Horsemeat

Gally, Nelliemoser and nightowl - I think the issue is that they were branded as beef burgers, so they shouldn't contain any horsemeat.

"In one sample, Tesco Everyday Value Beef Burgers, the level of positive DNA indicated horsemeat accounted for 29% relative to the beef content. Many of them were also found to contain pig DNA."

Pig DNA is even worse for those who's religion states they can't eat pork.

My initial reaction Nellie was exactly the same as yours, and i agree that it is hypocritical to eat some animals and not others. However on reflection I think there is a difference in eating animals like horses and dogs and cats that we have bred to have a different purpose, and in so doing have caused them to develop a trusting bond with humans. It is unlikely that these horses were bred in herds destined for the dinner table, and many may have been loved and loving companions who through no fault of their own ended up surplus to requirements. I find it disturbing that we have such a disposable attitude towards animals

Nellie for me the issue is that the quality-control system has obviously gone awry somewhere; and the fact that horsemeat is cheaper than beef so customers have been conned.

Unless they were being sold solely as 'beef' burgers I can't see the problem. I used to walk past a horse meat butcher every day on my way to school (Surrey Street Market in Croydon) so it's hardly a new phenomenon. I suppose these days, wot wiv 'elf 'n safety, hands have to be thrown up in horror at anything different. Reminds me of the millions of the Kenyan green beans that were taken off the shelves by Tesco because they weren't all the same length.

Every one

What is every on getting their knickers in a twist about here. It is not unfit for human consumption.

The French have dedicated butchers for horsemeat.

If you are happy to eat other dead animals why not horses? They are probably far more humanely reared than many stock animals.

My first very irreverant thought was whether this was the reason we did so well at the Olympics. Giddly up!

Sorry!!!

The Tesco ones had 29% horsemeat, hardly a trace!

Since BSE we've been led to believe that supermarkets and the regulatory authorities had very strict practices in place and that this sort of thing couldn't happen.