# Horse meat in UK lasagna



## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

It is vile. Luckily there's no chance my family have had any of it, as we home cook (I say we - my Mum cooks hehe, lucky me!) and use meat from a butcher, not a supermarket. The meat has only been found in cheap, nasty meat. Suspicious things will end up in cheap, nasty meat, unfortunately, because it's made so cheaply and overseas. Obviously, there is minimal risk, but it's pretty gross, as brits (and you guys I believe?) don't eat horse as a cultural thing. They are, however, concerned that it could contain bute, which can pose a risk to humans (apparently?)


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*horse meat uk*

heres a little rant i supose we get forced apon us to have horse passports for our horses so thay can track what medication thay have and there is an opt out for your beloved horse not to enter the food chain.
so the horse is tracked if you beleve that your mad well you probley open your meat say from a supermarket and youll find your beloved horse you lost.
but mainley its a tax and it is imposed by the horse hungry eu and enforced by defra here and also your foals have to be micro chipped as well.
but the mainthing is the poor soals transported miles from the former eastern block countrys for the dinner tables of france and italy in apooling conditions.
there was an artical were a greek dealer gouged the eyes out of horses so thay were catagrised as fit for the human food chain and with no medication.
so thay were dragged in to lorrys for transport and the week ones fell to the floor with exhustion and trampled to death by the compaions that were lucky to survive the gerney to be dragged out at the otherend and bucherd
and the other thing i cant get over how can you call a horse a vegstable comodaty thats what the eu thinks about horses for the food chain.
i beleave we leave the backward eu the quicker the better like the polatitions all thay have done is turned this great country in to a third world one with evey one now bleeding it dry.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*bute*

i have taken a little bit for tooth ake in very little dabs and when i was in bad pain with my arm im still here no side affects and no problems.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Darrin said:


> I'm curious what the reaction people are having in the UK over this revelation from our UK members. If this was discovered to be happening in the US we would hear nothing else on the news for at least a week, probably more. Wouldn't be surprised if there ended up being congressional hearings over how it happened and what can be done to prevent it in the future.
> 
> Findus beef lasagne 'up to 99% horse’ tests show | The Sun |News


Maybe we're just better at not getting caught. :wink:


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Ireland has been rocked by this as well, and there is quite extensive investigation going into it. It's not just lasagne, there are plenty of burgers, and other products affected. 

I dont find the thought of eatting horsemeat as revolting; it's done in other countries and who am I to judge. I am however disgusted that people were eatting it without being aware of doing so. It's one thing to choose to eat it, another to be doing it without knowing you are. 

A few of the companies at the route of it here, are attempting to blame it on products brought in from Poland - my big question there is if they were advertising these as Polish or Irish as there is a huge thing here about "buying Irish".


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.

Possible cancer causing drugs in the food is bad enough, but serving Horse Meat for human food? 

No more comments as I am getting nauseated.


.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Time to get out the copy of Soylent Green and make some popcorn (at least I think it's popcorn)......
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

PaintHorseMares said:


> Time to get out the copy of Soylent Green and make some popcorn (at least I think it's popcorn)......
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Would you like some uh.... "seasoning" for that popcorn? Got the new special flavour of the month. :-o :lol:


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

WSArabians said:


> Would you like some uh.... "seasoning" for that popcorn? Got the new special flavour of the month. :-o :lol:


;-)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

Ugh if I accidently ate horse meat.....I dont think I could stop throwing up for a week straight. My dad has told me storys of horse meat being served somewhere in Europe to him while he was in the army, and him and the rest of his US buddys just kinda sat there and then stood up and threw it away. Made me happy, to say the least. I agree that eating it and knowing what your eating is perfectly fine, though I would never do it.
To me it's about on the level of Sweeny Todd. :lol:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

I see the issue here, _obviously_ if there was horse meat in the lasange it should have been stated. False advertisement among other things that it was not. Now, don't rip me apart for this I do have horses, _BUT_ if I tried the meat and liked it who's to say it's bad to eat? I would if it was for sale, it is leaner than other meats so I've heard and many eat it abroad. I have cows and eat them too, that's not a problem? 

Yet for some reason you bring up a horse, a pet we "love" and SOME people flip, SOME will agree. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I don't think it's any different than owning cows, goats, chickens etc and eating them too. I would definitley not go out and eat my own horse, that's different to me. If an animal is raised for meat though, they're raised for meat and I'm not too attached...

As beautiful as these horses are the one breed I know are raised for meat, especially in Belgium is the Brabant. The process of raising horses for meat is out there. A lot of us just don't want to pay attention, because we have horses and couldn't imagine them being on our plate...










_The only thing wrong I see here is if the horse was treated with certain medicines or anything along that line that are not rated for human comsumption. Then it IS a problem. This sort of thing should be monitored if the meat is going to be in food. That's just my input for the day. _


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

To me, meat is meat at the end of the day. I'm more concerned with the fact that the products were falsely labelled than there being horse meat in certain products. As for bute being in the meat, it will be in very tiny doses and these days everything causes cancer. Everyday there's something else that causes cancer in the newspapers then about six months later it doesn't cause cancer then a few months later it does again. Besides I know my chances of getting cancer are genetically high anyway and something has got to kill you, I have no intentions of going into a care home unless I can be the new Diana Trent at a replica of the Bayview Retirement Home. 

