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Bord Bia site to restore beef confidence
Friday, August 02 2002
by Andrew McLindon


Bord Bia has launched a Web site as part of a plan to restore consumer confidence
in beef.





 

The site, called "Bord Bia, Beef
Matters & You," is a key element of a European Commission initiative
designed to assure the public about the safety and quality of beef following the
difficulties in the sector caused by BSE and foot-and-mouth disease. As part of
the initiative, each EU member state must have a Web site detailing information
on beef controls and production in their country. Bord Bia's mini-site is
believed to be the first of these sites to go live in the EU.

 



The site itself is split into four sections -- health controls and traceability,
healthy eating with beef, beef and today's lifestyle, and simple steps to perfect
beef.

 

The first section, "health controls and traceability," details where beef
comes from and how it is produced. This includes information on animal
traceability, as well as the controls that are in place at factories. 

 

The "healthy eating with beef" part of the site looks at how much protein,
nutrients and vitamins are in beef, while the "beef and today's lifestyle"
section includes links to a range of Bord Bia material about the health benefits
of eating beef.

 

The final section, "simple steps to perfect beef", has information on the
different cuts of beef available, the various methods of cooking these cuts, and
a range of beef-inspired recipes. The site also has a link to an EU information
site on existing EU controls, sustainable production methods and product
traceability operations.

 

According to the latest figures from the European Commission, beef consumption in
the EU is returning to normal levels following a 13 percent drop during
2000/2001. Estimates for 2002 project a 9 percent rise in beef consumption across
the EU. This, however, would still mean that 2002 levels would be 4 percent below
pre-BSE consumption rates.