British mince in new EU war

THE European Union, which once banned curved cucumbers and bananas sold in pounds rather than kilos, has started another absurd war on British minced beef, angry Euro MEPS reported today (March 31).

UK consumers could face higher costs for British mince following a ruling from the European Commission, bans the processing of beef mince six days after slaughter. It seeks to bring all British beef up to standards typically reserved for raw mince dishes, for example steak tartare, a dish favoured more by French diners.

At the moment British meat hangs for 14 to 28 days before being processed and is subject to strict hygiene controls. All knowledgeable chefs prefer beef this age, saying it tenderizes the meat and deepens it flavor.

The impact on the consumer and the meat sector and has been described as “potentially catastrophic” by Neil Parish MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee. He said:

“We do not eat steak tartare or other raw mince dishes. We like our meat well hung and well cooked. This latest ruling by Commission is short sighted, ignores long established British traditions for hanging meat and is potentially catastrophic for the consumer and the meat sector alike.

“British mince processed under the current rules tastes delicious and is completely safe for cooking. Instead of attacking our traditions, the Commission needs to rethink this policy immediately.”