Horse Meat In Burgers

[abstibus]

RTE News has just said there was horsemeat in 29% (think I got that right) of burgers tested and sold in many major supermarkets in Ireland.
No major risk to health, however.
That's a big consolation.
There was also pork DNA.
Anyone care to comment?

[society]

The pig's DNA could perhaps come from the meat grinder which was also previously used to grind pork and it was not cleaned properly, or cleaned at all before grinding the horse's meat.

[Stargazer]

It is enough to make anyone become vegetatian.

[DTCwordfan]

I wondered why I had lost my voice.....

The French eat plenty of it and I have done so a number of times, beef without fat essentially, akin to a buffalo in many ways. However, there is an issue of trade descriptions here as a beef burger should be that - how are they being marketed, annemollie?

[hc4361]

I don't think people who buy supermarket burgers are too fussy about what's in them.

I make my own.

[wolf63]

I was talking to a friend the other day about this.

I had two furry kiddies that I love - I realise that to some of the people of the world that they are just food. I think that this is sad but I can't expect others to live their life by my standards.

In the UK horse is NOT considered to be a normal source of meat. We know that it is eaten but to most people it is a repulsive thought.

To hide horse meat in our food is wrong. A person may be allergic to horse meat for a start - but I think that the psychological implications of eating an animal that you do not consider to be food could be quite unsettling.

I can't eat rabbit, lamb, bambi etc - there is no logic to it, but it makes me squeamish to think about eating any of them.

[abstibus]

The news mentioned some of the major supermarket chains, including Tesco., Lidl and Aldi. Apparently some of the meat was 'homegrown' and some imported. There is a further report to come later in the news, so I'll know more about it then if you would like to be kept up to date.

[DTCwordfan]

so do I, hc......but I would expect beef to be beef and pig to be pig, not another animal and "controversial" at that.

Having said that the meat cuts of beef and pork can be crap, so one may be better off!

[DTCwordfan]

Note to self, remind me to remind wolf when Babe and its sister film is on TV so as to warn her about those lovely Mooeys, Chickies, Duckies and the Pig itself.

[hc4361]

I bet the burgers are called 'burgers' and not beef burgers, though. No description offences there.

I agree, if it is labelled as 100% beef or beef burgers then it should be beef.
Strange how hamburgers are made from beef, isn't it? (I know it's named after Hamburg, Germany)

[daffy654]

I only ever buy 100% beef burgers, if I were to find I had been lied to when buying these I would not be very happy at all!

[wolf63]

DTC - I feel bad enough being an animal lover and a meat eater. I have never watched Babe and will continue to avoid doing so.

What I don't understands is why cat food comes in 'flavours' of Cod, Tuna, Beef etc - no matter how big and vicious the domestic moggie gets it is never going to be able to catch, kill and eat any of the above. Taking a tin of tuna out of the fridge results in me getting circled by the lion cubs.

[tadoran]

Looks like there was not any actual Horsemeat used in the manufacture of thr "Beef Burgers", The horsemeat DNA came from the bindind products.

[abstibus]

The programme mentioned one company that manufactures them and the Food Safety Authority is focusing on it.
It makes the burgers from beef and then imports ingredients from two 'continental European suppliers' to add to the products to make the meat 'stick together'.
They seem to be marketed as frozen beefburgers at the lower end of the price chain - two other retailers mentioned were Iceland and Dunnes.


I can remember posting ages ago about burgers made from Zebu meat in a major restaurant chain.

[sandyRoe]

Nothing wrong with hippophagy. It hasn't done the French or Spanish much harm.

[emmie]

i have eaten horsemeat, though was told initially it was beef, this was in Paris, in a rather swanky recommended restaurant. we found out afterwards, one of our French friends found out and told us. I wasn't best pleased, to say the least.

[emmie]

if it's being passed off as beef then that is against the law i would think...

[AlwaysConfused]

I can deal with what I eat, what concerns me is how the retailers are allowed to word things to make the consumer think they are buying something that they are not

http://www.ecellulitis.com/blog/top-misleading-food-labels/

http://www.coachcalorie.com/food-advertising-tricks/

[emmie]

i also think that all halal meats should be labelled as such, if you don't approve of the practice of slaughter then it would be better that people are given that choice.

[sandyRoe]

Maybe some will remember a cheap bacon sold in supermarkets a few years ago that tasted of fish. Apparently the porkers were being fattened on fishmeal.