Schröder Ducks French Jibe at British Food

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder declined Tuesday to wade into a food fight between Britain and France ahead of this week's G8 summit, saying only he was looking forward to the Scottish venue's cuisine. Schröder was asked about reported comments by French President Jacques Chirac in which he said British cuisine was the worst in the world after Finland's and joked "the only thing they have done for European agriculture is 'mad cow,'" at a French-German-Russian summit Sunday in Russia. The German leader flashed a broad grin and said he would not confirm the remarks but added he had his own thoughts about the Group of Eight summit menu in Gleneagles, Scotland. "I am no friend of salmon and I hope I get a proper steak," he quipped. French officials Monday dismissed the report of the "mad cow" comments but stopped short of issuing a categorical denial. The leaders of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia will be gathering July 6-8 for their annual summit.