It seems Brussels is now attempting to tell us what we can and cannot do with our meat and that is endangering the production of mince, a long time staple in the diet of many families in Scotland, particularly those on low incomes. Butchers traditionally hang beef for 14 to 28 days to allow it to mature in order to increase the flavour but Eurocrats want to ban hanging meat for any longer than six days. If the new regulations are imposed, it means a lot of beef will have to be thrown out and prices will sky rocket. There is no scientific evidence to say the six day limit is any safer than the three week limit, and it is entirely safe to hang meat for that length of time provided it is done properly.

The reason behind it? To ensure the French get to order their raw steak tartare without worrying about potential contamination. So, poor families in Scotland lose a cheap meal just so French aristocrats continue to eat in the style to which they are accustomed. Why not impose a law that steak tartare has to come from fresh ground beef instead of messing with a centuries old tradition and guaranteeing the enmity of a country who already looks at Brussels with suspicion?

Let me give you a few more examples of the crazy laws the EU has tried to impose on us in the past:

**Bananas can only be sold if they curve to EU requirements
**Pears must have a diameter of 56 mm
**Cucumbers must be straight
**Chocolate in the UK must be labelled as vegetarian as it is made from vegetable fat rather than animal fat

And the killers:

**The kilt should be classed as womenswear
**Those who wear the kilt may need a license to wear a sporran to protect endangered species

Is it any wonder we don’t want anything to do with the EU and their crazy laws?