1996 UK BSE crisis

The 1996 UK BSE crisis involved the discovery that beef products from cattle infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) had entered the human food chain. This raised serious health concerns, leading to widespread slaughter of cattle, restrictions on beef sales, and a loss of consumer confidence. The crisis exposed deficiencies in disease control and food safety regulations, prompting reforms in the industry. It also heightened fears of a human variant, known as vCJD, causing health anxiety and economic impact on the UK meat industry.