No total beef on bone ban says MLC

Possible lifting of the Over Thirty Month (OTM) restrictions will not mean a return of a complete ban on beef on the bone.

Meat and Livestock Commission International Manager Peter Hardwick said the change may mean vertebral column would need to be removed but it would not be illegal to sell other forms of bone-in beef.

Mr Hardwick said: "There have been some misleading articles appearing in newspapers saying there will be a return to a total ban on beef on the bone which is simply not true.

"Possible changes to the Over Thirty Month rule may have an impact but it will not constitute an outright ban."

Current EU rules mean the vertebral column has to be removed from all cattle over the age of 12 months, though this is under review and the limit may be raised to 24 months - something widely supported by member states.

At present the UK has a derogation on the removal of vertebral column up to cattle aged over 30 months, but the EU might insist that derogation is surrendered in order for the UK to change its OTM rule.

Implementation of this for all cattle aged over 12 months - which accounts for 95 per cent of the annual kill - would effectively see the end of T bone steaks from UK animals. However, T bone steaks from younger animals and imported T bones from BSE-free countries would still be available.

Full bone-in rib of beef would also be affected, however some UK plants are already selling part-boned rib and this could continue.

Only about three per cent of UK beef is sold to consumers bone-in.