Food, farming and what Britain was told was safe
BSE, salmonella, trans fats, horsemeat and other food and farming stories where British official advice or rules changed.
Mad cow disease and British beef 1986–1996
Changed evidence
Government assurances about the human risk from BSE were overtaken by evidence linking BSE to variant CJD.
Feeding cattle animal remains 1988
Safety reversal
A previously permitted farming practice was restricted after its role in spreading BSE became apparent.
Mechanically recovered beef 1990s
Safety reversal
Tighter controls followed the discovery of BSE risks associated with certain cattle tissues.
Specified bovine offal 1989 onwards
Safety reversal
Cattle tissues previously used in food were banned or restricted because they could carry BSE infectivity.
Beef on the bone 1997–1999
U-turn
The UK banned sales over BSE concerns, then lifted the ban following revised risk assessments.
Food dyes and children's behaviour 2007–2008
Changed evidence
Research linking certain artificial colours with increased hyperactivity prompted UK advice and voluntary removal initiatives.
Industrial trans fats 2000s–2020s
Safety reversal
Previously commonplace ingredients were progressively removed from the British food supply as cardiovascular risks became established.
Salt in manufactured foods 2003 onwards
Changed evidence
The UK moved toward systematic salt-reduction programmes as evidence of population-level health benefits accumulated.
Dietary fat advice 1980s–2020s
Changed evidence
Public-health messages evolved from broadly stressing less fat toward distinguishing saturated from unsaturated fat.
Eggs and cholesterol 2000s
Changed evidence
Popular accounts say UK advice once set a weekly limit on eggs and later relaxed it. Our fact-check found concern about eggs in the records, but no official numerical limit.
Peanuts for babies 1990s–2010s
Changed evidence
Earlier advice to delay peanuts for allergy-prone children was revised after evidence supporting earlier introduction under suitable conditions.
Raw milk safety postwar–present
Safety reversal
Restrictions on unpasteurised milk tightened in parts of Britain, though sales remain lawful under conditions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Salmonella and British eggs 1988–2017
Changed evidence
A major salmonella crisis led to reforms; later official advice allowed vulnerable groups to eat appropriately produced British Lion eggs runny.
Horsemeat sold as beef 2013
Food fraud
Products labelled as beef were found to contain undeclared horsemeat. The fraud was in the supply chain, and it exposed failures in food-supply checks.
Sudan I in food colouring 2005
Safety reversal
A banned industrial dye was discovered in hundreds of UK food products, triggering recalls.
Acrylamide in cooked food 2000s–2010s
Changed evidence
Official guidance began addressing a contaminant formed in certain high-temperature cooking processes.
Campylobacter in supermarket chicken 2010s
Changed evidence
Surveillance and campaigns highlighted contamination that had been insufficiently appreciated by many consumers.
Sugar-sweetened drinks 2016–2018
Policy change
After decades of treating sugary drinks as ordinary consumer products, Britain introduced a levy designed to encourage reformulation.
Folic acid fortification 2021–2025
U-turn
Following years of debate, the UK decided to require folic acid in non-wholemeal wheat flour to reduce neural-tube defects.
The Eatwell Plate 2016
Policy change
The government's earlier visual model of a healthy diet was replaced by the revised Eatwell Guide.
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.