolism decides what you can and cannot eat, not the government.
Anon, UK

I have seen the comments stating that we should be allowed to decide whether or not to put our own health at risk. That is a very INCONSIDERATE and SELF-CENTERED attitude unless one is a monk with no remaining relatives or friends. And who will pay for your medical expenses if so disabled??? Why play Russian roulette with a fork?
J. Elliott, USA

Why should any ban apply to ORGANIC meat - I don't think there has ever been a single case of BSE in an organic herd - so why mess about with this (pure!!!) part of the market and let us get on with eating decent food.
Steve Bushell, England

Legumes are fine for those not allergic, and fish, poultry, etc. are fine for the wealthy who can afford them. Beef is an inexpensive, low-allergy protein that will always have a place in the human diet. I wonder how many of the BSE hysteria-mongers smoke....
Charlene Vickers, Canada

Hysterical panic with no scientific evidence. There is nothing more enjoyable than a tasy steak. Ignore the fears of the politicans.
Alan Rees, US

I have eaten meat all my life and I ate meat out of English butcher shops for 8 of those years. I believe that the ban on meat off the bone is completely wrong. Please don't go overboard with the ban, for your thoughts on this issue are wrong. Look a little more closely at the way the animal is raised and what their diet consists of.
Larry Klemesrud, USA

I think that the ban is foolish, and unjustified. Measures have been taken to make the industry a lot safer since the last BSE scare. It is likely that if people are going to catch it, then they have already got it. Stopping eating beef on the bone now will not make any difference.
Florence, UK

A search of the medical database Index Medicus (online version MEDLINE) using the keywords "meat" and "carcanoma" will confirm a corrolation between meat eating and cancer, just as there is a correlation between smoking and cancer. I suspect that because of powerful vested intersests, the message has not gotten through to people. I predict that one day meat eating will be regarded in the same way as smoking is now. The best way to avoid BSE and other similar illnesses is to become a vegetarian.
Graham Howard USA resident, British citizen

It's obvious from all these comments that the Government are right to alert us to these latest findings, but they should let us make up our own minds. Some people will stop eating beef again for a while, others figure that the damage was done years ago, and it's no use locking the cattleshed door now. I, for one, am really happy with the efforts that have been made to eradicate BSE from the national herd. The beef I buy now is cheaper and in better condition than ever. Those who are scared don't have to eat it, just as they don't have to smoke, take drugs, drive cars...
As for me, no matter what I do, I'll end up dead one day. I really don't want the Government telling me what I can and cannot do, unless it's adversely affecting others. If I get CJD no-one is going to eat me so what's the beef? (Sorry, couldn't help it)
Dennis Smithers , UK

As it goes, I don't eat meat on the bone, but this is nothing to do with CJD/BSE fears. Seeing as people have eaten huge quantities of Beef in the past and there are few cases of CJD then what's the worry ? More importantly, surely the government should not be banning it, just informing the consumer of the risks, so they can make the decision. If we were to ban everything that could lead to an illness, there would be no food left on the market !!
Julian Davies, UK

Whilst many people have been quick to condem the government for what is referred to as an "alarmist reaction" a risk is a risk and whilst so little is known about this disease I applaud the government for acting on a possible public health risk.
Matt Seymour, England

I figure if I was going to become BSE infected, I probably would have done so by now so am continuing to eat beef.
Tony Brett, UK

I was under the impression that the government's cattle incineration program was meant to have removed all BSE infected cattle in the UK. If this is not the case, is the recent banning of 'beef on the bone' an admission of guilt on their part? Is this also a bit of a poor step by the government, as it gives the other EU countries more ammunition against British Beef?
Mark Wayt,York, UK

Considering the sheer volume of beef consumption in this country and given the very low number of CJD cases each year, I find the alarmist reaction to the BSE crisis quite unjustified.
Chang Park, UK

I eat beef every day. The meat comes from animals that the village butcher selects himself and so I feel perfectly safe eating any cut of beef. The scare stories in the press don't worry me at all!
Roy Latham, England

Enough's enough! I have always eaten beef my family have always eaten beef, my children eat beef, my parents eat beef, my brother in-law farms beef... and so it shall continue.
Simon Thomson, England