This is a copy of a post I put on another forum about buying meat from supermarkets vs local butchers:
In an ideal world everyone would buy meat from the local butchers but where I live, foodwise we have a local butcher, a Costcutters and a Tesco express. I earn a training wage and once my cafe bill is taken out at the end of the week I have even less. I can't afford to shop at the butchers, it's much more expensive than getting something from Tescos or Costcutters. Yes it may be better but my money only goes so far and when Tescos has offers on its ready meals which are handy for me because I'm usually so tired I don't want to spend a lot of time making a meal in the evening, I just want something that goes in the microwave for a few minutes so I can eat it and go to sleep or I buy the meal deal and have sushi. The cafe at work uses the butchers so I am in a way using them. I know how to cook quite well, I do like making food but after working 11 hours I don't want to. I also don't want to spend a lot of money on food hence the reason most of the food in my cupboard is noodles, pasta etc, things I can buy in bulk. I don't have the facilities to make a big meal then store it to eat during the week because I live in a shared house and I have one shelf in one of the fridges so it makes it very hard for me.


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

Lis said:


> *To me, meat is meat at the end of the day. I'm more concerned with the fact that the products were falsely labelled than there being horse meat in certain products.*


I couldn't agree with you more here!


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

WSArabians said:


> Maybe we're just better at not getting caught. :wink:


I know a case where an Australian beef company slipped kangaroo in with at least one shipment. The company here in the US caught it but they don't know how long this went on before catching it. The beef company was fired and testing of meat was improved but how much kangaroo slipped by?

EDIT: Government testing procedures need to be improved too. They set standards like go to this corner, pull a core sample from 12" deep and test. Everyone knows the standards so pack/ship accordingly when trying to slip something by.


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

Darrin said:


> I know a case where an Australian beef company slipped kangaroo in with at least one shipment. The company here in the US caught it but they don't know how long this went on before catching it. The beef company was fired and testing of meat was improved *but how much kangaroo slipped by*?


I feel like that's always the question too. You know when things like this happen you can never be sure. Someone is always going to try and cover their butt, point fingers, assign blame and everything under the sun. It sounds like with the horse meat to they're not to sure, or at least they claim to not really know how the meat got there. At least that's what I got out of it. Accidents DO happen, but in a case like this whether kangaroo or horse, someone made the decision to use that kind of meat instead. It didn't _just happen_.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

I have several friends who were outraged when a resturaunt in Queens (NYC) put horse tartar on the menu. They did everything in their power to try to get them to take it off the menu. I guess there was enough of a ruckus being made over it because they did take it off soon after. 

To me whats this difference between a dog, deer, horse, cow, or a chicken? Nothing when we are talking about meat. While I probably wouldn't make a habit of eating horse meat (though I would try it), I'm not going to judge other people for eating it. From what I understand it's pretty good for you to boot! 

Like what others said, what I found outrageous is that no one knew it was in there! Very messed up. It makes you wonder what "slips through the cracks" as far as meat goes...


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.

Sorry if I sounded judgmental earlier.

I would be nauseated over eating Escargot or Chocolate Covered Roaches too :lol::lol: 

.


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

SouthernTrailsGA said:


> .
> 
> Sorry if I sounded judgmental earlier.
> 
> ...


LOL, we all know what you meant! Now question though, how would you feel if you were one of the ones who ate the horse meat lasanga? If you didn't know, but liked it would you keep eating it? Or if you knew it was horse meat, would you not touch it? 

I'm just curious, not to just you but everyone!


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## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

The problem is, horses are not sold as food in this country, at all! All the products were labelled as beef, but when they tested it, it was between 60 and 100% horse. It's not just the fact it's a horse (although it does repulse me as much as the thought of eating dogs, as I have a dog and horses as pets), it's the fact that the meat is not stated on there, and on top of that, because it is not a meat used in the country, it's highly unregulated (hence the bute scare) so could be carrying all kinds of medication or disease (this is how mad cow disease started - tainted meat from overseas, the same with foot and mouth I believe but that one I'm not so sure of). Sorry for ranting!


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*poor skippy*

it looks like poor old skippy ended up there to.


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## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

I do know one thing, since Red was being a total butt head this morning (mares!), I threatened to take her to Tesco's (the original culprit!) and she soon behaved herself after that threat! ;-)


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

All this is really nothing new. When I was young - which is a heck of a long time ago, I remember another huge outcry and scandal in England. There was a crash of a large lorry (truck) on one of England's main roads. The truck was heading to the largest soup company. (The one we all know and all over the world) The truck was fairly demolished and inside and falling out, was horse meat and horse HEADS! Since that soup company did not then or now, make dog food, it was obvious that the horse meat was used for some of their soups.

Over the years, we have heard off and on, several cases where horse meat had been found in the food we buy. I would bet, we have all eaten it at some time or other, whether knowingly or not. And that in whatever country in which we happen to live.

Except in a few countries, most of us eat beef and pork readily. I tend to think that if most of us knew just what those animals had had pumped into them and forced to eat before slaughter, we'd probably not eat that meat either.

I wouldn't knowingly eat horse meat, since I have seen tons of it raw and also smelled it cooking. I definitely do not like the smell of it cooking. 

Certainly, we should all know exactly what animal meats are in that which we eat, but really, it doesn't necessarily make it less or more safe for us. And buying straight from a butcher, still doesn't allow us usually, to know what injections/strange or dangerous foodstuffs, had been pumped into that animal, beforehand.

Breeding, raising and butchering our own meat products, is the only way we truly know what we are eating.

Lizzie


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

For me, the issue is more about their being quality controls on food that is offered for sale. The contents should match the ingredient list exactly. 


This isn't really funny, but I find it to be.


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

MMMM lasagna..


