UK retailers have expressed calm at the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease at two farms in the country.
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The UK government has enacted a ban on all livestock movements since the disease was first found late last week.
There have been concerns that the UK could see a repeat of the foot-and-mouth crisis of 2001 when consumer demand for meat slumped, albeit temporarily.
However, Asda, the UK’s second-largest retailer, said this morning (7 August) that there has so far been “no panic buying” of meat.
“It’s been pretty flat, we saw a bit of a peak over the weekend with the hot weather but there has been no panic buying,” an Asda spokesperson told just-food.
The spokesperson said Asda has contingency plans in place if the ban on the movement of livestock becomes entrenched for a long period. “We’re taking it on a day-to-day basis,” she added.
The first case of foot-and-mouth in this current outbreak was discovered on Friday; this morning, the UK’s Environment Secretary Hilary Benn confirmed a second case.
Cows are being slaughtered in an attempt to contain the outbreak and the UK government has been at pain to reassure consumers that there is no threat to human health.
