Horse meat could still be on sale in Britain

[Still Waters]

Food Service, one of Poland’s biggest meat processors, is suspected by Irish authorities to be the source of beef products that contained up to a third horse meat, it can be disclosed.

Marek Czerniej, one of the company’s owners, on Friday told this newspaper that it supplies half a dozen companies in Britain with hamburger meat.

He refused to name them, however, saying that the information was a “trade secret”.

http://www.telegraph...in-Britain.html

[+and-then]

Is this just a money making effort or is horse meat some kind of delicacy in Poland? I would be very angry to discover that I had been fed horse for beef.

[Mr Right Wing]

Food Service, one of Poland’s biggest meat processors, is suspected by Irish authorities to be the source of beef products that contained up to a third horse meat, it can be disclosed.

Marek Czerniej, one of the company’s owners, on Friday told this newspaper that it supplies half a dozen companies in Britain with hamburger meat.

He refused to name them, however, saying that the information was a “trade secret”.

http://www.telegraph...in-Britain.html

I've eaten 100s of cheeseburgers from Tesco

Neighver mind its too late to do anything about it.

Is this just a money making effort or is horse meat some kind of delicacy in Poland? I would be very angry to discover that I had been fed horse for beef.

Some central European countries put horse meat in their spicy sausages.

[Ealdwita]

Eating horse meat per se isn't the real problem (except for personal sensibilities), but the worry is the lack of traceability of the product. When horse meat is legally used for human consumption, the origin of the animals are known and are provably safe. In the recent cases of 'contamination', the origins are not clear and therefore suspect. For instance, certain drugs and medications are given to horses during their lives which can prove harmful to humans, such as Chloramphemicol (prescribed for sport horses with respiratory problems and can cause aplastic anemia in humans). Banamin is another substance given to horses which has been linked to bowel cancer. (And, trust me, you really don't want to know about Trichinosis!)

Edited February 2, 2013 by ealdwita

[Eldorado]

A lot of trots to the toilet? Or worse?

[Mr Right Wing]

Eating horse meat per se isn't the real problem (except for personal sensibilities), but the worry is the lack of traceability of the product. When horse meat is legally used for human consumption, the origin of the animals are known and are provably safe. In the recent cases of 'contamination', the origins are not clear and therefore suspect. For instance, certain drugs and medications are given to horses during their lives which can prove harmful to humans, such as Chloramphemicol (prescribed for sport horses with respiratory problems and can cause aplastic anemia in humans). Banamin is another substance given to horses which has been linked to bowel cancer. (And, trust me, you really don't want to know about Trichinosis!)

Hit me with it, what can I expect from Trichinosis?

If it makes me run fast it'll come in handy lol

[questionmark]

Hit me with it, what can I expect from Trichinosis?

If it makes me run fast it'll come in handy lol

Perforated guts, eaten up muscle mass, painful death.

[Mr Right Wing]

Perforated guts, eaten up muscle mass, painful death.

Yikes!

[Frank Merton]

Vietnamese (mostly in the North) eat dogmeat, and efforts to discourage it because it is unhealthy are treated much like some Americans treat those who would take away the handguns.

I would only eat very well cooked pork or rat meat because they are omnivores. As you move up the food chain the chances of a nasty parasite increases. There is also a similar problem from eating wild animals.

Now to horse meat. I never heard of such a thing, I guess because once military calvary became obsolete the horse pretty much disappeared. The animal of burden (assuming the farmer is really behind the times) is a water buffalo, and you do see one of them every now and then.

Buddhism puts a special ethical burden on those who eat animals who have been previously used as beasts of burden. I doubt that that would stop a typical farmer.

I've never been offered horse meat; it would be way too expensive.

[acute]

I don't mind eating Nag Bol, as long as 'horse meat' is included in the list of ingredients.

[BiffSplitkins]

What's wrong with eating horsemeat? Matthew Broderick did it for years and he seems healthy as a horse.

[TheLastLazyGun]

Is this just a money making effort or is horse meat some kind of delicacy in Poland?

