Thatcher Says British Beef Is Safe: Prime...

Thatcher Says British Beef Is Safe: Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said the French and West German bans on British beef are “quite illegal,” and she insisted that there is no health danger. “British beef is safe,” the prime minister said during question time in the House of Commons. “Those who have banned it have done so more as a measure of protection for their own farmers.” France imposed the ban last week, saying some meat might be tainted with “mad cow” disease. The disease, technically called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is an incurable and fatal nervous disorder. West Germany and Luxembourg both imposed their own bans later in the week.