In the 1800s chicken was more expensive than other meats and it was "sought by the rich because [it is] so costly as to be an uncommon dish."[4] Chicken consumption in the United States increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork.[5] In Europe, consumption of chicken overtook that of beef and veal in 1996, linked to consumer awareness of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease).[6]