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Horsemeat, contamination scandal ?


tj
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If you are happy with the veg that is delivered in your farm box there is nothing wrong with that at all, and if it helps the grower to keep doing what he does then so much the better for all concerned. Probably by the time the soup is ready for the bowl a spoonful of that would not be a lot different in taste from somebody elses bought from veg at Carrefour imho.

Rating fruit and veg is rather like celebrity ratings, courgette's being on the C list, down there alongside most of what passes for a celebrity these days.

I seem to remember that when I once grew tomato's the little cherry ones were really nice eaten straight off the plant, whether that was because they were from my garden or because of the variety I will never know, now that I only buy them from the supermarket they taste much nicer when they have been left for a few days. I read somewhere that toms were one of the very few veg that were better for you once they were cooked, so I do cook them quite often. Whether I live longer for doing that, who knows?

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I am sure your veg box is fine and you certainly seem happy with it which at the end of the day is the most important thing.

I am also sure that there is little deception practiced with any of the food with the exception of this horse meat situation. Where I am coming from is that for me my trust in the food industry is somewhat shaken now and it makes me wonder if there are any other 'skeletons' in their wardrobes as they say. We have always taken what they have said as gospel and it now turns out we have, in my mind, been duped. Will I really loose any sleep over it all, probably not, but in the back of my mind now when I pick something up in a shop or supermarket there will always be a little doubt as to its authenticity.

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[quote user="Ivor Nidea"]

If you are happy with the veg that is delivered in your farm box there is nothing wrong with that at all, and if it helps the grower to keep doing what he does then so much the better for all concerned. Probably by the time the soup is ready for the bowl a spoonful of that would not be a lot different in taste from somebody elses bought from veg at Carrefour imho.

Rating fruit and veg is rather like celebrity ratings, courgette's being on the C list, down there alongside most of what passes for a celebrity these days.

I seem to remember that when I once grew tomato's the little cherry ones were really nice eaten straight off the plant, whether that was because they were from my garden or because of the variety I will never know, now that I only buy them from the supermarket they taste much nicer when they have been left for a few days. I read somewhere that toms were one of the very few veg that were better for you once they were cooked, so I do cook them quite often. Whether I live longer for doing that, who knows?

[/quote]

Ivor, my understanding is that lycopeine from tomatoes is fat soluble, so when

cooked in oil etc, can be better absorbed and is supposed to help the

body against prostate cancer.

I'm with Cendrillon - less but of better quality is the thing.

I'm

a confirmed organic eater if I can get it, my second choice very local.

I know the eggs I buy in France are free range - I know they run wild; I

also believe they are organically fed, as the chap who keeps them has

very strong principles regarding what he and his family eat, and I know

him and have met his family. I trust him and his eggs, which are

delicious. We eat far more eggs now than we used to, as cholesterol in

the body was at one time believed to be from eggs - now seriously

disputed. I eat seasonally, and am awaiting local asparagus - I keep looking at the fields as I pass, but the polythene sheets are still intact; our local greengrocer has Provençal asparagus, but not local yet.

I used to grow most of my own veg in UK; much tastier,

especially tomatoes - I grew amongst others 'Gardener's Delight';

absolutely delicious. I grew up with home grown veg grown by my father,

who had a big garden and an allotment and believe it's always better for

you. Not necessarily proven, but that's my belief - no chemicals,

strain chosen for taste, not for appearance nor staying power on the

shelf.

I now grow few of my own vegetables - I'm in France too

much and my garden is in England, but I still grow salads, tomatoes and

courgettes - all organically; plant in May and go away, return in July

and start to eat (salads are planted later!). But I trust Waitrose and

my local supplier for veg and some meat - my game supplier sells game

from somebody I wholly trust. I don't eat an enormous amount of meat,

but buy locally, eat little meat in prepared meals and have always had a

distrust for sausages/burgers/hot dogs. For about 40 years, I'm the

person you maybe saw having the burger bun with just onions in it! My sons used to mock me, but now are more doubting of what they buy in supermarkets.

