Food police lose fight to outlaw rare beefburgers after judge rejects claim they are a health risk

Beefburgers cooked rare can remain on restaurant menus after a judge rejected claims by food watchdogs that they are a health risk. A wine bar and restaurant chain had been told to stop serving the burgers unless they took certain safety precautions. The ruling by Westminster City Council, backed by the Food Standards Agency, would have set a precedent across the country. But the company – London-based Davy’s – appealed against the decision and district judge Elizabeth Roscoe backed its policy. She said: ‘There is a balance to be struck between ensuring the safety of the public and allowing them the freedom of choice that they would wish and have a right to expect.’...more