Animals from farms where cases of botulism have been reported can now re-enter the food chain, says the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA). Animals suffering by botulism will however continue to be withheld. These rules are already in force for cattle, but will now be extended to sheep and goats. Botulism is a paralytic disease caused by bacteria. There have been no reports of human cases of botulism as a direct result of eating meat or drinking milk from contaminated animals. Restrictive measures against farms containing animals were precautionary, says the FSA, and the decision to lift these measures will be revised if new evidence emerges.