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## Annanoel (Mar 29, 2011)

I just LOL'D at work Alex. That's too funny.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

SlideStop said:


> I have several friends who were outraged when a resturaunt in Queens (NYC) put horse tartar on the menu. They did everything in their power to try to get them to take it off the menu. I guess there was enough of a ruckus being made over it because they did take it off soon after.
> 
> To me whats this difference between a dog, deer, horse, cow, or a chicken? Nothing when we are talking about meat. While I probably wouldn't make a habit of eating horse meat (though I would try it), I'm not going to judge other people for eating it. From what I understand it's pretty good for you to boot!
> 
> Like what others said, what I found outrageous is that no one knew it was in there! Very messed up. It makes you wonder what "slips through the cracks" as far as meat goes...


Ya people eat what they eat! However, the only thing that bugs me is this....a deer, horse, cow, chicken....herbivores...........Dogs, cats, bear......carnivore.......I just cannot wrap my head around eating a prey animal.....ack!!!:lol:


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Oh what bucket of worms this presents )

Eating equine is nothing new. It's only in the last roughly 100 years that it's become such a "taboo" in the western world. It's was (and might still be) used in sausages in most Europe for a long time. Every great horse society in the world ate horse meet (Mongols, native Americans, Scythians, Huns, etc......).
Medications aside, it's about the healthiest domestically raised red meat you can eat (e.g LDL vs HDL, leaner, etc....) and one of the few animals that the quality of the meat from older animals is often better than the younger ones. I've still found it on the menu in Italy and France, but you pay a higher price for it.
In North America it was eaten by many of European ancestry not so very long ago in our history (during my great grandparents time). Meat was meat, times were hard and going hungry has never been real popular with most people.
If you eat pork concider that a pig is a far more intelligent animal than a horse (but then so is a donkey) on par with K-9's (and smarter than some I know) so smarter than cats too, but we eat pigs. Of course you can find where, along with horses, dogs and cats were eaten throughout western history even as recently as the last 75 years (if you're in the UK ever hear of "roof-rabbit", or "alpine-rabbit" if you're in southern Europe?).
While I'm not going to kill a pet to eat it (unless it means not having food), I certainly would never say I wouldn't eat equine meat or think ill of someone who had. I'm sure that I have at times during all my years of living in Europe (and the amount of sausages I'd eated). Killing one type of domestic animal for meat is no different than killing any other domestic animal for meat. Something is going to eat it even if it's worms (unless you burn it to ash and not many do that even where it's legal). Personally, having seen dead animals at stages of decomposition being "recycled" into worms and maggots I find that far more disturbing (especially since most, not all, of my pets have ended up as worm food) than the idea of someone eating one of my horses that has died after a long and happy life. Some how I find it better to think of them becoming part of a person or even dog instead a worm or worse a maggot that will turn into a blow fly, etc..... After all, what do think happens to their dead body?


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

:lol: horse "meat"


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

I'd eat a horse. I've eaten some preditors as well.

I became a bit desensitized to it all when I turned "horse crazy" and people would try and get a rise out of me by saying my horse would taste great on a bun. So one day I agreed with them and since then, I've been wanting to try horse >_> 

That'd shut everyone up!
"He'd taste good with some ketchup!"
"Actually, they taste great with gravy"

Kangaroo sounds interesting to try too.

But I'm blabbering...if the package says cow, there should be a cow in there. I'd be disgusted if I bought a dead cow and it turned into a dead horse. Why? Because who knows what ELSE I'M EATING.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

AlexS said:


> For me, the issue is more about their being quality controls on food that is offered for sale. The contents should match the ingredient list exactly.
> 
> 
> This isn't really funny, but I find it to be.


I thought it was pretty funny :rofl:


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Darrin said:


> I know a case where an Australian beef company slipped kangaroo in with at least one shipment. The company here in the US caught it but they don't know how long this went on before catching it. The beef company was fired and testing of meat was improved but how much kangaroo slipped by?
> 
> EDIT: Government testing procedures need to be improved too. They set standards like go to this corner, pull a core sample from 12" deep and test. Everyone knows the standards so pack/ship accordingly when trying to slip something by.


Or when that Chinese restaurant was found with dead coyotes in the freezer? How many of them got served? What would they be like...Chicken??


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

At the moment you can't buy anything in the UK that is what it says it is. I bought mint imperials today from a sweet shop, now correct me if I'm wrong but surely mint imperials should taste minty? These are white aniseed balls! I'm more upset about this than I am about the horse meat. I wanted minty freshness!


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Lis said:


> At the moment you can't buy anything in the UK that is what it says it is. I bought mint imperials today from a sweet shop, now correct me if I'm wrong but surely mint imperials should taste minty? These are white aniseed balls! I'm more upset about this than I am about the horse meat. I wanted minty freshness!


Listerine!


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

Listerine is horrible! I used some a while back and nearly threw up, admittedly it may have been open for a while lol. It's a very good job I like aniseed but still...I wanted mint imperials.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I think it is funny. I've eaten too many MREs to worry about what gets tossed down my throat any more.

Now...time to take a package of lasagne out to the corral, and hang it as a warning to Mia...

*"THIS is what happens to horses who see pink Rhinos behind every bush!*"


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

bsms said:


> I think it is funny. I've eaten too many MREs to worry about what gets tossed down my throat any more.
> 
> Now...time to take a package of lasagne out to the corral, and hang it as a warning to Mia...
> 
> *"THIS is what happens to horses who see pink Rhinos behind every bush!*"


I tried that with a pail of dog food and mine just ate it. :-|


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

bsms said:


> I think it is funny. I've eaten too many MREs to worry about what gets tossed down my throat any more.


