1.   Austria and New Zealand also banned British beef in largely symbolic moves.

2.   Austria, New Zealand and Spain also banned British beef in largely symbolic moves.

3.   Belgium, Sweden and Portugal also banned British beef yesterday.

4.   British beef is banned because of perceived risks linked to mad cow disease.

5.   British beef was banned from continental markets for most of a decade, and sales of beef produced in most other European countries suffered as well.

6.   European beef is already banned by the United States because of mad cow disease, which can cause the fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

7.   Germany also banned Swiss beef, saying that Switzerland has been the European country hardest hit by BSE after Britain.

8.   In addition to France, the United States continues to ban British beef.

9.   In fact, he adds, American beef is actually banned in Britain because our beef is considered tainted by English scientists.

10.   In the past few weeks, various officials had said that no matter what the commission decided, France would continue to ban the beef.