South Africa's foot-and-mouth advantage

In Europe, a continent obsessed with cuisine, chefs are facing new ostrich culinary challenges as fears of mad cow disease spread

The country's ostrich farmers are benefiting, as European confidence in red meat products plummets after successive health scares. Ostrich meat has the colour and consistency of beef but provides a healthy red-meat alternative, being low in fat and cholesterol. The price of ostrich carcasses has risen by 25% in recent months. South Africa itself suffered an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease only last year.

Africa, long seen as the hungry continent, may end up feeding plentiful Europe.