UK beef sales are rising despite BSE cases

Commission calls on Europe to follow UK exampleEuropean Union countries being swept by fears over BSE - mad cow disease - have been urged to follow the UK's example in tackling the disease, the BBC reports. The European Commission issued the call after new figures showed that despite Britain still having by far the highest rate of BSE in cattle, beef consumption is rising. In Germany, thought to be free of BSE until last November, consumption has dropped 50 per cent compared to the 3per cent increase in the UK. David Byrne European health and consumer safety Commissioner told the European Parliament on Thursday that beef sales in the UK have risen because "People see that the incidence of BSE in the UK is falling. Consumers can conclude from that that somebody is incharge, that they are doing something about it, thatthey appear to know what they are doing"​ But in other EU countries a "shock reaction"​ had been triggered in consumers where their governments had admitted cases of BSE in their national herd after years of denial. The European Commission has criticised Germany and Spain for having resisted the introduction of recommended BSE controls for years because they both claimed to be BSE-free. They and other countries, Mr Byrne said, should follow Britain's example as a way of restoring consumer confidence.