Bjerregaard was appointed Minister of Food in February 2000, the first case of mad cow disease, a dangerous brain disease, occurred. With the ministry Bjerregaard acted fast and consistently. The butchering methods were changed and a ban on risk products was installed. These consistent measures were at first not received well, neither by the farmers nor the food industry. Especially the initiative to withdraw certain foods from the retailers was criticised. But later on the industry realized that the measures protected the consumers and created great confidence in Danish food products in the export market. In 2001 Bjerregaard introduced the Smiley system. It caused an occasion for big discussions but today the system is generally recognized. Bjerregaard won the election for Lord Mayor on the Copenhagen City Council for the Social Democrats on 16 November 2005, a position she acquired through a high number of personal votes. During her time as Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Ritt invited mayors of cities around the world to a summit on the climate in the cities. The summit was a prelude to COP15, which took place in Copenhagen. At the summit, Ritt Bjerregaard wished to discuss what big cities could do to lower CO2-emissions. The meeting was successful and mayors made a promise to take action. Personal life Bjerregaard grew up in Vesterbro in Copenhagen as the daughter of joiner Gudmund Bjerregaard and bookkeeper Rita Bjerregaard. She was the oldest of three siblings. She was hospitalized several times because of narrow and unhealthy conditions, until the family acquired an allotment. She finished her exam from Christianshavn Gymnasium in 1958 and became a modern side student from Statens Kursus til Studentereksamen in 1966. After getting her teachers' certificate in 1964 from Emdrupborg, she worked as a folkeskole (primary school) teacher until 1970. In the same period she was a consultant for publishing house Gyldendal. In 1971, she became assistant professor at Odense College of Education. She has been married to historian Søren Mørch since 1966. In her spare time, she was a gardener on her organically-managed manor, mostly growing apples. Bjerregaard wrote several books during her life, latest being the first volume of her memoirs titled 'Ritt' (2015). Death Bjerregaard died on 21 January 2023, at the age of 81. Controversy During her time as minister of education in 1978, she stayed in a luxury suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris during a Unesco