100% horsemeat - that's why we should shop local Post Reply

[juliantenniscoach]

I quite like horse whenever I've eaten it in France or Belgium. However I'd like to know that what's on the label is what's in the box!

[LindaS]

Seems like a good time to vegetarian to me! No offense to those who choose to eat horse meat.

Vegetarian 20 years and counting...

[Jen66]

...you don't think vegetarian food can be contaminated?

There was an incident with Linda McCartney meat-free products containing meat a while ago.

I bet veggies eat meat a lot more than they think they do - especially if the food is prepared in the same factories that also prepare meat-based dishes.

[clapset]

If you buy Findus frozen lasagna then you deserve what you get. I prefer Iceland frozen food - made of saw dust and chickens feet - yummy. Shop local so if you ask for cow meat it's bound to look like and be cow meat.

[juliantenniscoach]

Im sorry Clapset but some people can't afford to buy meats from the local butcher. They've paid their money and deserve to have what it says on the box. They don't deserve to have chemically tainted food just because of their budget.

[clapset]

Horses aren't chemically tainted are they? Come the revolution people will be begging for a horse steak. So if I buy fish fingers why don't they look like fingers and where on the crab is the stick?

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi Everyone
I merged a couple of local recommendations into this thread but just realised they're now at the "top".

Sorry!

Hope this all makes sense still!

[calgary]

I totally agree with JulianTennisCoach - while horsemeat can be excellent you should be getting what it says on the box. (And in my mind, as long as it's not human 'meat' , meat is meat.)

[Wheresmyschool?]

Might be an obvious question, but how do we know if school dinners are using horsemeat?

Will the council check?

[zaza107]

Hi tooposhtopush,

I second the recommendation for Cooks brand. We add a can of chickpeas to their tagines, white beans to the chicken in wine, etc. and simmer for 30min on the stove, to stretch them out and make them more economical. Kirsty's dinners (Sainsbury's Balham has them - probably other places too) are great and high quality in my experience. Pretty good value too though, if you supplement them with more rice/veg. Or maybe we just eat a lot...

I expect both are addressing the questions raised by the horsemeat discussions.

[zaarin_2003]

Whilst the 'what it says is in the box, should be what's in the box' argument is valid, there is way more to it than that.

Unless you've chosen to eat horsemeat in the past or would do so in the future, those who are saying they are objecting to the horsemeat in their food simply because the packaging is disingenuous are delusional.

Seriously, would any of this news story be makin the headlines in the way it is if it had been lamb which had been found in beef products? It would still be a concern in regards food production standards but it would not cause this level of anger and publicity.

I think the people who are most vehemently complaining about the horse meat in their food, particularly the lower levels of 'contamination' need to think about why it is ok for them to eat a cow and a lamb but not ok to eat a horse. A cow is more useful as a source of milk and a lamb is arguably more cuddly!

[juliantenniscoach]

I think the presence of a horse tranquiliser "not fit for the human food chain" is far more of a concern that the type of meat itself. One good thing the EU have done is to ban the import of steroid loaded meats despite massive pressure from the US.

If I was Jewish or Muslim then obviously the source of meat would be of far greater concern and the recent finds of pork in ready to eat beef products is unacceptable.

Not sure I get the 'cuddly' comment. I guess horses occupy a certain level of affection in the UK, but I don't understand why. I eat both vegetarian meals and meat, I'm not emotional about it, it's just food. Though obviously some food is tastier and healthier than others.

Playing Devil's Advocate for a minute, I would say that if we didn't 'harvest' animals then they would be on the verge of extinction. Humans haven't been sympathetic to animals that use that volume of resources without return.

[Wheresmyschool?]

Just seen this on BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21388026

[shalasz]

Hello i am a nappyvalley site user and work for CNN--we are looking to film a family that has to rely on supermarket beef as it may not be able to afford butchers, and is now worried about what they have actually consumed.
If you fall into that category or know someone who has, pls call Stephanie Halasz at 0207 693 1670. Thank you!

[zaarin_2003]

@juliantenniscoach:

I think this is the first time I've seen anyone mention the tranquilizers and their potential danger. As I understood from the FSA statements, there is no indication of any safety issue whatsoever - so I have assumed people have had no concerns in that regard.

So why the sense of outrage at eating horse?