But if I fancy eating something, then I do - I'm not a food fascist; I do, after all, love Cadbury's whole nut chocolate!

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[quote user="gardengirl "][quote user="Ivor Nidea"][/quote]
 We eat far more eggs now than we used to, as cholesterol in the body was at one time believed to be from eggs - now seriously disputed. [/quote]

 

I hope your right, we eat at least 30 a week,,,,,,,,,that is between the two of us of course.

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Contaminated with what, meat?!!

Why and when  did it become illegal to sell, serve or eat horsemeat in the UK?

Was it perhaps a knee jerk reaction to the last mislabelling episode after WW2?

It would be good to think that the ban might be revoked when this boils over.

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[quote user="Hoddy"]I don't think there is a ban on eating horsemeat in the UK. Assuming that it it is passed for human consumption that is.

The current problem is that the meat was labelled as beef.

Hoddy[/quote]

I'm sure that's correct. It's not about people eating horse meat or not either.

The great concern is that people aren't getting what they paid for; just as if the petrol station was selling low grade petrol/diesel - not what people want at all.

The 'bute' is another aspect of this; it might not affect many people, but who knows?

And what else is going into these products? Meat passed as unsuitable for humans? Nobody seems to know quite what is happening. It would seem that unscrupulous people in a number of countries have got together to make money any way they can without regard for people who are eating this mixture.

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[quote user="gardengirl "][quote user="Hoddy"]I don't think there is a ban on eating horsemeat in the UK. Assuming that it it is passed for human consumption that is. The current problem is that the meat was labelled as beef. Hoddy[/quote]

I'm sure that's correct. It's not about people eating horse meat or not either.

The great concern is that people aren't getting what they paid for; just as if the petrol station was selling low grade petrol/diesel - not what people want at all.

The 'bute' is another aspect of this; it might not affect many people, but who knows?

And what else is going into these products? Meat passed as unsuitable for humans? Nobody seems to know quite what is happening. It would seem that unscrupulous people in a number of countries have got together to make money any way they can without regard for people who are eating this mixture.
[/quote]

Including the UK.

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[quote user="Quillan"]

[quote user="gardengirl "][quote user="Hoddy"]I don't think there is a ban on eating horsemeat in the UK. Assuming that it it is passed for human consumption that is. The current problem is that the meat was labelled as beef. Hoddy[/quote]

I'm sure that's correct. It's not about people eating horse meat or not either.

The great concern is that people aren't getting what they paid for; just as if the petrol station was selling low grade petrol/diesel - not what people want at all.

The 'bute' is another aspect of this; it might not affect many people, but who knows?

And what else is going into these products? Meat passed as unsuitable for humans? Nobody seems to know quite what is happening. It would seem that unscrupulous people in a number of countries have got together to make money any way they can without regard for people who are eating this mixture.

[/quote]

Including the UK.

[/quote]

Yes, UK included -  'a number of countries'.

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I have been quite confused by the reporting of this, there have been several references to horsemeat being illegal but I think that it was really that the meat in question, horse or otherwise was not documented, traceable and declared fit for consumption hence against the law.

However there were references to when it was legal to sell and serve horsemeat until IIRC 1948, (I have left out the word "eat" this time) which intimates that a law was indeed passed.

If it has always been legal then I am surprised that one of the celeb chefs hadnt served it in one of their stupidly priced London restaurants, they have tried just about everything else.

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How come everyone is so appalled over horse meat which won't harm you yet paying extra for meat injected with water still carries on regardless and water is a lot cheaper than horse meat.  Then why isn't anyone upset over trans-fats? hydrogenated fats that the human body can't deal with.  The ready meal food and drink industry has a lot of power over governments and probably a large proportion of them are on the boards of directors. 
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Google is your friend [:D]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/jan/16/would-you-eat-horsemeat

Not illegal, at least one restaurant serves it and Gordon Ramsey has already pushed it.

Now the resto that serves it says it costs less than beef despite him importing very small quantities (10kg at a time) from an eleveur in France whereas here it costs more.

