This week's In the News looks at France's hesitancy to lift the European Union's ban on import of British beef. The ban was first set in place in March 1996 after an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalophy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease, in Britain. Although the EU lifted the ban in August, France refuses to allow imported beef from the UK, siting continuing fears of an outbreak of BSE. Throughout the month of October, tensions continued to mount as some British stores boycotted French products in solidarity with the British farmers, and the EU reported that the French had been feeding their livestock rendered sewage, a practice the British had deemed unsafe. Last week an unequivocal scientific study sponsored by the EU reveled that British beef is as safe as any other. France's Food Safety Agency, however, continues to claim the beef poses a health risk. The following eight articles, Websites, and commentaries explore the UK-France Beef Row.
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