I don't want to eat American meat

Shizam, try substituting meat in dishes for Quorn. Always use about 25% to 33% less Quorn than meat and it’s great.

I do not really like Quorn much, Stella14, so I’d suggest Shizam buy a really good vegetarian cookbook.

I love Ottolenghi - I suppose it depends what you like to eat though.
Here’s a link to some of his recipes online:

ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/vegetable-and-vegetarian

Going slightly off-topic but wanted to share this; we were shopping for frozen fish in Tesco, I looked at the blurb in the packaging and was horrified to read that the cod was caught in the North Atlantic.............and packed in CHINA! It went back into the shop freezer, just imagine the carbon footprint of that commodity!

Packing in the Far East has been going on for some time. Prawns caught in U.K. were sent to Vietnam for processing and packing. Probably still happening but how do we know if they are “our” prawns that come back, surprised at cod is sent there.

I always thought that the basis of economics that the more people that bought a product would lower the prices for future purchases. So if we all started buying British meat then more farmers would raise more cattle and the prices would be lower. Or is that too simplistic?
Sorry to all those vegans and vegetarians - I have tried meat free but failed dismally.

So the farmers must work harder raise and slaughter more cattle just so us greedy humans can eat the cheaply?

I’m not a vegetarian BUT I think we should be grateful to cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc for giving up their lives for us ...and as such we should pay a decent price so that what short lives they lead and not in shitty conditions.

‘scuse typos but a bit shocked by previous post.

If you don’t want food produced to lower standards imported please sign the Food Standards Petition

www.countrysideonline.co.uk/back-british-farming/back-british-farming-our-latest-activity/food-standards-petition/help-to-share-our-food-standards-petition/

It's all very well saying that you pays your money and you takes your choice. Not everyone has the money to make that choice. I won't be able to buy British organic meat so I'll have to become vegetarian. I will choose to do that but others will have to buy crap meat because for whatever reason becoming a vegetarian won't be an option.

If only it were so simple that you pays your money and takes your choice.

Not true for local authorities. Hospitals and schools will all be tempted to buy cheap and not check not care.
if the difference in price is so great.

Vegetables are no longer safe from GM and have hardly ever been safe from pesticides and chemical fertilisers.

Those of us who care need to work extra hard to keep the highest standards possible for the sake of the planet as well as for the the animals and people.

I've written to my MP about this.
If everyone wrote then there may possibly be some impact. I pointed out many of the thoughts above. It may be a waste of time but it has to be as good as sharing thoughts on Gransnet.

Here is how to find your MP's email addresses:

members.parliament.uk/members/Commons

Thanks NotSpaghetti
I know my MP and I will write but the SNP don't have much clout at Westminster.
Definitely worth doing though.

I have eaten lots of US beef over the years, and I have to say it was absolutely delicious. In the mid 90's, we were living at a NATO/US base in southern Germany, and were able to shop at the US Forces' Commissary Store (Where large signs proclaimed "None of our beef originates in the UK". This was Mad Cow time). Their rib-eye steaks in particular were mouth-wateringly good when barbecued - and their corn-fed chicken was pretty tasty too. I will certainly buy it if/when it becomes available in the UK.

That is quite ironic Bodach

The UK was indeed very poor but since BSE it has had to transform and now has strict food safety standards.

I think one of the big worries is, nothing to do with the taste, but the lack of transparency about the supply chain.
So we don't know what we are eating!