Are you worried?

No! Just buy from a butcher who can trace his meat back to source and knows the farmer and his practices.

No, I buy organic, or very close to organic meat from my local butcher/producer. His farm is a few miles from us and he vets any other prducers he buys from very carefully

The causes of BSE have been known for several decades now and while we can never say never on anything, I do not think the risk is any higher than any other food. Some years ago a fatal outbreak of E. Colli was traced back to a batch of lettuce. Does that mean we should never eat lettuce again?

Haven’t eaten meat for fifteen years and have never been tempted to eat it since.

We try the vegetarian route, from time to time, but only in the same way we visit Norfolk instead of Brighton... we don't go because we want to boost the economy of either place we just want a change. We do veggie to save animals. We like the diet. So that said... there is a risk with meat just as with anything else. Know your source. Its abit like saying you must know, beforehand, all cars have had their brakes checked before you will cross the road and take that risk.

I saw this and think that it is a bad one this time.
I rarely eat mince and sausages have been off my diet for a long time. I don't eat bacon and never smoked food. Never have takeaways. All are " disguised " in some way.

When D and myself can remember we go to a local farmers market which is held every 4th Saturday, the next being the 27th-----all local produce and known farms.

It wouldn't bother me not to eat meat as it's not important at my own time of life anyway.

Yes I do worry about food contamination, there are so many possibilities that I can't eliminate them all. For me its a case of being sensible without stressing too much over it all.

It is a bit worrying. I rarely eat meat these days anyhow but do so occasionally. I prefer fish but they say it's got mercury in it. We can only try to be vigilant, can't we?

I’ve been a vegetarian for forty-six years. If my husband wants to eat meat, he buys from a local butcher and it is organic.

There is probably no 100% "safe" diet that anyone can follow realistically, or without going completely bonkers, or starving to death.
But to completely avoid financing cruelty, you do probably have to go vegan. Going vegan isn't as weird these days as it used to be.
I've been wondering about veganism for some time now, and I'm sort of working towards it slowly.
Giving up meat and poultry was easy as my husband has been a pescetarian for 40 years.
I don't want to give up eggs so I buy them from a special free range supplier where hens are allowed to live their natural life span (Hen Nation).
Butter is easy to replace, as are yoghurts.
Cheese was initially really difficult as we are both cheese monsters, then I started indulging in Nutcrafter Creamery vegan cheeses and I don't miss cheese so much now. Or get it from www.theethicaldairy.co.uk
I use plant milk in recipes but can't bear it in my coffee so that's a stumbling block. Organic milk it is then.
As is fish - it doesn't look like we'll be giving up fish any time soon. This bothers me - neither farmed nor wild fish are sustainable; there's the mercury thing; and contrary to what many people imagine, fish are sensitive to pain as much as any other animal, and the way they die is awful.

I became veggie 40 years ago and vegan last summer. If we did not eat meat there would be enough food to feed the work as the land could be used to grow grains etc. We do not need meat to be healthy. Meat clogs the bowels as well. Do the sweet corn test to see how long it takes to go through. ....easy to see hahaha

I've been reducing the amount of meat I eat over the past months and to be honest, I haven't really missed it!
In fact I've lost a little weight and I actually feel healthier although I'm sure that's just me....

Personally would say if someone wants to eat meat, buy it much less often and buy organic. I know it's expensive compared to "factory" meat but you are paying for higher standards.
I wish my sons would do this, they buy any old rubbish, but at least they had no meat when BSE was so rampant.
?

I'm also veggie and DH runs an organic shop which sells organic local meat so you are speaking to the converted.
We have been trying to raise awareness and inspire others for nearly 50 years.
I am particularly sad that our hospitals and schools are not moving in the right direction, or if they are it's grinding slow.

I was was just about to embark weaning of my baby when the BSE scare broke out . We stopped eating beef immediately and then a short time after all meat . I haven't eaten meat or any thing that contains it since including the many things that contain gelatine such as many desserts, some yoghurt and many sweets etc.
Both my children who are now grown and with children
themselves are meat eaters but I never went back to eating it.
unfortunately it hasn't made me slim

I haven’t eaten meat for 30 years now ....

I've been a vegetarian for decades - I made the choice when my children were young and decided it was not fair to force the whole family to be vegetarian, so cooked both, and never suggested my children should follow my example. Result - as adults all are vegetarians! It is worth knowing that you can be perfectly healthy as a vegetarian and the food can be delicious - I find meat eating friends enjoy vegetarian food and come back for seconds. I think there is evidence that long term vegans are among the most long lived and healthy people there are.

I've gone off meat lately. Have to buy a joint for the Sunday roast when it's my turn to cook it as the others expect it, but I would be happy with the 'roast' without the meat. I do like the odd chipolata though.

No I would not give up meat but I only eat organic or proven free range such as the eggs I buy from a neighbour. Feeding animals an unnatural diet is in my view disgusting. They should be out in the fields eating grass. If they are this is good for the planet as any carbon released by the animal goes back into the grass - it's called the carbon cycle but no one wants to talk about it. It also means we don't need to use lots of artificial chemical fertilisers which also concerns me. A couple of the days of the week I tend to eat vegetarian from my own garden so I can afford the bit extra I pay for organic meat.

I meant to watch this programme, but forgot it was on, i will watch it though on I player
I rarely eat meat, and even more rarely beef, and then only from, a local butcher,whose meat is organic,
My daughter has Crohns and a professor at Cardiff University told me beef is the worst meat anyone can eat,it is full of toxins, this was 1986
I can't bear to see some of the videos of cruelty to farm animals, or any animals,so i am gradually cutting meat out,
Mainly eat fish, but again don't like the thought of the way they are killed

I stopped eating meat 71 years ago when I was four years old.
My family are farmers and I used to get very upset seeing the animals going to slaughter.

I do eat fish and organic dairy and eggs, although having watched that orogramme The Trawlermen I'm seriously going off fish.
What a brutal scenario that is, as well as being thoroughly wasteful when it comes to cod, thanks to EU quotas.
Dead cod being thrown back in the water because the fishermen aren't allowed to sell them.

No is the answer. I don't eat sausages, mince, burgers bacon, bought pies or ready meals with meat. I buy half a lamb from my local farmer (organic) and eat mainly chicken. Today its liver and onions with the liver coming from Waitrose. I am 72 and still going strong on the diet.

I have given up meat completely however I do still eat fish. My daughter is vegan, so nothing animal based at all, My son and his family, including my 12 yr old GD are also vegetarian. If you look into the cruelty involved in the meat industry I don't think anyone would eat meat.

I'm quite happy to eat vegetarian - after all my DD and family never give us meat when we visit. We eat a very small amount of meat and often have meat-free meals. So, I am a carnivore, but don't mind not having it!

PS am allergic to fish and sea food, so it doesn't form a part of our diet!