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Today in History: UK Bans Sale of Beef on the Bone

12/16/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On December 16, 1997, the British government banned the sale of beef on the bone due to the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. This decision aimed to prevent the spread of variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, following the deaths of 178 people linked to infected beef.

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Story summary

On December 16, 1997, the British government banned the sale of beef on the bone due to the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. This decision aimed to prevent the spread of variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, following the deaths of 178 people linked to infected beef.