Читать книгу The Savvy Shopper - Rose Prince - Страница 31

The OTM rule was introduced in March 1996 to restore shoppers’ confidence. Under the rule, all British beef or dairy animals must be slaughtered before the age of 30 months. There is much argument about the science behind the introduction of the OTM rule, with government scientific advisors insisting that the measure would eradicate the disease and keep cattle BSE free. Farmers complained it was simply a PR initiative, there to placate consumers, and I agree with them. It led to the slaughter of over five million older animals at a huge cost to the taxpayer. The rule was implemented in the dairy industry, too. But numbers of animals with BSE in the UK have dropped to equal levels with other EU countries and the scheme is now to be scrapped. This means that the slower-growing traditional breeds will have the four or more years they sometimes need to reach optimum maturity and a return to traditional flavour and texture.