Travel Ban May Cause British Meat Shortage By Week End
UK - The ban on animal movement imposed by the government to contain foot and mouth disease could create shortages of British meat by the end of the week, the government's head of sustainable food and farming, Sir Don Curry, told the Guardian yesterday.The ban on livestock movement will have an immediate impact on food supplies, Sir Don said. "Within a week we will see short supplies, especially of pork and lamb. Beef has a longer maturation process, so there are perhaps two weeks' stocks, but by the end of this week, if restrictions are not lifted, we will be running out of home-produced lamb and pork." He anticipated that, as a short-term measure, retailers would be able to make good some of the shortfall with imports .
The organisation that represents the larger abattoirs and meat packers, the British Meat Processors' Association (BMPA), agreed. "If we can't slaughter within the week, it will be increasingly difficult to source British meat. Pork will be hit first, then lamb, and then beef," director Stuart Roberts said. British beef mince is likely to be affected quickly too, since it has a short life between slaughter and supermarket shelf, unlike other cuts of beef.
Source: Guardian Unlimited