What does "around the bone" mean - does that mean only the layer actually touching? Or has it been determined that a half inch or three inches away from the bone may also be infected? Come on guys, don't scare us if you don't have any specifics!
Amanda Marie, UK

How can the Government ban beef on the bone but continue to back the selling of cigarettes. Obviously, it's because of the income that tabacco gives them but this is ludicrous. I'm an adult, and should be allowed to eat what I choose to. You can't beat a good rib of beef for Sunday lunch. Labour.....get your act together.
Chris Arnold, England

I stopped eating beef when I first heard of the outbreak in 1989. Despite government interventions to reduce the infection rate of CJD, I think there are some things that still need to be answered ....like is there a direct link between BSE and the human equivalent CJD . Until the government scientists can confirm that there is no link at all then I will remain sceptical as to the safe consumption of beef products.
John Tran, Portsmouth,UK

The evidence presented thus far appears to indicate that the danger has been in eating beef prior to today.Therefore, there seems little point - other than political expediency - to the ban. The government reaction is somewhat at odds with their condemnation of the previous administration for taking similar action on such occasions as the salmonella in eggs scare????
Allan Wragg, England

Cows with BSE, sheep with Scrapie, chickens with Salmonella, pigs with Foot and Mouth, turkey with cranberries. I'm going to eat the dog instead. Bon Appetit.
Rob Cambridge, Germany

I eat beef, but I expect a guarantee that it is safe. This government is to be congratulated for at least acting positively in an area where the last government dragged its feet in an effort to appease vested interests. As for farmers, I can only marvel that an industry responsible for one of the worst health risks in recent years should expect any sympathy from the public. Greed was responsible for this crisis, and the farming industry must take the blows.
John Luby, Scotland

The reaction against a piece of unscientific scaremongering about bone marrow is a further capitulation to the "precautionary principle" that it is better to be safe than sorry. If we lived life on the basis that we might be at risk, we would never get out of bed in the morning. Is this a case of the government seeking credibility by claiming to protect us from risks which are imaginary, in the hope that we are stupid enough to expect to get BSE from Oxtail, or are they so ridiculous as to think that the risks are real?
Ian Abley, UK

I think that the public is now aware of the possible dangers of eating beef. Is the banning of beef on the bone, based on seemingly meagre evidence, a sign of the Nanny State in full action? Should sex be banned because a participant could (and is more likely to) die of Aids?
Tom Fox, EU

I am fed up with being told what not to eat - I shall do as I want and eat what I want when I want - including British beef, with and without bones.
S Knight, UK

It seems both futile and somewhat extreme to allow sale only of deboned meat, for several reasons. I will list just three:
First, I worked my way through college as a butcher. I know that, when boning out meat, the butchers cut as close to the bone as possible. No one voluntarily throws meat away with the bones. So people will get the nerve tissue anyway, especially in their sausage, ground beef, etc. Second, it seems extreme to deprive people of their oxtail stew, short ribs, and soup bones without good evidence that there is a problem. Third, nerves run all through beef, not just near the bones. Banning bones looks like a red herring.
James Castro, USA

So - beef with the bone in is unsafe. But beef without a bone - but which was once attached to same - is fine. Er - anyone else find that hard to accept? And haven't the beef producers been emphasising for some time now how all their meat is from BSE-free cattle less than 36 months old etc etc? In which case, there's nothing to worry about anyway . . . is there?
Aidan Goldstraw, UK

It's about time we stopped talking about the infermities of beef and started enjoying a juicy steak. I am fed up with all this confusing information which has not diminished my pleasure in eating beef every day. I think we are taking things out of proportion - let's worry about the real problems that we and our kids have to face such as drugs, alcohol, violence etc.
Jerry O`Callaghan, Brazil

This ban is politics, pure politics. I am shocked that this government can throw away livelihoods on the whim of appearing tough. It's a black day when a farmer that has never had a cow with BSE can't sell the meat because it's on a bloody bone.
Anthony Leonard, UK

I stopped in 1989, since I heard about BSE.
Eric Yuen, UK

No, I'm vegetarian, a decision that looks more attractive every day.
Ken Thornton-Smith, USA

