The Government will soon be advised by the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) to drop the "over 30 months" (OTM) rule which currently bans cattle older than that age being slaughtered for human consumption.
The rule, which has been in place since 1996, was designed to prevent BSE from entering the food chain. However, the FSA says that, since a peak of 37,000 in 1992, the number of BSE cases had fallen by 40% year-on-year.
At a meeting of the FSA's board last Thursday it was agreed to suggest that the OTM rule be replaced by specific BSE testing. Under the recommendations, cattle born after August 1996 could be allowed into the food chain as early as January 2004 after testing. There are plans to complete the replacement of the rule by July 2005.
Two other measures, the control of "specific risk material", which eliminates 99% of potential infection from cattle, and a ban on feeding meat and bone meal to cattle, would remain in place.