World

Food Fight Waterloo

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

October 25, 1999 / 8:18 AM EDT / CBS

European Union scientists on Friday declared FranceÂ's ongoing ban against British beef scientifically unjustified. In the escalating cross-channel war of words sparked by the French boycott, the E.U.Â's findings were akin to Waterloo.

Claiming new evidence, France had petitioned the E.U. to reconsider its green light for British beef, which was 8banned around the globe in 1996 after an outbreak of mad cow disease.

But after only two days of consideration, the E.U.Â's 16-member Scientific Steering Committee decided unanimously that FranceÂ's claims were without merit.

Â"Meat and meat products exported from the UK ... are as safe as those in other European member states,Â" the committeeÂ's statement said.

The scientists concluded that Â"it is clear that the decline of the (British mad cow) epidemic continues in line with scientific expectations.Â"

The committee rejected French claims that there are new or unknown routes for mad cow infections.

The ruling will weigh heavily on whether the Commission will take France to court for banning British beef -- an issue that has driven up tempers on both sides of the Channel.

As the rhetoric escalated, reports CBS News Senior European Correspondent Tom Fenton, accusations surfaced in Britain claiming France, Germany, Holland and Belgium have all used both animal and human sewage to feed pigs, cattle and chicken.

CBS News Senior European Correspondent Tom Fenton

In fact, E.U. reports now suggest the French themselves have been less than fastidious in the food they feed their own animals.

The French Ministry of Agriculture on Monday reported its 22nd case of mad cow disease this year, and admitted they were most likely the result of contamination of animal feed by "substances not meant for cattle."

Newspaper reports suggest the practice is widespread in Europe.

Dutch officials have detected the addition of human sewage to the manufacture of animal feed. It is apparently perfectly normal to add sludge from slaughterhouse purification systems to animal feed. At one processing plant, it was found that the lavatories were connected to the water system. Similar practices have been reported in Germany and Belgium.

Meanwhile, angry British farmers have launched a "Buy British" campaign, asking U.K. shoppers to stick to home produce. Some British retailers have begun boycotting French products and angry French farmers have been stopping British trucks and checking them for meat products.