Horsemeat is a delicacy throughout Continental Europe. Have you ever been to France? If you have, you'd have seen it on sale at almost every butchers. Around 200,000 horses are slaughtered for meat annually in Europe, half in Italy. France, Spain and the Netherlands also have many horse abbatoirs.

During WWII, it was also eaten in Britain when other meats were rationed. British soldiers ate it, too. It was quite popular in Britain from the the 19th century until the 1940s.

Horsemeat is also very good for you. It is packed with protein, iron and Omega 3 fatty acids.

In fact, the British are almost unique in Europe for their silly aversion to eating horsemeat. We have no problem eating cows and sheep and chickens but, for some silly reason, we seem to be horrified at the prospect of eating horse.

Edited February 7, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun

[Bonecrusher]

Horsemeat is a delicacy throughout Continental Europe. Have you ever been to France? If you have, you'd have seen it on sale at almost every butchers. Around 200,000 horses are slaughtered for meat annually in Europe, half in Italy. France, Spain and the Netherlands also have many horse abbatoirs.

During WWII, it was also eaten in Britain when other meats were rationed. British soldiers ate it, too. It was quite popular in Britain from the the 19th century until the 1940s.

Horsemeat is also very good for you. It is packed with protein, iron and Omega 3 fatty acids.

In fact, the British are almost unique in Europe for their silly aversion to eating horsemeat. We have no problem eating cows and sheep and chickens but, for some silly reason, we seem to be horrified at the prospect of eating horse.

So your going to risk perforated guts,eaten up muscle mass and sudden death.

With any kind of unregistered meat that's not meant to be consumed in your respective country there's bound to be something dodgy about it.

If the meat was registered in our country as an official food source those chemicals that Ealdwita mentioned will vanish.

However we are talking about France here where frog legs and snails are considered haute cuisine.

Check out the rest of Ealdwita's post because you might get some much needed wisdom.

The reason why the taste of horsemeat is abhorrent to Brits is because we are a nation of animal lovers.

And besides as well as being pleasant to the eye you can ride them anywhere apart from up a mountain.

You might have to get your iron,protein and Omega 3 Fatty acids from an other source.

Do you fancy a spot of channel hopping if chopped liver isn't your thing?

Edited February 7, 2013 by Medium Brown

[questionmark]

in related news:

Findus beef lasagne was up to 100 per cent horse meat

Testing on Findus beef lasagne has revealed the meals contain up to 100 per cent horse meat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said.

Shoppers who bought the lasagne meals, which are produced by French food supplier Comigel on behalf of Findus, have now been warned not to eat them.

Retail giant Tesco and discount chain Aldi withdrew a range of ready meals produced by Comigel over fears they contained contaminated meat.

The FSA said there is no evidence to suggest the horse meat found is a food safety risk.

Read more

[freetoroam]

was thinking of starting a thread about Findus, but now you have mentioned it here, this is good enough, too many threads on the same subjects anyway.

Good old Poland and Ireland and Supermarkets following the EU rules:

Topics

EU rules until 12 Dec. 2014

EU rules after 13 Dec. 2014

Price indication

Quinine & caffeine

Beef

Labelling of GMOs

Legislation applicable until 12 December 2014

EU legislation on food labelling covers:

• General rules on food labelling
  
• Rules for specific foods e.g. beef or chocolate.
  

Directive 2000/13/EC on labelling, presentation and advertising of foods is the main EU legislation on the subject.

Key points of Directive 2000/13/EC

• Consumers get all the essential information on composition, manufacturer, storage methods and preparation, etc.
  
• Applies to foods delivered as such to the consumer or to restaurants, hospitals, canteens and other mass caterers.
  
• Food labels must be indelible and easy to see, understand and read, with some particulars appearing in the same field of vision.
  
• Substances known as allergens must always be indicated on the label. (EU list of allergens or substances causing intolerances - Annex IIIa).
  
  • Informal guidelines on how manufacturers must label such substances
    
  • Guidance on requests for exemptions after 25 November 2007
    

  [*]Labels must indicate the quantity of certain ingredients as a percentage of the final product (Quantitative Ingredients Declaration - QUID).

