Scotch Beef back on US menus for f irst time in 24yrs

SCOTTISH beef is to be sold in American supermarkets and restaurants for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.

In a historic victory for farmers, agriculture officials in the US have lifted the 24-year ban imposed at the height of the mad cow disease crisis in 1996.

The move will be a multi-million-pound boost for farmers.

Yesterday, Alan Clarke, chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland, said supplier AK Stoddart, based in Broxburn, West Lothian, was in the final stages of gaining the necessary accreditation to export Scotch Beef to the US.

He added: ‘The Scotch Beef brand is widely known as a true stamp of quality, with a reputation that stretches far beyond Scotland. Having Scotch Beef in top-end restaurants and on the shelves in the US is massively important for the industry.’

Grant Moir, managing director of AK Stoddart, said: ‘Access to the American market is strategically important to Stoddart’s export plans for Scotch Beef over the coming years.

‘Our Scotch Beef has been exceptionally well received in a host of new markets over the last 12 months and we look forward to continuing this success in the US once approval is complete.’

The first shipments of beef could be sent as early as June.

Farmers in the UK believe they can exploit the growing demand in the US for high-end cuts of grass-fed beef, which is being driven by consumers concerned about the growth hormones pumped into American cattle.

News of the ban being lifted came last week, following years of negotiations.

It comes as the UK Government prepares to ramp up talks about a post-Brexit free trade agreement with the US. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: ‘It’s great news that the US has reopened the market to British beef. This is a win for our farmers and I look forward to seeing high-quality British beef enjoyed across the US soon.

‘The UK’s farming industry will benefit from a free trade agreement with the US because we can create wider opportunities for farmers locked out of the largest consumer market.’

However, years of scare stories about mad cow disease means British farmers face a huge challenge to convince millions of Americans to switch from domestic beef.

The outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a degenerative brain disease, in cattle in the mid-1990s decimated Britain’s livestock, then worth £520 million a year.

A human strain of the disease, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob – nicknamed ‘mad cow disease’ – entered the food chain and killed more than 170 people in Britain.

A hold in the American market could be worth £66 million to the UK agricultural industry over the next five years.

Five officials from the US Food Standards and Inspection Service spent three weeks visiting British farms, abattoirs and testing laboratories before lifting the ban. The trip was arranged by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Scottish and Welsh meat organisations.

AHDB’s Dr Phil Hadley said: ‘Americans are keen on grassfed beef and we expect demand to be for protected labels such as Scotch or Welsh beef.’

Martin Morgan, of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, said: ‘There is enormous potential, especially when you consider the number of expats and those with Scots heritage.

‘With the risk of potentially losing loyal customers in the European Union, it is vital we have a back-up plan.’