The UK 'nanny' state has now gone TOO far. How's about a ban on crossing the road - far riskier than eating British beef, with or without the bone.
Janet George, UK

Whats going on! Can we beleive the government this time? Do they really know the truth?? I am still confused.
David Haswell, UK

If I personally do not eat beef, meat, or poultry it's not because this is a political, social, or health issue, but in my opinion this is a philosophical issue. Why do I have to drive a car if cars contribute to the pollution of the environment, why do have to eat meat, or poultry knowing that an animal was killed to feed my need. Once again this just confirms the fact that meat consumption is not always necessarily problem-free.
Alain Malo, USA

I fail to see the point in this ban - surely whether the bone is present or not makes little difference - after all we don't eat the bones do we (is this really a bill to help dogs)? On a more serious note this is going to cripple a lot of farmers that I know - many who have already been put under severe hardship by the previous government's terrible handling of British beef.
Daniel Stucke, UK

55 Million people in Britian and a few get sick from infected beef....everyone stops eating beef everyone is scared, what about smoking or driving, look at how many that kills each year, Oh gosh so many killed by cars !! lets ban them stop driving !!" Come on Britian get real.
Thurstan Alexander Davies, United Arab Emirates

Either beef is safe or it isn't. If BSE can be found in nerves near the bone, what prevents it from getting to other parts of the nervous system. I assume cattle have nerves near the skin. How will the consumer know how close to the bone the butcher has cut the meat? Will we have a grading system 1cm cut, 2cm cut etc.? Is it any wonder that our European partners have little or no faith in British beef?
Mark Huitson, UK

I'm confused. They keep changing their minds. Just what is safe for my child to eat ?
Terry Burns, UK

First off, there was a media scare when it was suggested that eating beef might cause CJD in very rare cases. Now the government over-reacts in an almost comic fashion to an ever less certain suggestion. Why can't the government just say "We haven't got a clue but we're terrified of being accused of acting too late"? Or more usefully: "Here are the facts; they're not nearly certain enough to start banning people from eating what they want, so make up your own mind, remembering that the only significant danger occured a decade ago"?
Richard George, UK

Surely this is closing the door after the horse has bolted, as the incidence of cases of bovine bse have fallen dramatically in the past 2 years. If the risk of infection is there the likelihood is that a significent proportion of the population has already been exposed. If compensation levels were increased and disposal methods improved the UK herd could be declared bse free sooner which would surely be the best long term solution for all interested parties and the public as a whole.
Edward Williams, UK

This whole mess needn't have happened if the last Government had not acquiesed to the big feed companies and let them reuse cattle and sheep offal in feeds that would have fed these animals. It is a gross abuse of nature herself to feed natural herbivores animal remains. This is Mother Nature's revenge on us for abusing her. Heed her warning or humanity will cease to exist within the next few hundred years.
Alex Buell, UK

This is another unfortunate example of what happens when too little money is invested into research on BSE and other prion diseases. With enough funding, we would have known enough about BSE and CJD to make informed decisions several years ago.
Dr Chris Pomfrett, UK

There is nothing wrong with eating beef. I've been eating beef for many years, it is as safe as any other meat, probably safer.
Alan Nicholls, UK

If the government is to ban beef on the bone, what about all the products that contain beef bone, or gelatine as it is more commonly known. Is the only gelatine used now from pork?
Joanna Lambert, UK

I do not support the ban at all. NvCJD (the human equivalent of BSE) has killed so few people that the risks of contracting the disease are negligible. Due to the long incubation period, it could be that the existing ban on offal could be enough to prevent many new cases. Another interesting point is that the existing bans/restrictions only apply on beef from British cows. I find it highly unlikely that Britain is the only country in which both cows can suffer from BSE / humans from nvCJD, so why aren't other countries imposing restrictions on their beef?
Ben Norwood, Wales, UK

There is no scientific evidence after 10 years of BSE that it can be found in any other parts of the animal other than the spinal cord. The ban enforced in 1989 eliminated that fear. The current scaremongering seems to be led on people who have the ultimate aim of wiping out every butcher in the land. Beef is safe to eat and I for one will completely ignore the current warnings.
Jonathan Crombie, Scotland, UK

