Tesco is importing fresh beef 4,000 miles from the U.S. in a step that has infuriated British farmers.The Black Angus beef, sold as sirloin and rib-eye steaks, is a direct competitor to Aberdeen Angus and will undercut it on price.
It comes from farms in the state of Minnesota. Carcasses are chilled before being transported by sea to cutting plants here.
Tesco’s decision comes against a background of evidence that British farms do not produce enough beef to feed the nation.
It is significant because it effectively ends an embargo on imports of fresh beef from the U.S. which has been in place since 1989.
There were concerns over American farming methods, particularly the use of hormone injections to speed growth.
The EU has a formal ban on beef produced using hormones.
There is evidence that consumption of residues in meat can cause genital abnormalities in boys, premature puberty in girls and raise the risk of some cancers later in life. Read More
