I assume, "mad cow" = no steaks, and hoof 'n mouth = no meat?. Or does it? All I know is what IO have gathered from the TV coverage.

Fact: Significantly more people died of Flu in Europe last year than BSE. (Why are American's not worried about getting Flu?)

Athough these are not trivial matters, there are so many more risks in life, like driving your car!

Anyway, you are more likely to die of choking, drinking or over-eating on a cruise, than BSE!

I rest my case.

I have lived in Southeast Asia, and have traveled extensively by train in India. I have consumed much "local food" and have survived. But, think France and the cavalier attitude toward the safety of blood transfusions not too long ago. Governments typically cover-up rather than react. There is a record!

I am of the opinion that the current extreme reactions in the UK and Continental Europe to the two threats to their animal-products might cause some consternation by those charged with supplying these vessels, worldwide.

I have not heard about condemned poultry being used for school meals the thought of it is horrific, if that was the case it would definitely have been due to a criminal act and if discovered I am sure that criminal charges would soon follow. If it was the case I would have thought it would have been front page news and I do not recall it at all.

As far as the Foot and Mouth outbreak seems to be concerned the source has been revealed as probably being swill. The practice of feeding swill was a dying practice anyway and now of course is to be eradicated.

We still do not know really about CJD, the report about Queniborough cluster last week (which is in Leicestershire) revealed that no longer used traditional butchery methods may have been at the root of this particular cluster but those methods have not been used for quite some time, the incubation for BSE can be over 10 years so there may still be cases to be diagnosed but none have been publicly announced since that particular cluster that I am aware of.

As far as cruise ships are concerned it all comes down to money until something goes wrong. The lines have their contracts and they set them up to suit themselves and to protect themselves. Any ship cannot risk the prospect of a food poisoning outbreak so they will only be what they truly believe to be good food, and that will be food that they know the source of.

We have been out for dinner this evening and chicken; beef; lamb and veal as well as fish were on the menu so no restricted diet there!

Don't rely on fish there was something in the paper about salmon farming yesterday but I have reassured my husband that we must have built up an immunity to so many conditions now we could probably eat anything

Don't forget that in the UK we are better at policing ourselves than anyone else is, sometimes to our detriment but we are trying so hard (perhaps sometimes too hard) to be an open society hiding nothing that things appear to be worse than they actually are. Very stringent steps are being taken to prevent the current problems but there will be something else next, there always is, but whatever it is you can be assured that there will be no cover up and that facts will be revealed as soon as they are known, I think our Government has learnt the hard way, when the previous Government absolutely denied any link between BSE and CJD nowadays any suspicion is seriously investigated! BSE was diagnosed in several other European countries but no-one appears to be aware of that and steps were not taken to prevent and identify causes in the same way as here until much later in the day and with much less publicity as everyone had lost interested after the UK news saturation.

Miserable topic I know with still much distress among farmers here.

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
I was not as concerned with the safety as the impact on menu choices!

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There seems to be no lack of beef in our shops here in the UK.

I suppose the meat is being imported from Europe?

I'm still eating it!

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Originally posted by Cambodge:
Do any of the Europosters on this forum have any idea how the larders of the European-based cruises are being stocked these days?

I assume, "mad cow" = no steaks, and hoof 'n mouth = no meat?. Or does it? All I know is what IO have gathered from the TV coverage.

Will chandlers, or whatever they call the folks who put the stores aboard, be revamping their menus to fish 'n poultry? Of course, pasta & pizza can still prevail!

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