I can no longer eat anything with Alfredo sauce on it.....
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Lis said:


> At the moment you can't buy anything in the UK that is what it says it is. I bought mint imperials today from a sweet shop, now correct me if I'm wrong but surely mint imperials should taste minty? These are white aniseed balls! I'm more upset about this than I am about the horse meat. I wanted minty freshness!



Grrr. I am so jealous that you have sweet shops, I'd do almost anything for some sherbet lemons.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

I don't trust ANYTHING bought from a store. I eat it of course (some things) because I'm lazy...
Family member was a former USDA inspector... Don't trust anything.

I have no problem eating horse meat, or escargot, or even chocolate covered roaches :lol:. I used to live in Japan.


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

Well at this rate Alex you'd order sherbert lemons and get pear drops. Though this place was like heaven, wall to wall of sweets and every type of sweet you could imagine except for mint imperials apparently.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Lis said:


> Well at this rate Alex you'd order sherbert lemons and get pear drops. Though this place was like heaven, wall to wall of sweets and every type of sweet you could imagine except for mint imperials apparently.


Laugh. Sherbert doesn't exist here, at least that I can see. And I can't find an American who knows what it is to translate it for me. :-(


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

I ate horse meat in Japan once, I sat there eating it thinking about my horses kind of like Homer Simpson eating his pet lobster Pinchy. The meat was even raw, but it sure tasted good.


The whole taboo on eating horse meat is just a cultural conceit, there’s nothing right or wrong about it, any more than eating dog or cat; or whale (assuming they aren't hunted to extinction). But people will get on their high horse about it. I heard on the news years ago about a butcher in Australia who got government/health department approval to sell horse meat in his shop. The poor guy was getting death threats over it. 
And Kangaroo meat is actually pretty good if you know how to cook it, if you don’t know how to cook it you may as well chew on your saddle, has about the same texture.


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

That is honestly one of the most depressing things I've heard. No sherbert really? You can get sherbert bricks at this shop, I'm definitely going to savour mine knowing there's no sherbert in America.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

FlyGap said:


> I don't trust ANYTHING bought from a store. I eat it of course (some things) because I'm lazy...
> Family member was a former USDA inspector... Don't trust anything.
> 
> I have no problem eating horse meat, or escargot, or even chocolate covered roaches :lol:. I used to live in Japan.


Deep fried trantulas??


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

AlexS said:


> Grrr. I am so jealous that you have sweet shops, I'd do almost anything for some sherbet lemons.


Do you mean like Sherbet the ice cream??


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Muppetgirl said:


> a deer, horse, cow, chicken....herbivores...........Dogs, cats, bear......carnivore.......I just cannot wrap my head around eating a prey animal.....ack!!!:lol:


Yep, same here. Although Koreans ans Chinese probably won't agree with us. :wink: I tried gator while back, and while it had some strange taste to it it wasn't all that bad. 

I don't see eating a horse as something horrible as long as it's _your _choice and you know what you are eating (even though I've never tried one), but the fact they pretended it's _beef _is horrible.


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## CCH (Jan 23, 2011)

AlexS said:


> Laugh. Sherbert doesn't exist here, at least that I can see. And I can't find an American who knows what it is to translate it for me. :-(


Sherbet is like a fruit flavored sorbet with dairy added to make it like an ice cream. Old ladies love it, and it makes an excellent punch when mixed with 7-up or sprite.

It isn't ice cream or frozen yogurt and it definitely isn't as good as a 100% real fruit sorbet.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Lis said:


> That is honestly one of the most depressing things I've heard. No sherbert really? You can get sherbert bricks at this shop, I'm definitely going to savour mine knowing there's no sherbert in America.


There are plenty of sherberts in the US. I had a pashion friut sherbert at shop on Tuesday. My oldest son buys a tub of sherbert ever couple of months.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

FlyGap said:


> I don't trust ANYTHING bought from a store. I eat it of course (some things) because I'm lazy...
> Family member was a former USDA inspector... Don't trust anything.
> 
> I have no problem eating horse meat, or escargot, or even chocolate covered roaches :lol:. I used to live in Japan.


Deep fried trantulas??


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

WSArabians said:


> Do you mean like Sherbet the ice cream??





CCH said:


> Sherbet is like a fruit flavored sorbet with dairy added to make it like an ice cream. Old ladies love it, and it makes an excellent punch when mixed with 7-up or sprite.
> 
> It isn't ice cream or frozen yogurt and it definitely isn't as good as a 100% real fruit sorbet.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



Thanks, but what we call sherbert in England is something entirely different. I know that what you call sherbert here is like a sorbet ice cream. 
In the UK it's a sugary power that's found inside some hard candies. Or you can buy it in a tube and dip licorice or something similar into it (after licking the licorice) so it stick to it.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

AlexS said:


> Thanks, but what we call sherbert in England is something entirely different. I know that what you call sherbert here is like a sorbet ice cream.
> In the UK it's a sugary power that's found inside some hard candies. Or you can buy it in a tube and dip licorice or something similar into it (after licking the licorice) so it stick to it.


Huh. Weird. LOL
Are those candies you posted American or English?


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## CCH (Jan 23, 2011)

AlexS said:


> Thanks, but what we call sherbert in England is something entirely different. I know that what you call sherbert here is like a sorbet ice cream.
> In the UK it's a sugary power that's found inside some hard candies. Or you can buy it in a tube and dip licorice or something similar into it (after licking the licorice) so it stick to it.


