BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuter) - European Union scientists on Thursday expressed doubts about the safety of British gelatine, raising prospects that an EU export ban on the beef by-product may soon be restored. The scientists, meeting for the first time in a revamped steering committee on food safety, stressed that it was impossible to fully ensure that gelatine was totally safe from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease. "I shall draw the attention of the Commission to the necessity of taking into account this advice...in re-examining its decision...concerning the partial and conditional lifting of the ban on gelatine exports from British bovine products," EU food safety commissioner Emma Bonino said in a statement. On June 11 last year the EU's executive Commission controversially eased the ban on exports of British gelatine, which is widely used in food, cosmetics and medicinal products, provided stricter heat processing rules were respected. The rules were intended to ensure that the infe

ctious BSE agent was eradicated. But on June 14 the Gelatine Manufacturers of Europe gave the Commission a report saying more research was needed before the safety of thenew techniques could be guaranteed. In fact the EU has not allowed any exports of gelatine made from British beef because British manufacturers have not fulfilled the preconditions. "Nothing has effectively changed for Britain or British consumers," Commission spokesman Filippo di Robilant said. But legally the Commission wanted to be sure that if British manufacturers did meet the conditions "we have all the safety belts on." Bonino is expected shortly to ask the European Commission to propose withdrawing any possibility of exports of British gelatine so long as any safety doubts persist. The opinion of the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee of senior member states officials would then be sought. Spokesman Di Robilant said that the Commission would be able to take a final decision by May 1, the date of British general elections.