Following the official announcement that British beef was back on the worldwide menu, BBC News Online users were asked - Is British beef safe to eat?

Opinion was initially quite evenly balanced between the 'yes's and the 'no's. But it has now swung round to favour British beef by a ratio of 2:1.

Hang up: A question mark remains for some over British beef

At a time when the British Meat and Livestock Commission is launching a worldwide campaign to persuade consumers to buy beef most people have already been won over to the national meat product.

The remainder expressed fears over health, the trustworthiness of politicians, and the ethics of modern farming.

Among the users flying the British beef flag were, predictably, farmers and meat industry workers.

But there were also those who levelled comments against the "politics" involved in the crisis.

Many appeared to feel that Eurocrats seized the situation as an opportunity to hit out at the UK.

Jon Cooper of the UK wrote: "British beef is now probably the safest in Europe with all the safeguards forced on us by European 'partners' with their huge domestic farming lobbies."

Simon Clarke of the UK said: "I find it hard to believe that other countries are totally BSE-free. Why should British beef be singled out for special treatment?"

And Neil Saunders, also of the UK, wrote: "The ban imposed by the EU was a political ban designed by foreign politicians who were jealous of the reputation of British beef."

There were also those who felt that the incidence of new variant CJD in humans was not enough to warrant a ban.

Jason Whitaker from the UK worked out the probability for us: "By the end of August 1998, there have been 29 definite or probable cases of nvCJD (the human form of BSE) in the UK. Britain is a country with a population of roughly 60 million which means that, so far at least, the average Briton has had a 0.00004833% chance of contacting the disease."

Others believed that for lifelong meat-eaters, any damage had already been done.

End of the line: Thousands of cattle have been destroyed to rid herds of BSE

William Dawe, of the UK, said: "If it was contaminated when we were all blinkered by the Tories, then we have probably all got it anyway."

Over in the "No way, never" corner were a number of people who blamed "greedy farmers".

Stephen of the UK summed up their feelings: "I wouldn't touch British beef. The whole problem started when the greedy farmers tried to increase their profit margins by feeding the cows their own brains.

"Now the public are bailing them out with subsidies! Would we subsidise Ford if they made dangerous cars while trying to save money?"

Others felt they still could not trust politicians to come clean over the crisis.

And, of course, there were those for whom meat consumption of any description was repugnant.

Vasu, of the USA, pointed out that eating cows "hurts the sentiments" of billions of people in India.

Ken of the USA said: "The health evidence is already in - meat is suicide."

Poignantly, one message came from a man who had known a CJD victim.

Paul, from the UK, wrote; "I knew someone who died of new variant CJD, therefore it would take a lot to convince me that British beef is BSE-free. I hope everyone knows that BSE may be transmitted to other animals including sheep, pigs and even chickens."