Videos: U.K. Documentary on BSE and CJD

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BBC Inside Out Documentary 2008 (30 minutes) 

The documentary is about Andy Black from Portsmouth, in Southern England, who died after suffering from the human form of mad cow disease (variant CJD).  There is background to the BBC Programme on their website. 


A partial transcription of the interview between Christine Lord (CL) and John Gummer (JG) is below.


CL: Why did you say beef was safe?

JG: All the evidence showed that it was (safe).

CL: Scientists were 'sat on'.

JG: I only wanted to know the facts.  How could I let my family eat something I thought wasn't safe.

CL: This campaign of re-assurance was a mistake.

JG: Phillips said 'no criticism of me'

CL: The possibility of risk to humans was not communicated to the public.

JG: I sought to make the best choice for the country.


Human 'Mad Cow Disease' (CJD) News Report 2008


BBC World Service Radio Report on CJD from 1997


The Witness website is available from the BBC.  It is about presenting history from people who experienced the events themselves. 


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