Your version looks like what we call pixie stix. There is also another candy that has a sugar stick that you dip into the powder, it is called Fun Dip. If I wasn't mobile, I'd post a photo.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

CCH said:


> Your version looks like what we call pixie stix. There is also another candy that has a sugar stick that you dip into the powder, it is called Fun Dip. If I wasn't mobile, I'd post a photo.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Haven't seen these in forever!


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## BBBCrone (Jan 28, 2012)

yum!


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

THANK YOU! I looked up both, and found this. 



Sherbet - a fizzy powder similar to that found in Pixy Stix
Fun Dip - similar to pixy stix, but sold in a pouch


I am going to slap my husband, I've been asking for this American knowledge for about 8 years!


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## BBBCrone (Jan 28, 2012)

Uh oh ... look out, we are now accomplices to violence!! *ducks*


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

Sherbet Lemons yum yum!

Back on topic - from the moment the first 'eek horse meat in beef burgers!' Scandal erupted a couple of weeks ago my Facebook page has been full of very British jokes about it. And I should point out that the vast majority of my friends are horsey. One of my many favourites was a video on you tube (do a search with the words Horse and Tesco) of a pantomime horse looking for his friends in the supermarket.

Oh, and 

"Breaking News! Even veggies aren't safe. UniQuorn has been found in veggie burgers"

So to answer the original question, everyone's very cross with the meat suppliers being careless with their supply chain processes, particularly in light of our recent Foot and Mouth traumas, but most day to day effort is going into making humour out of it.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I ate horsemeant, unknowingly at a smorg. It was labelled only a Pot Roast. It had an odd flavor, hmm, spices? I've eaten deer, moose, cattle, and it was none of those. When I went back to the pan there was no spice odor. I tried to disquise the taste with the usual condiments. Nope. Then I started to burp, for two hours I burped every couple of minutes, the same taste without the condiments. That's when I realized it was Dobbin as no spice or other animal has caused me to burp like that. It was not pleasant.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

SouthernTrailsGA said:


> .
> 
> Sorry if I sounded judgmental earlier.
> 
> ...


 Escargot is divine with garlic butter & french bread! Agreed on the roaches though!


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I travel to Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New guinea or the Philippines every year. I wander through the markets and see lots of interesting food. I know I have eaten horse, and have probably eaten dog, monkey and who knows what else.

In one market we saw roasted dogs, freshly butchered monkey, rats on a stick and yummy fruit bats.










One interesting dish was a patty made of tiny minnows that were almost still alive. It was pretty good.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Give me a nice horse burger and fries over another MRE any day (or even eating in the DFAC). Not sure about cat or dog, but only because I don't think carnivores make very tasty food. I have no ethical qualms about eating any one domestic (or wild) animal over another.

The whole 'misleading the public' and using meat from goodness-knows-where, processed in goodness-knows-what conditions disturbs me though. What else could be in there. If it says beef, it should be beef. Not chicken, horse, or soylent green.

I wouldn't eat my *own* pets though. I could slaughter and eat animals I raised, but they would have had to have been designated as "food" rather than "friend" in my head when I got them.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Ok I just became vegetarian, thanks Allison!


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Ugh, Allison... That picture is... wrong. :-|
Lol


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Ugh, Allison... That picture is... wrong. :-|
Lol


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Sharpie said:


> Give me a nice horse burger and fries over another MRE any day (or even eating in the DFAC).


MRE
Meals Rejected by EVERYONE
The military should have started using them in the 60's or 70's and even the worst C-ration meals would have been appreciated.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Am not going to post a pic to support this, but when I was a kid, my Dad did a lot of work in Hong Kong. (he worked all over, but I think it was Hong Kong). They would have a live money in the middle of the table, with a hole cut out of the table, so only the head poked through. 
The live brains were a delicacy, apparently. My Dad declined, but others did not. 


I support horse slaughter, personally I'd rather not eat it, same with other pets. However if the zombie apocalypse happens, or our lives depends on it, my pets would be humanely put to sleep and eaten. 






BBBCrone said:


> Uh oh ... look out, we are now accomplices to violence!! *ducks*


He's not impressed, he hates being ''The Voice Of America". This title is his normal response when I expect him to know and explain all the American things I don't know or understand. It tends to lead to him asking in depth questions about the British monarchy of a million years ago to prove that I am not 'The Voice Of Britain'. 
He's an unusual character. :lol:


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

And I swear I have had those sherbet lemons as a kid.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

FeatheredFeet said:


> Except in a few countries, most of us eat beef and pork readily. I tend to think that if most of us knew just what those animals had had pumped into them and forced to eat before slaughter, we'd probably not eat that meat either.
> 
> I wouldn't knowingly eat horse meat, since I have seen tons of it raw and also smelled it cooking. I definitely do not like the smell of it cooking.
> 
> ...


Erm talking as someone who has worked in the UK beef industry (high end beef not the crap that is included in this scandal) UK beef cattle are not allowed to have had ANY drugs at all in the 3 months prior to slaughter and before that only certain drugs are allowed and Must be declared on the passport. SO no unnessecary antibiotics causeing mass resistance!

Anyway back to horse meat. I'm belgian, I have eaten horse before. Horse is actualy very good for you, it is ultra lean and very tasty.

What I object to in this situation is the fact that things were labeled as beef and where actualy horse.

I have never bought frozen meat from anywhere. I will always buy fresh and I make my own lasagne or cottage pie etc. If I buy from tesco's i buy thier chilled meat. 

