General Chat

" The National Farmers Union (NFU) has taken out adverts in 10 national newspapers, saying it is championing British produce as a direct response to the contamination and mislabelling of some beef products.

According to NFU President, Peter Kendall, British farmers feel let down.

"Farmers are very proud of what they produce and are, quite rightly, furious about this current situation. They feel let down by what looks like a criminal element in an isolated part of the food chain," he said."

Do you have sympathy for British farmers in this horsemeat furore? Could they have done more to prevent it? Are they doing enough now?

How are British farmers responsible for what goes on further up the food chain?

Muffy :-) Spect they will get blamed in some way. Isn't it called collateral damage?

Obviously, the farmers are very worried and feel they need to improve their image by spending lots of their hard-earned cash via the NFU.

I can't think anyone with even half a brain would blame the British farmers for this tbh.

me neither

Strikes me the farmers, along with the public are the victims of this scam.
I'm sure beef farmers would have appreciated higher prices for their beef cattle, but, with manufactureres 'topping' up their beef products with cheap horse meat, it must have kept beef prices low.

Slightly worrying that horse meat was cheaper than beef, Horses cost more to rear than beef, so it can only be presumed the horse meat came from 'knackers yard' horses, ie sick or old.

Seems some horses have entered food chain via Ireland. So possibly horses too expensive to put out to grass once finished racing and if they are not up to stud quality :-S

They would have got more money selling them as riding horses, rather than to the abbatoir.

Better dig out your roast badger recipes then.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3346443/A-British-taste-for-badgers.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_55z1AgLM_c

If knackers meat is entering the food chain illegally, heavens knows what we have been eating recently. My imagination is running wild. I had a great shock when I realised what people were eating during the Depression of late 20's/early 30's to get protein and stay alive. :-0 :-0

Totally unnecessary and my premiums will go up to fund a statement when only idiots would blame all farmers.

Some are rogues but they are few within the whole industry.

i think this horse meat things been going on years
to many people trying to make a fast but at our exspence
i dont mind eating neddy as long as i am told its needy
and have the choice to say no thanks you

at least Morrisons only sells british meat

I paid £11 for 3 average size lamb chops last week from local butcher. And I can get enough lamb burgers for same price from Farm Foods to fill the boot of the car.

Have no idea why lamb chops from local farmers rendered locally and supplied to local butchers have to be so expensive. Lambs don't sell for huge amounts at market. And these "lamb burgers" you buy so cheaply are just as nutritious - but could contain cat, donkey, mutton (who knows at moment). But totally right, Joy - we should know roughly what we are eating.

There in lies the problem...£11 for 3 chops? Pfffft...for a family of four that's prohibitively expensive for one meal.... so unfortunately like it or not... I'm at the mercy of the manufacturers and their honesty in labelling the food correctly ...and that's not too much to expect that you should receive exactly what is stated on the label regardless of what it cost.....trading standards are there for that purpose.....so as much as i'd like to go to a local produce shop and buy direct...I can't afford it.

If you paid that much John you need treatment and your butcher needs to be avoided as he is profiteering. I believe during the war you could be locked up for that.

Magic chops maybe? ;-)

Sue. Lamb chops are a huge price in Morrisons too. Cheaper than my local butcher admittedly, but not as nice and at least you know with a local butcher where the chops came from and that you are supporting a local farmer, a local slaughterhouse and a local butcher.

That's why I buy direct from the farm whenever I can. I don't buy anything processed, I like my food to vaguely resemble what it was like when it still had a pulse. Don't eat in fast food places and I'm not too lazy to prep meals from scratch.

Am I bothered about the horse meat personally? No. Am I bothered it has entered the human food chain when that is being served in schools, hospitals and care homes? Absolutely.

Do I blame farmers? No.

We have two Butchers in town-both have their own farms so produce their own meat. The one has decided to compete on the 3 for £10 offer the Co-*p does (the Co-*p is now 2 for £7) & are doing very well out of it, great quality meat & real value for money. I think a sweeping statement that Farmers will take the blame is very naive when it's on TV who is...certain abattoirs, certain countries & that's PROVEN.

I like horses but have eaten Findus Lasagne...it was very nice, however I couldn't go out & buy horse knowingly anymore than I could eat dog **shudder**.

What has happened is wrong & it is the relevant Govt bodies job to sort it out asap.

Our farm butchers closed a good while back...and I have to say the supermarket 3 for £10 offers on meat are a bit part of my weekly shop...if i could get better for a couple of quid more I'd attempt a rebudget..but i don't have that luxury anymore.

Fortunately for me, so far it seems that the majority of food affected is of the processed kind which I don't buy...however...my daughter ocassionally chooses to have a school dinner if the fancy takes her..and obviously from time to time they will have a burger out etc so for sure they'll have been affected through no fault of their own.