The controversial beef-on-the-bone ban is to remain in place for another six months.
Agriculture Minister Nick Brown will announce the decision following advice from the Government's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Liam Donaldson.
The move will come as a bitter blow to cattle farmers and butchers who had been hoping that the appointment of Mr Brown last summer would hasten the lifting of the ban, introduced by his predecessor, Dr Jack Cunningham.
However Mr Brown will say that, according to the latest scientific advice received by the Government, it is still not safe to lift the ban even though the risk of BSE contamination has diminished.
Tory agriculture minister Tim Yeo said the decision was "disappointing".
He told ITN: "The Government must listen to the scientific advice but in this case the risk to consumers of eating beef-on-the-bone is so small as to be scarcely measurable.
"What we say is that consumers should decide for themselves whether they want to run that risk."
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