Horse meat is easily recognisable if the meat is fresh as it is darker in colour and smells different


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)




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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

nvr2many said:


> And I swear I have had those sherbet lemons as a kid.


I had those as a kid too but don't remember what they were called.


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Originally Posted by *FeatheredFeet*   
_
Except in a few countries, most of us eat beef and pork readily. I tend to think that if most of us knew just what those animals had had pumped into them and forced to eat before slaughter, we'd probably not eat that meat either.

I wouldn't knowingly eat horse meat, since I have seen tons of it raw and also smelled it cooking. I definitely do not like the smell of it cooking. 

Certainly, we should all know exactly what animal meats are in that which we eat, but really, it doesn't necessarily make it less or more safe for us. And buying straight from a butcher, still doesn't allow us usually, to know what injections/strange or dangerous foodstuffs, had been pumped into that animal, beforehand.


Lizzie_

Erm talking as someone who has worked in the UK beef industry (high end beef not the crap that is included in this scandal) UK beef cattle are not allowed to have had ANY drugs at all in the 3 months prior to slaughter and before that only certain drugs are allowed and Must be declared on the passport. SO no unnessecary antibiotics causeing mass resistance!

I am not sure how well the industry is policed in the UK Faye, but the raising of our meat products, has changed a great deal in the last 50 or so years. Most of our cattle are no longer kept on pasture, from birth to butchering. They are 'factiory farmed'. Factory farming keeps hundreds - sometimes thousands of animals, in extremely close quarters. Because of this extreme close-quarter raising, animals are prone to many problems and diseases. They are pumped full of hormones to make them grow more quickly. I've forgotten the name of one of the products now, but something they are fed, is the same thing which is found in the powder we use to mix and make our concrete. Factory farmed animals, are given many more antibiotics. This again, to stop the losses due to the close quarters. Because of living in their own manure, they are prone to ingesting all kinds of nasty things plus pesticides and fertilizers. 
If anyone here has travelled north in California, you will have seen the enormous cattle pens, by the side of the freeway. You can smell it miles before you must pass it. Thousands of cattle are housed there at any given time, standing in filth and nose to tail.
Chicken is another problem. It has been told to us, to always buy whole chickens and cut them up ourselves. This, because there is a high incidence of cancer in fowl and when we buy packages of chicken thighs or legs, they quite well could have come from a chicken which showed cancer in the other parts of its body and was deemed unfit for human consumption.
There is plenty of documentation of what goes on and into our meat during factory farming and easily found on the net.
I do eat meat, but often wonder just what I might be eating.

Lizzie


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

Off Topic:



AlexS said:


> Thanks, but what we call sherbert in England is something entirely different. I know that what you call sherbert here is like a sorbet ice cream.
> In the UK it's a sugary power that's found inside some hard candies. Or you can buy it in a tube and dip licorice or something similar into it (after licking the licorice) so it stick to it.


We have something like the sherbert you're describing. At least I think so haha it's a hard candy with fizzy powder inside of it. 

Here's two brands that I have eaten. I get them at my local bulk candy store.  Some convenience stores sell them as well, I've mostly seen them at 7-11 if you have any of those near you.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

WSArabians said:


> Deep fried trantulas??


I'd give it a shot!
I used to wish I lived in Cali so I could have done Fear Factor, I got no problems with eww. I also live in Arkansas... You don't ask what's in the pot at Grandma's you just eat it. :lol:


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Lizzie Here in the UK that style of keeping animals is illegal. All animals have to have room to move around. Our dairy and beef cattle still graze in fields are not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, they sometimes live in barns in winter but have to be cleaned regularly (twice a day) and DEFRA (the gov organisation) do regular inspections to ensure that cattle and sheep are well cared for, have enough space, not over crowded, clean and in good health.

There was planning applications for an American style superfarm in the UK. It caused uproar in the media and general public, the RSPCA was all over it, planning was refused.


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

I had heard I think, that this kind of factory farming, is a US thing, rather than in other countries. It truly is a pitiful and disgusting, situation. 

I studied agriculture and farming, when I was young in England. I still have my very treasured, Young Farmers Club badge. I remember visiting and working on several dairy farms, a pig farm and others. Never did see anything like I've seen here. I hope the UK sticks to its guns and never allows factory farming, Faye.

Lizzie


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## damnedEvans (Jan 23, 2010)

It's so wrong to eat horse meet when you think it's something different. I don't have something against eating horse meat though I didn't eat it because in my country horse meat is illegal to sell. You can eat your own horse if you butcher it yourself but you can't sell it. We have horse slaughters and the meat it sold to Italy and France. From what I heard the horse meat that went to UK was romanian horse meat and I can assure you that the chance of the horse meat to be contaminated it's infinitesimal . Here the horses that are sold to the slaughter houses are horses owned by poor people, When they have an old horse, a crippled one or a dangerous horse they sell it to some people very cheaply and those people transport the horse to the slaughter house to earn some money. The majority of people that owns horses in my country are poor people and they don't afford to pay a vet and treat the horse when it's sick. Only the riding schools and riding horses are treated properly by a vet when they need it but those are not so numerous and don't usually end up at the slaughter. So the horse meat is safe around here. 

Funny thing about Bute is that here Bute it's not so often used. We don't find bute locally so the vets must import it to use it on their patients and the majority of them don't want to spend money on imported products because after that they will need to ask more money on the pay check and the owner would not be happy about it.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Thank you Phantomcolt.


