John Myers
Due to extensive safety and precautionary measures, the risk of BSE is basically non-existent in Germany. In the 1980s and 1990s, the BSE threat from beef caused a global uproar. It is suspected that people can contract a variant of the incurable, deadly Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease if they eat the meat of diseased cattle. However, this has never been scientifically confirmed. But since 2010, no classic BSE case has been detected in Germany; between 2008 and 2009 there were only two cases nationwide.
It can very rarely happen that older cattle contract what is known as atypical BSE. However, the meat then does not enter the food chain. In addition, labeling with complete proof of origin for beef and minced beef in the form of individual animal traceability is mandatory within the EU. This further reduces the risk of BSE, which is already low.