Govt. should publish pertinent scientific data rearding this issue and let the public decide weather they want to eat meat with bone or with out. Second govt. should investigate if this is a saboutage technique of some market compitetor.
Khan, USA

Having read the other comments, I agree that the real risks were taken troughout the 80s and early 90s, when it was all 'safe'. I must admit that I started to use turkey mince in favour of beef as soon as the connection became apparent in my mind - a long time before the previous government admitted to it. I do have a couple of points to raise: Given that the symptoms of BSE appear so late on in the disease's life cycle, how are victims supposed to seek compensation? If indeed any is being made available! Am I correct in assuming that cattle on the continent are showing signs of BSE? If I am correct, what is the EU going to do about this, and where will we be able to buy safe beef? The question is not one of Britsh versus A N Other's cattle products, or any other product for that matter, IMO it's a question of how well food is tested before being deemed fit for human consumption.
Jim Popple, UK

If beef on the bone is not safe to eat, then what precautions are being taken to ensure that when it is removed from the bone all the infected sections are not still attached? I have eaten beef all my life, and will continue to do so, and feel that this ban will only serve to scare people and ruin our beef industry. Why allow beef from other countries where no checks are being carried out, but ban us from eating our own, when our checks probably make it the safest? It's about time that the people with the power in these issues, usually the government, realised that scaremongering is not the way to go, and that they need to be a lot more constructive in dealing with issues such as this.
Kate Rees, UK

I strongly suspect that vested interests in the food industry are intent on moving people from beef that can be bought relatively cheaply, and cooked easily in the home to vegetarian options that are usually purchased as 'added value' products eg. the awfull Linda MacCartney range of reconstituted sawdust! First there was the "It's unhealthy", when that didn't work, there was the "meat is cruel" propaganda circulated in schools, now they have hyped the risks associated with a disease that, if anything was casued by.....the greed of the food industry. (This is where I came in I think!!)
Jon Richards, UK

I try not to, because of all the artery-clogging, and persicide-ridden carcinogens.
William Dechand, USA

I think that the BSE scare is worrying but I will keep eating beef because I like it and if I was going to get CJD, I would probably already have it since having eaten beef my whole life!!
Paul Wilde, UK

We should do everything possible to make our food safe.
Ann Zhao, USA

Beef is safer now than in the past. Sheep with scrapie have been consumed for years with no ill effects.
Alan Mabbutt, UK

England is perceived to have the highest levels of BSE in Europe, and yet we have been exporting beef, to the rest of Europe for years. Does nobody else find it suspicious therefore that countries like France and Italy, who have clearly been exposed to British beef, since the beginning of the problem, don't claim to have anything near the level of BSE that you would expect from such an exposure? My question is this. What is the real motive behind the governments most in favour of banning British beef? Do they really have consumers' interests at heart, or are they infact just trying to sabotage a farming economy which is otherwise much healthier their own?
Simon Bazley, UK

I eat beef, but only when it's the only thing on offer - and one certainly doesn't eat mince or burgers. Since the government keep on having to admit to new risks posed by BSE, either by theories explaining cow to cow transmission or cow to human transmission, then why don't they bite the bullet and cull the national herd, bill the taxpayer (and our Euro chums) and chalk it down to experience that you don't feed vegetarian beasts ground up sheep! May be then the UK farming industry will have a chance, otherwise it'll suffer the slow death of the beasts that it inadvertantly 'poisoned'.
J. Gilmour, UK

British farmers should take a higher profile stance on this issue, French farmers would never allow themselves to be put out of business in this fashion.
Art Atwal, UK

Beef strikes again!! People should take remedial measures, instead of cursing the Government. After all, what can the government do ? We should take precautions ourselves and inculcate this in others around. Many unknown diseases also, exist - so why blame JUST beef!!
Sulove Bothra, India

I've never felt any reaction. I think beef isn't bad for health.
Mohammed Siraj, USA

No - I care about the environment, our ecosystem, its animals and my health. I don't eat people either, not even meat-eaters (it avoids crazy-people disease). Hmmmm.
W James, Canada

It sounds ridiculous that meat that was attached to the bone can all of a sudden become edible, go for it have a good T.BONE.
Bill Walton, Australia

It is very worrying. What about milk?
M Robertson, UK

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