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

To beef or not to beef? That is equestrian.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)




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## waleybean (Jan 20, 2013)

I'm vegetarian and glad I am!! My partner isn't and so had one of those Lasagne meals recently. He didn't seem too worried but obviously doesn't want to eat horse meat.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The UK media are selling news out of it. Of course they'll drag it on.
I have concerns that horses - or any other animals sent for slaughter arent treated properly but thats another issue
I have concerns that any meat might be contaminated in some way - and Bute has been prohibited as a drug for humans for a long time now as it was proven to be highly carcinogenic - they dont withdraw effective meds for the fun of it. But this meat was all tested negative for meds.
Meat is meat wherever it comes from - loads of countries eat horse meat as a norm. We see horses as 'pets' - but fluffy lambs are cute and hens can have real personalities, cows have beautiful eyes, Bambi was adorable - but we dont have a problem eating them do we? I mean who could eat these lovely little things? Oops - I guess you do!!!

I have heard that someone trying the horse meat that was used was better quality and taste than beef
fftopic:If anyone listened to Jeremy Vine (BBC radio 2) yesterday they were discussing immigration from Romania and someone rang in and said they wouldnt be able to get to the UK as we'd eaten all their transport - well I thought it was funny


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

It's being found in Spain and Italy now. 

Nestle withdraws pasta meals as horsemeat scandal spreads - Yahoo! News


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

AlexS said:


> It's being found in Spain and Italy now.
> 
> Nestle withdraws pasta meals as horsemeat scandal spreads - Yahoo! News


 And in many pub/restaurant chains apparently
I'm thinking this has been going on for years and just not noticed. 
Now its been exposed what are they going to do with all the tons of horsemeat that keep pouring into the EU as obviously not a real market for it?


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Well there is a market for it and in many countries across the world, millions eat it. In some countries, it is more expensive than other meats.

Horse meat is nothing new. I remember shops and open market stalls selling nothing but horse meat, when I was young. 

I am quite sure, there will always be a huge market for horse meat, in different parts of the world. Even in the US, wherever there is a large influx of people from south of the border or other countries, we often hear of horses being stolen from their fields, killed by the thieves and purely to eat. This has been well proven and documented. 

I don't (knowingly) eat it but would not be surprised if I had. When cooked alone, it certainly has a smell which I don't personally like. When I was young, my aunt in England always purchased it for her dogs, as did other dog breeders in the UK, so I have smelled it cooking, many times. Maybe mixed with other meats, I would not notice it. 

Lizzie


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

I honestly don't mind people eating horse meat. I myself would never eat horse meat, unless I knew where the horse came from that is. For that reason, many (if not all) slaughter horses are bought from auctions. Some owners don't expect their horses to be sold to slaughter or anything other, so they pump them full of drugs to draw in potential customers. 

With the horse pumped with drugs I wouldn't eat the meat, possible contamination I presume. I know some meats that are horse meat has turned up for drugs, like bute.

But to me, its the fact that they went behind customer's backs and put meats in knowing it was horse meat. That would make me wonder what else they've put in meat that no one has tested for, etc.

EDIT: Actually Burger King (in America--I think) admitted using horse meat in some of their foods.


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

Well somebody looks to be trying to make a quick buck out of it 

RARE IKEA SWEEDISH MEATBALLS for sale in Dublin : €45 - DoneDeal.ie

1Kg bag of frozen IKEA MEATBALLS. This bag contains the original recipe which may contain horse meat. These delicious balls may never taste the same! Good in a freezer until jan 2014. GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! 
Price: € 45


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

:shock: WOW!


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

.......


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Well I've threatened to put mine in the freezer on more than one occasion - not all at once of course!!!


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## Gwenllian (Feb 27, 2013)

Well I am in the UK and not a bit surprised by this news, cattle are expensive to keep and the stringent rules for their breeding, feeding and eventual slaughter cost. There are too many unwanted, badly bred horses that have no future, it didn't take long for someone to come up with the idea of putting them into the food chain at a much reduced cost to beef whilst still charging the consumer for beef!! The fact that it's horse meat I don't think is the issue, it's the deceit and the worry that the animals have been given drugs that should never be introduced into the food chain for human consumption. If horse meat is going to be used then the same rules should apply to their breeding and keep as there is for cattle, sheep or pigs and then the cost of production would be just as high and I am not sure the British public would go for that. Another problem is the massive import of cheap meat from the continent which does not receive the same stringent checks that home produced animals go through just to keep the cost of products down and there has probably been horse meat being imported for years without detection. Very easy for me to comment I am vegetarian and don't need to worry about it.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Gwenllian said:


> Well I am in the UK and not a bit surprised by this news, cattle are expensive to keep and the stringent rules for their breeding, feeding and eventual slaughter cost. There are too many unwanted, badly bred horses that have no future, it didn't take long for someone to come up with the idea of putting them into the food chain at a much reduced cost to beef whilst still charging the consumer for beef!! The fact that it's horse meat I don't think is the issue, it's the deceit and the worry that the animals have been given drugs that should never be introduced into the food chain for human consumption. If horse meat is going to be used then the same rules should apply to their breeding and keep as there is for cattle, sheep or pigs and then the cost of production would be just as high and I am not sure the British public would go for that. Another problem is the massive import of cheap meat from the continent which does not receive the same stringent checks that home produced animals go through just to keep the cost of products down and there has probably been horse meat being imported for years without detection. Very easy for me to comment I am vegetarian and don't need to worry about it.