Not the first time that French products are far cheaper abroad than in France [:(]

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Just as I had wondered who it was that bought so many ready-made meals I am even more baffled as to who buys meat balls from Ikea?

I went into Ikea once, it was in Mallorca. I went in there to please a family member who said I would like it, I didn't realise they knew their father so well that they have since amused their friends by telling them how annoyed it made me as I tried to find my way out. And people go in there to buy bags of meat balls...blimey!! I am just waiting for somebody now to tell me that they buy them..and they are the dogs *******s.

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I don't like Ikea food. I have to say that I know lots of people who love their meat balls, which taste just like sausage meat to me, and I'd rather have sausage.

My Dad now buys lots of ready meals, in the last few years he has gone from cooking everything from fresh and even baking to the odd ready meal and now many ready meals although he still cooks the odd meal. They are his independence. He doesn't want me taking him meals, although I do take the odd one. He doesn't want any fuss and reluctantly lets me take him shopping. As he says at his age they won't do him any harm and in fact they do him good, because he feels good about his independence. Feeling a burden would be very bad for him.

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[quote user="Ivor Nidea"]

Just as I had wondered who it was that bought so many ready-made meals I am even more baffled as to who buys meat balls from Ikea?

[/quote]

 

In France the answer to who eats Ikea meatballs would seem to be around 50% of those who eat in their restaurant judging by my limited experience.

 

And no, I don't particularly like then either

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[quote user="Ivor Nidea"]

Just as I had wondered who it was that bought so many ready-made meals I am even more baffled as to who buys meat balls from Ikea?

I went into Ikea once, it was in Mallorca. I went in there to please a family member who said I would like it, I didn't realise they knew their father so well that they have since amused their friends by telling them how annoyed it made me as I tried to find my way out. And people go in there to buy bags of meat balls...blimey!! I am just waiting for somebody now to tell me that they buy them..and they are the dogs *******s.

[/quote]Actually I do like Ikea meatballs from time to time especially when served with a nice gravy and lingon jam together with new potatoes. But then I am not a food snob[:)]

No I do not think they are the dogs *******s. While I don't mind eating horse I draw the line at eating dog and especially that part of their anatomy.

One factor in this debate that seems to be overlooked is the welfare issue. A horse meat trade sets a bottom price for horses and so prevents the selling of horses for trivial amounts of money to people that cannot afford to keep a horse properly over a winter. As a vet who does work for the RSPCA Mrs rabbie sees some horrific cases of neglect where people often acting from the best of motives have bought horses cheap and then cannot afford to feed them properly or have their feet trimmed. So many welfare issues are caused by people not realising how much the maintenance costs are.

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Well I reckon you have more courage than me as Ikea would not be any sort of place that I would ever dream of going too for food. The one and only time I have ever been in one I only saw furniture. The more that developes over the meat scandal just confirms that we get what we deserve.

If I ever had to serve up a meal for somebody I like to think I could do better than a ball made from sludge blasted by high pressure from animal bones with a side dish of powdered smash.

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[quote user="Ivor Nidea"]

Well I reckon you have more courage than me as Ikea would not be any sort of place that I would ever dream of going too for food. The one and only time I have ever been in one I only saw furniture. The more that developes over the meat scandal just confirms that we get what we deserve.

If I ever had to serve up a meal for somebody I like to think I could do better than a ball made from sludge blasted by high pressure from animal bones with a side dish of powdered smash.

[/quote]Ivor, all the IKEA shops in the uK have a separate Swedish Food shop which we patronise because there are no other outlets near us. Where else do you think we can buy swedish crispbread, cheese etc. BTW Meatballs are not served with mashed potatoes but with boiled ones unmashed so no sign of smash there[:)]

However I do enjoy your posts even when obviously ill-informed so keep on posting

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[quote user="woolybanana"]Rabbie, boiling a big bit of meat or a chicken is also getting the slurry off the bones and that is quite acceptable . So why not blast it off with water?[/quote]Did I say anything about blasting meat with water? Not according to my recollection. I think it was Ivor that was mentioning that.
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