The U.S. may take pride in the quality of its steaks, but the Europeans have turned up their noses at American beef. The result could be a full-fledged food fight. Starting Jan. 1, the European Community will ban U.S. meat that has been treated with growth hormones. The rule applies to virtually all U.S. beef exports to the E.C., worth about $100 million a year. In retaliation, the Reagan Administration is slapping 100% tariffs on $100 million worth of annual food imports from Europe, including Danish hams, Italian canned tomatoes and West German instant coffee.
The E.C.'s ban is based on...