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The site, called "Bord Bia, Beef Matters & You," is a key element of a European Commission initiative designed to assure the public about the safety and quality of beef following the difficulties in the sector caused by BSE and foot-and-mouth disease. As part of the initiative, each EU member state must have a Web site detailing information on beef controls and production in their country. Bord Bia's mini-site is believed to be the first of these sites to go live in the EU.
The site itself is split into four sections -- health controls and traceability, healthy eating with beef, beef and today's lifestyle, and simple steps to perfect beef.
The first section, "health controls and traceability," details where beef comes from and how it is produced. This includes information on animal traceability, as well as the controls that are in place at factories.
The "healthy eating with beef" part of the site looks at how much protein, nutrients and vitamins are in beef, while the "beef and today's lifestyle" section includes links to a range of Bord Bia material about the health benefits of eating beef.
The final section, "simple steps to perfect beef", has information on the different cuts of beef available, the various methods of cooking these cuts, and a range of beef-inspired recipes. The site also has a link to an EU information site on existing EU controls, sustainable production methods and product traceability operations.
According to the latest figures from the European Commission, beef consumption in the EU is returning to normal levels following a 13 percent drop during 2000/2001. Estimates for 2002 project a 9 percent rise in beef consumption across the EU. This, however, would still mean that 2002 levels would be 4 percent below pre-BSE consumption rates.
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