Jump to content

Beef Scandal


Dave225

Recommended Posts

Findus is the latest ‘casualty’ of the food processing scandal. Evidently some of their Lasagnes contained nothing but horsemeat all sold to them by a French Company, Comigel. Findus is a Company with a wellknown UK brand name but is now owned at least in part by a US equity Company. As they used to say about their troops 'overpaid, over here and now screwing our beef'.

 

First we have a Polish company selling dodgy stuff to Ireland who pass it on to us, then a Dutch company was found to be supplying beef bulking powder containing things apart from beef, also evidently originating from Poland. Just how many horses are there in Poland anyway? What next one wonders? So, our EU friends are not above slipping a little extra into the product they sell ‘hand on heart’ to us? And Poland is the biggest recipient of EU funds. Now we know what they spend it on.

 

Of course our own Food Standards Agency is getting the blame for not checking and yes, that is valid to a degree, but who was checking in France, Poland and Ireland one wonders? So much for EU rules and regulations, basically not worth a horse’s a.. or was that tail?? Evidently checks are now being made but only for signs of horse and pork, (why pig I wonder) but signs of dog, cat and rat are being ignored and yes, that is what is also possibly suspect in these products according to the news agencies. Fortunately, this family, under the boss's control, has never eaten any frozen lasagne or meals but as I am a male, if left alone who knows what I would buy.

 

The nub of the problem is I feel the relaxing by the EU of labelling. If a product from anywhere in the world is wrapped here in the UK it can be labelled as British. If it comes from another EU country then the labelling becomes a very grey area, so 3rd party suppliers to the EU can slip anything in the back door.

 

I hear Findus have a new advert though. ‘Eat our Lasagne and you could win the Grand National’.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just wondering how many pre-prepared meals are subject to this scandal ?

 

It would seem that any restaurants , Pubs, franchise restaurants ( Italian based Lasagna, bolognaise sauces etc) have been fobbed off with this stuff ?

 

No seems to have been asking that question ?

 

Yet

 

Rgds

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny enough it was in december that we had a conversation about this at work. It has always been known by those of us with ties to the food industry that it is an industry out of control, with supermarkets trying to drive prices ever lower all sorts of shady practices are going on. Several 'consumers' at work could not grasp the concept that ready meals contain some of the worst products from around the world only made edible by flavourings.

Anyway, cooked up a couple of 'free range' squrrels in the slow cooker today, no dodgey meat products for us. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

colin - 2013-02-08 8:04 PM

 

Food Standards Agency

Financial Services Authority

OfCom

Ofwat

Ect.

All have been shown to be not fit for service.

 

Please do not get me started again on the FSA (no 2 above) (lol)

 

But I agree 100% Colin. I would add the so called "regulation of Hospitals" given the appalling revelations from Stafford Hospitals NHS Trust.

 

I would also specifically add the unbelievably incompetent and complacent regulation of Care Homes.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20564151

 

The good news is that these organisations are being taken to task.

 

I just hope that yet more whitewash is NOT the result.

 

 

 

:-S

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I guess the bottom line is we have the country we deserve, or asked for?? Mind you i do not recall actually doing one or looking for the other. What many of us took for granted not so long ago, as trustworthy organisations befitting a 1st world country have now been shown to be totally corrupt, incompetent and and yet costing ever increasing sums of money, but no one it seems is prepared to do anything about it. Yes, we get Inquiries by the dozen, platitudes about 'lessons being ;earned', even more money wasted....and things go on as normal down the ever slippery slope to chaos. I suspect we do not even merit 3rd wold status anymore. Nobody is ever prosecuted and it seems that if the heat does get a little too close for comfort, the escape plan is to retire early.

 

Does anyone have an answer??????????? The French in the 18th Century finally snapped and guilotines were invented. Is there a modern day equivalent??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TOH has just returned from her weekly shop & I looked at her meat purchases admittedly raw and I noticed that each package, was labled 'Élevée en France' The Type of Animal ie Bœuf and the breed 'Limousin' The only time I have found UK meat it has been in the bargain isle and labled 'Other European country'. (surprisingly New Zealand lamb is readily accepted),The French housewife has a long memory and BSE will haunt UK producers for a long time and Polish 'fillers' will not help the Story.

The Supermarkets must bear the major part of the responsibility for this fiasco( :-) ) They expect a lower and lower buy-in price while turning a blind eye on the methods necessary to provide a massive mark-up.

If its possible to do it here why not in the UK?

But would you want to know that the Burger was made from Kenyan Cow? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the early 1960's when I was an apprentice butcher and slaughterman the local family butchers I worked for had two makes of sausage Lincolnshire Pork and a Beef Sausage , the pork were in old money 3/4d lb =17p 454grms and the beef ones 1/10d lb =9p 454 grms now as beef meat was more expensive than pork meat you can only imagine as to the quality of the beef sausage. The pork were 86% meat and the only thing relating to beef was the name !! Unfortunateley at that time there were a lot of should we say less well off families and the beef sausage was all they could afford , but at least they got their sausage and mash and a sheeps head was a luxury.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave225 - 2013-02-09 12:29 PM

 

Does anyone have an answer??????????? The French in the 18th Century finally snapped and guilotines were invented. Is there a modern day equivalent??

