Horsemeat

The good news is that the same high standards that are being applied to meat inspection in the UK will be applied to the scientific analysis, understanding, and control of Global Warming.

So Keep Calm and Carrion. :diablo:

I’m pleased to report that I’ve just bought an interest in a horse breeding syndicate – my share means meat pies for life.

It’s comforting to know that despite all the hand-wringing going on, neither the UK nor any other EU member has control over its food safety, that responsibility having passed to the EU under the Blair government in 2002.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2002:031:0001:0024:EN:PDF

I havn’t got a lot of choice where live, there is ONE,small food shop,and two small Supermarkets.(Tesco,and Budgens)
We have however, 4 shops, in the High Street, that sells foreign food for Poles,Ukranians,etc.Both Supermarkets also sell food for the Poles, etc.
It has also been. a while ago on local T.V.that for it’s size,our town has more Takeaways, than any other in Enlgand.

Sounds like we have been invaded :rolleyes:,

Jim.
Lincoln .7

Well we can all only talk from personal experience and no doubt some areas and some towns better serve customers than others.

I am one of the lucky ones but if few people make the effort to make a High Street experience work then they will die and the supermarket will be king.

And that’s the problem. We all drive everywhere, choking the towns with cars. We used to walk, cycle, take the bus but no more. If it’s more than 200 yards – in the car it is!!

True, but as bus services are not exactly frequent and those that are tend to visit every village that consists of more than two houses, and in that lies the problem, I actually used to use the bus up until about the age of 38, but in the end I bought a car…… to travel into Nottingham (12 minute drive) used to take me about 1.15 by bus, times that by two and you have wasted most of the morning simply getting there and back.
Unfortunately Towns have not developed with the changing travel habits of man, and that is their downfall, supermarkets have, and that is why they win hands down in the war to take my money.
My local village shops in the high street actually close on Tuesday lunchtime, I mean lunchtime, who in their right mind closes their shops when those with jobs can get to them….. And they had the cheek to kick up a fuss when a Coop wanted to open in the village, I went to their meeting and told them what I thought of their medieval opening hours and if the Coop could got them off their arses, the better it would be.

I go to my local town Centre to shop, I drive round and round looking at nothing but Double Yellow lines preventing me from parking near or outside the nearby shops,

And that’s the problem. We all drive everywhere, choking the towns with cars. We used to walk, cycle, take the bus but no more. If it’s more than 200 yards – in the car it is!!

As I said earlier if we all bought 15%/20% less in them the supermarkets would panic – more than that and stores would close.

As for quality and Brand Names, well Findus wasn’t exactly a premium brand, but I wouldn’t call it a cheap one either, suprised me that their foods are farmed out to other companies where they appear to have a lack of control over the product… I know the likes of M&S are paranoid about their quality as I know someone that used to be involved, and I suppose their price reflects that.

TonyT, as I said in my earlier posts:

1. We must expect to get what we pay for (as in most things in life)

and

2. Any company’s quality and traceability system is only as good as the data it contains. If the paperwork says it’s beef then the paperwork trail will say it’s beef, and if the paperwork was wrong (by accident or by design) then a paperwork trail alone will never identify the problem. Identity testing (DNA speciation) at some point in the supply chain (ideally as late as possible so that there is little room for adulteration later) is the only way of checking, but that costs money – see 1. :D.

Paul F

The reason the high street is in decline and everyone from the council down bleats on about is….. Is the Councils.

I go to Asda, I drive up to the store, I park for free, I shop, I drive home, I do the same at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Matalan, Aldi, M&S

I go to my local town Centre to shop, I drive round and round looking at nothing but Double Yellow lines preventing me from parking near or outside the nearby shops, I then have to find a carpark and my reward is to be charged through the nose for using it, if indeed I can find a spot… I then may have to get a park and drive bus, for which I pay again to get into the same congested town centre, because the traffic is restricted by Bollards, Bus lanes and people driving round trying to find parking because there isn’t any…..

No brainier is it.

As for quality and Brand Names, well Findus wasn’t exactly a premium brand, but I wouldn’t call it a cheap one either, suprised me that their foods are farmed out to other companies where they appear to have a lack of control over the product… I know the likes of M&S are paranoid about their quality as I know someone that used to be involved, and I suppose their price reflects that.

I’ve already lost faith in politicians, now I put the supermarket meat producers and retailers in the same stable (no pun intended). As some have said already here, it’s time to change the way we shop and I for one will be doing so. No doubt a little more expensive but I want what I buy to be exactly what I expect it to be.
I read in a book titled “Complete Zebu” that, say beef, can be advertised as british as long as it’s processed in the UK; its actaul source can be anywhere in the world and need not be cattle as we British see it but could be zebu from South America.
No doubt as time goes on we will find more of this skulduggery to maximise profit margins.
Richard

Mmm!

Dobbin with a spoonful of Oxo gravy – delish!

It’s all very well certain supermarkets saying “we only sell British meat”, although I myself am sceptical of claims such as this.

Britain has a too many people to farmland ratio to feed itself on current trends, particularly wrt to meats such as beef.

The U-boat scourge during WW1 and WW2 demonstrated this inability, even with a smaller population. Modern farming practice can make up for increased population numbers, but will always be behind the curve.

though it probably gobbled in Romanian.

:D:D

I can understand the odd DNA trace as even after a food processing plant has say cleaned a mincer to process pork instead of beef, traces will still be found.

British means born, raised and slaughtered in this country

Wasn’t it Norfolk Turkeys from a well known supplier that had eggs laid in the UK sent to Romania to be hatched, raised and the slaughtered, they then could legally call these “ex pat” Turkeys, Norfolk Turkeys because the egg originated there, though it probably gobbled in Romanian.

Pringles, or a bag of chips from the chippy??:rolleyes::diablo:

And in a world where every third programme seems to be about cooking why aren’t we all cooking more?

Because the lazy sods are sitting in front of the TV eating Pringles.

Everybody who is not completely mentally or physically disabled is capable of producing something from scratch even if its Beans on Toast or a boiled egg with bread and butter.

Indeed. I saw that earlier this morning. And now the focus has moved back to our shores and away from Romania!! What next in this saga? A butcher in Kent has started to sell certified horsemeat – good for him!

“Waitrose said that it sourced all its beef, pork and chicken from known farms in Britain and so could be sure about its quality. It said: “Our labelling is honest and transparent and is clear about the origin of meat. British means born, raised and slaughtered in this country. The above is also true for our food – including sandwiches, ready meals, pies and cooked meats – the only exception being authentic continental meats, such as Parma ham, which are from Waitrose-approved sources.”

Surprisingly Waitrose are now withdrawing essential range beef meat balls after they were found to contain pork in a DNA test.
It would seem even the quality leaders in the industry are not immune.

There will be something for every budget.

I heard a rumour tonight that Tesco’s are going to sponsor next years Grand National. Going to be called the ‘Tesco’s Finest Grand National’ after the quality of the horse:)