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International Food Fight
(11/10/99)

England and France have never been the happiest of neighbors. Whether struggling on the battle fields of long ago or engaging in a modern war of words, their rivalry has yet to run cold after 900 years.

But in an era when nations' commercial products, not their armies, invade borders, England and France now find themselves in a different sort of battle--an all-out food fight.

What's the beef?

France is known for its national pride and its food. So it's not surprising that it has refused to accept British beef, especially since mad cow disease struck British herds in the mid-1990s.

The malady, which affected about 180,000 cattle in Britain, deteriorates cows' brains. Scientists believe a similar disease develops in humans who consume infected meat.

The European Union (EU) has commanded France to end its ban on British beef by November 16 or face legal action. The EU lifted its ban on the export of British beef on Aug. 1, saying mad cow disease was no longer a danger.

But France is still refusing it. And since France is a big supporter of a unified Europe, this puts them in a sticky spot. Does France's stubbornness signal trouble ahead for Europe's ability to be truly unified? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, angered by this economic slap in the face, British store owners have removed French food products from their shelves. Farmers have mounted protests, urging consumers to "Buy British, Eat British."

On November 18th, as wine drinkers around the world opened the first bottles of the century's final vintage of France's Beaujolais Nouveau, British farmers pouring the wine down the drain. Brits have called for a nationwide boycott of French wine.

French wine makers have taken to calling the British "mad cows" and the French paper Liberation has pondered, "To Beef or Not to Beef?"

The British government would like to settle the issue. And it would like international support, but it is unlikely to find a sympathetic ear in the United States.

Another trade skirmish

As it turns out, the French aren't the only ones who have used safety concerns as a reason to keep certain foods from entering their country.

The production and sale of genetically-modified food (GM), dubbed "Frankenfood" by the English tabloids, has ignited an outcry from English activists and the middle-class.

Seven trials of GM foods were conducted in England this year. They provoked extreme controversy. Two crops were destroyed by protesters and one by the farmer himself.

The science behind GM food is relatively simple. GM products contain an ingredient, like corn or soy, that has been genetically altered. Scientists do this by taking genes that perform special functions from one organism and adding it to a plant.

For example, scientists took a gene found in a germ of soil that kills worms and added it to corn. Now, farmers don't need to pay for an insecticide that kills the worm-- the crop protects itself.

(For more on genetically modified food, check out this NewsHour report)

New trials of GM crops are planned in England next year. They will run for three years and assess the impact of GM crops on insects and plants. The scientists' findings will determine whether the crops can be grown commercially in Britain.

The U.S. government approved GM food five years ago. In 1999, more than half the soybeans and 30 percent of the corn planted in the U.S. were from GM seeds. GM crops are now used in a bunch of food products -- from the syrup in Coke, to McDonald's hamburger buns and Heinz ketchup.

A matter of national tastes

Why do the French reject British beef, even though the EU has declared it safe? Why do the do many Brits object to food most Americans eat without hesitation?

As these incidents illustrate, when it comes to the food on dinner tables, sometimes it's a matter of national taste.