 

Yes Dave, there is, but you would need instruction's by those that prepare halal meat. Health and Safety and all that.

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect there may well be some legal action from consumers or consumers organisations after all the retailer not the manufacturer is responsible for the product they sell. Its no good labeling it as (Put your favorite supermarket brand here) finest beef 100% lasagne and as soon as its found to contain zebra / pony / horse / donkey wash their hands of the product and blame the supplier when it was (your favorite supermarket) who hammered the suppliers so much on cost that shortcuts are taken to get the product down to a price point and increase the profits that supermarkets make.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Staffordshire it would seem that the people running a hospital where people were neglected have had no action taken against them - so the chances of any action being taken against people who stuck the wrong labels on meat is very small.

 

That's what the world has come to .

 

 

 

:-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

malc d - 2013-02-09 3:41 PM

 

In Staffordshire it would seem that the people running a hospital where people were neglected have had no action taken against them - so the chances of any action being taken against people who stuck the wrong labels on meat is very small.

 

That's what the world has come to .

 

 

 

:-(

 

Deeply sad - but very true :-S

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pelmetman
CliveH - 2013-02-09 7:48 PM

 

What do you mean "could" Dave?

 

8-) 8-)

 

Reminds me of that saying............"Many a true turd spoken in jest".......... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Retread24800 - 2013-02-09 2:02 PMTOH has just returned from her weekly shop & I looked at her meat purchases admittedly raw and I noticed that each package, was labled 'Élevée en France' The Type of Animal ie Bœuf and the breed 'Limousin' The only time I have found UK meat it has been in the bargain isle and labled 'Other European country'. (surprisingly New Zealand lamb is readily accepted),The French housewife has a long memory and BSE will haunt UK producers for a long time and Polish 'fillers' will not help the Story.

The Supermarkets must bear the major part of the responsibility for this fiasco( :-) ) They expect a lower and lower buy-in price while turning a blind eye on the methods necessary to provide a massive mark-up.

If its possible to do it here why not in the UK?

But would you want to know that the Burger was made from Kenyan Cow? 

It is now reported that French supermarkets are removing all beef products from their frozen counters as well. Plus it seems the \French factory had an outbreak of E Coli a few months back so i regret your optimism about French marketing is not well founded. Fraud and criminal activity is now suspected.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave225 - 2013-02-09 9:04 PM
Retread24800 - 2013-02-09 2:02 PMTOH has just returned from her weekly shop & I looked at her meat purchases admittedly raw and I noticed that each package, was labled 'Élevée en France' The Type of Animal ie Bœuf and the breed 'Limousin' The only time I have found UK meat it has been in the bargain isle and labled 'Other European country'. (surprisingly New Zealand lamb is readily accepted),The French housewife has a long memory and BSE will haunt UK producers for a long time and Polish 'fillers' will not help the Story.

The Supermarkets must bear the major part of the responsibility for this fiasco( :-) ) They expect a lower and lower buy-in price while turning a blind eye on the methods necessary to provide a massive mark-up.

If its possible to do it here why not in the UK?

But would you want to know that the Burger was made from Kenyan Cow? 

It is now reported that French supermarkets are removing all beef products from their frozen counters as well. Plus it seems the \French factory had an outbreak of E Coli a few months back so i regret your optimism about French marketing is not well founded. Fraud and criminal activity is now suspected.

 

France24 reported that all Findus Beef products have been withdrawn from the shelves here too.

Maybe I wasn't too clear in my post but the amount of visibility on the origin of the (admittedly fresh) meat is much greater over here than it was when we used to shop in the UK.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1footinthegrave - 2013-02-10 10:49 AM

 

I'm really surprised a Beef Lasagne containing 100% Beef costing £1.26 only contained horse ! !

 

Do not enquire too much, and you won't be horrified.

 

By the way like the new motorhome. Makes you look years younger. My Dad had on of them in the 70's until it melted into a pile of rust.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest 1footinthegrave
Mind you my old Commer van was a bit like 100% Beef when I sold it, all the tons of P38 instead of metal covered by a respray, ah happy days :D

2082635352_berthaprep(160x107).jpg.f0a2a5b51d8ef60df936d215de8fde15.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest pelmetman
1footinthegrave - 2013-02-10 2:31 PM

 

Mind you my old Commer van was a bit like 100% Beef when I sold it, all the tons of P38 instead of metal covered by a respray, ah happy days :D

 

If you still had it Mike it would probably be worth more than your current van :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...