010357 Outback Steakhouse May Substitute For EU Pork

Tampa, FL - Casual dining chain Outback Steakhouse Inc. said that it may have to use a U.S.-bred substitute for the Danish baby back pork ribs it imports from Europe, due to a U.S. government ban on European meat imports to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

The company -- whose main business is the Australian-themed Outback Steakhouse chain -- now has about eight weeks of baby back rib supply on hand which has already been cleared for import.

If the ban is not lifted during this period, the company plans to substitute domestic pork ribs on its menu, the company said. Pork ribs account for less than 5% of entree sales.

The U.S. government banned some $278 million of annual imports of raw meat and live animals from the European Union after the virus jumped from Britain into France.

Foot-and-mouth disease affects pigs, cattle, sheep and goats for months, and sharply reduces milk and meat production. The virus, which rarely endangers humans, is spread easily on clothing, car tires and by the wind.

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