 Cattle are no more expensive to keep than horses if you are looking at producing an animal with any weight of flesh on it for consumption plus the farmers are subsidised to help cover their costs and keep prices down. The cost of slaughter is the same as is the cost of breeding. Plus a beef animal will only have been kept for a max of 2 years before going for kill.
The EU has stringent checks on all beef that comes into its market and will not accept beef from non approved countries.
Beef farming is an industry and farmers only breed for what they can sell at a good price.
The horsemeat trade (other than actual farms that breed them for meat) is just a dumping ground for unwanted horses.
The EU passport requirement for horses was supposed to keep anything out of the food chain that had been given any banned drugs and certainly there are far less horses going for human consumption in the UK now than there used to be. The failing in the passport system is down to people who want some cash back for their unsellable horses so they are obtaining drugs like Bute off prescription or having duplicate passports. 
The horsemeat thats being found in the UK and other parts of Europe now could have come from many places and its probably been happening for years. A huge amount of the horsemeat going into the EU is coming from the slaughter yards in Mexico and Canada which is where all US horses bound for slaughter go too
Basically supply has exceeded demand, its much cheaper at present as horses are literally being given away - nothing to do with production costs and all to do with over breeding and a worldwide poor market for horses. 
The public has been happy to get low priced meat goods and this is how its been achieved!!!


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

There was a news article in yesterday's paper about IKEA (local stores in the USA) pulling packages of meatballs from the shelf because of this. Europe might eat horse and I would eat horse if I could, but the majority of Americans refuse the thought and so I guess there was a huge panic over it.

Our local IKEA refused to pull the meat for testing and ensures that the meat in the packages are beef/pork from Canada and _thats it_. They didn't test for it but ensure thats the case. Haha, sure. Ok then.


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

jaydee said:


> The UK media are selling news out of it. Of course they'll drag it on.
> I have concerns that horses - or any other animals sent for slaughter arent treated properly but thats another issue
> I have concerns that any meat might be contaminated in some way - and Bute has been prohibited as a drug for humans for a long time now as it was proven to be highly carcinogenic - they dont withdraw effective meds for the fun of it. But this meat was all tested negative for meds.
> Meat is meat wherever it comes from - loads of countries eat horse meat as a norm. We see horses as 'pets' - but fluffy lambs are cute and hens can have real personalities, cows have beautiful eyes, Bambi was adorable - but we dont have a problem eating them do we? I mean who could eat these lovely little things? Oops - I guess you do!!!
> ...


I heard on the BBC that they *had* found bute in some of the meats they tested. That, as you can imagine, has kicked off another round of outrage. I have to admit, I'm not against eating horse meat, I'd just like to know what I'm eating and that it meets food safety laws!


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## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

Copperhead said:


> There was a news article in yesterday's paper about IKEA (local stores in the USA) pulling packages of meatballs from the shelf because of this. Europe might eat horse and I would eat horse if I could, but the majority of Americans refuse the thought and so I guess there was a huge panic over it.
> 
> Our local IKEA refused to pull the meat for testing and ensures that the meat in the packages are beef/pork from Canada and _thats it_. They didn't test for it but ensure thats the case. Haha, sure. Ok then.


 
I've never been to an IKEA and until I heard about their meatballs in the news having horse meat, I had NO idea they sold food. Quite frankly, I was more shocked to hear that then about the horse meat. But I have a my own opinions on processed food. I mean, will people be that shocked when they find out there's cardboard or newspaper in their McRibbs too?

I'm not saying its right putting horse meat in something advertised as beef and pork meat, but hey, people should be happy to know its meat in their meatballs rather then something else.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

minstrel said:


> I heard on the BBC that they *had* found bute in some of the meats they tested. That, as you can imagine, has kicked off another round of outrage. I have to admit, I'm not against eating horse meat, I'd just like to know what I'm eating and that it meets food safety laws!


 I heard that too - I listen to the good old Beeb via the internet!!!!
I'm not sure but hasnt this all kicked off since the undercover video that someone took at Turners Red Lion Slaughter yard was released? Makes me wonder if someone has done a some whistleblowing because I'm guessing this has been going on for years.


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

jaydee said:


> I heard that too - I listen to the good old Beeb via the internet!!!!
> I'm not sure but hasnt this all kicked off since the undercover video that someone took at Turners Red Lion Slaughter yard was released? Makes me wonder if someone has done a some whistleblowing because I'm guessing this has been going on for years.


Yeah, it's all been since then. And the fact that they initially named certain companies and their affiliates before further testing found horsemeat *everywhere* in cheap meats, does make you wonder if someone has decided they haven't been paid enough...

I will say that I've been advocating buying certified home-produced meat for years, to encourage the assurance schemes and welfare standards that we have in the UK. Coming from a farming community, I couldn't buy cheap meat anyway thanks to conscience telling me that Argentinian imported beef might be cheaper but that I was helping ruin our farming industry... so I was quite happy with my local butcher-bought lasagne when the scandal broke


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

minstrel said:


> Yeah, it's all been since then. And the fact that they initially named certain companies and their affiliates before further testing found horsemeat *everywhere* in cheap meats, does make you wonder if someone has decided they haven't been paid enough...
> 
> I will say that I've been advocating buying certified home-produced meat for years, to encourage the assurance schemes and welfare standards that we have in the UK. Coming from a farming community, I couldn't buy cheap meat anyway thanks to conscience telling me that Argentinian imported beef might be cheaper but that I was helping ruin our farming industry... so I was quite happy with my local butcher-bought lasagne when the scandal broke


 I agree - supporting local farmers is the only way to try to keep whats left of the beautiful British countryside away from the hands of housing estate developers. Farmers are the caretakers of the countryside!!!


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