  • Guidelines for implementing the QUID
    

• Producers and manufacturers can give additional labelling information, if it is accurate and does not mislead the consumer.
  
• Prohibits claims on any food that it prevents, treats or cures a human disease.
  

Edited February 7, 2013 by freetoroam

[questionmark]

was thinking of starting a thread about Findus, but now you have mentioned it here, this is good enough, too many threads on the same subjects anyway.

Good old Poland and Ireland and Supermarkets following the EU rules:

Topics

EU rules until 12 Dec. 2014

EU rules after 13 Dec. 2014

Price indication

Quinine & caffeine

Beef

Labelling of GMOs

Legislation applicable until 12 December 2014

EU legislation on food labelling covers:

• General rules on food labelling
  
• Rules for specific foods e.g. beef or chocolate.
  

Directive 2000/13/EC on labelling, presentation and advertising of foods is the main EU legislation on the subject.

Key points of Directive 2000/13/EC

• Consumers get all the essential information on composition, manufacturer, storage methods and preparation, etc.
  
• Applies to foods delivered as such to the consumer or to restaurants, hospitals, canteens and other mass caterers.
  
• Food labels must be indelible and easy to see, understand and read, with some particulars appearing in the same field of vision.
  
• Substances known as allergens must always be indicated on the label. (EU list of allergens or substances causing intolerances - Annex IIIa).
  
  • Informal guidelines on how manufacturers must label such substances
    
  • Guidance on requests for exemptions after 25 November 2007
    

  [*]Labels must indicate the quantity of certain ingredients as a percentage of the final product (Quantitative Ingredients Declaration - QUID).

  • Guidelines for implementing the QUID
    

• Producers and manufacturers can give additional labelling information, if it is accurate and does not mislead the consumer.
  
• Prohibits claims on any food that it prevents, treats or cures a human disease.
  

Rules are only as good as its enforcement.

The rules are made in Brussels, and Brussels is far away....

[freetoroam]

Rules are only as good as its enforcement.

The rules are made in Brussels, and Brussels is far away....

yes, it seems the Brussels rules are as popular as their vegetable counterparts, all pushed to the other side of the plate!

[ali smack]

I am getting seriously worried. I ate a beef pasty last month. I have also eaten cheese burgers, which I believe had beef in them 2 months ago. I hope they didn't contain horse meat

[AsteroidX]

If its unpopular I would imagine BK would have changed vendors for there beef. There in it for money and dont want the continued reputation smear.

[AsteroidX]

I did just find this gem however.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0207/Horse-meat-in-lasagna-burgers-meatballs

[stevewinn]

why am i not surprised the sources of the meat is coming from countries outside of the UK. civilized people dont eat horse.

[Shayde]

Another thing to get worried about with just what the blazes might be in our food. Are they trying to put us off eating anything? Mark you, there are now several jokes coming to the fore on this subject. Some of them wonderfully offensive!

[questionmark]

why am i not surprised the sources of the meat is coming from countries outside of the UK. civilized people dont eat horse.

So, Britain until the 1930s was uncivilized?

[stevewinn]

So, Britain until the 1930s was uncivilized?

i think you'll find the consumption was limited, infact if you knew a thing or two instead of just headline grabbing of the first result google throws up, to try and make a point in our game of oneupmanship - if you knew your history you'll find the increase in horse meat consumption was to do with refugees from the first world war. who came over here. once we sorted that little mess out, and brought a bit of civility back to europe the consumption decreased to the level we see today which seems to be 80%+ of beef products. those dirty europeans' how dare they feed us that tripe, a food of depression and poverty. only something the lessers would eat with relish. the likes of the Koreans of Europe France. they'd eat anything. - Britain 1 - Questionmark - 0

Edited February 8, 2013 by stevewinn

[Ealdwita]

Can anyone remember who once said, "Belgians? They'll drink anything that can be brewed in a bucket, and eat anything that can't crawl out of one!"? Oh hang on, that might've been me!