Gransnet forums

News & politics

Waitrose has fired a warning shot over the governments bows

(49 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 17:52:28

Waitrose has insisted that it will never sell chlorinated chicken, GMO hormone beef or meat from animals subject to the extensive use of antibiotics.
This is a warning shot to a Govt desperate for a trade deal at any cost with the USA.
Let's hope other retailers follow suit.

Interestingly The Economist has put Trumps chance of winning the up coming election as very low. That will put the cat amongst the pigeons for all sorts of reasons.

suziewoozie Thu 25-Jun-20 17:54:46

The joy of Trump losing would be beyond dreams. I daren’t imagine it.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 17:57:54

The world would breath a sigh of relief that is sure. I worry about the so called silent majority though. I hope the Economist is correct.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 17:59:13

Waitrose knows it’s customer base and that is why it is taking this line.

Young and not so young professionals are totally rejecting this “food”

EllanVannin Thu 25-Jun-20 18:01:15

This was a deal between Trump and Johnson on a Brexit vote !
Trump was rubbing his hands at trade deals between the UK and USA in favour of Europe.

There's nothing wrong with Aussie meat ?

lemongrove Thu 25-Jun-20 18:29:18

Kangaroo?

Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 18:31:30

My farmer/ butcher is selling organic goat. Has anyone eaten goat?

GrannyGravy13 Thu 25-Jun-20 18:33:29

Whitewavemark2

My farmer/ butcher is selling organic goat. Has anyone eaten goat?

I have had Goat Curry and Goat Pinchitos (North African/Spanish kebabs). Both extremely tasty ??

MaizieD Thu 25-Jun-20 18:38:55

I've had curry goat in the Caribbean and we had some here from a friend who kept goats. It was fine.

Not altogether sure if I would choose to buy it, though.

Davidhs Thu 25-Jun-20 18:40:03

All the other supermarket also have established assured and audited supply chain agreements with UK producers, they are not likely to give them up quickly. Selling lower standard food will be a massive own goal for any retailer.
Manufacturing and catering companies will be more likely to buy from other sources - as they do now.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 18:40:18

I think I would give it a go it’s DH I have to convince!

Oopsadaisy3 Thu 25-Jun-20 18:45:31

Anyone buying ready meals or fast foods, beware, because this is where your meat will be coming from(USA) Not to mention their GM fruit and veg.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 25-Jun-20 18:47:27

My farmer sells ready meals made from his grass fed organic meat. So ready meals can be bought and eaten with confidence.

Davidhs Thu 25-Jun-20 18:47:47

We kept goats years ago, made goats cheese, and sent the kids (children) to school with goat sandwiches - that raised a few eyebrows.

vegansrock Thu 25-Jun-20 19:19:55

Eating animals has led to this pandemic.

JenniferEccles Thu 25-Jun-20 19:22:40

Good. The more I read about the awful farming practices in the US the more determined I am not to buy from them

Oopsminty Thu 25-Jun-20 19:32:09

Anyone read about the German abattoir and an outbreak of Covid?

I think 1300 workers tested positive

I was stunned by the amount and looked to see how many employees it had

6500! How can so many people work in an abattoir? Maybe I'm very naive but I was quite shocked.

I think that unless you can get locally sourced meat from a butcher the odds are the animals haven't lived the best of lives

As for goat, I love the cheese but never eaten one.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 25-Jun-20 20:20:03

I will never by Danish Bacon or Pork, their animal husbandry is appalling.
(I have a Danish DIL and GC and they
will not eat either)

Davidhs Thu 25-Jun-20 20:37:30

“Anyone read about the German abattoir and an outbreak of Covid?.“

And the 3 meat processors in the north of UK closed for the same reason, or the US meat processors with the same issue.

The problem is cramped working conditions, cold temperatures, high humidity, perfect conditions for the spread of virus apparently.
I think I’ll make sure I cook my meat thoroughly!.

Witzend Thu 25-Jun-20 20:52:22

The German abattoir where the Covid outbreak occurred is massive - according to the Times it was slaughtering 20,000 pigs a day..

There’s been an awful lot of outrage lately about American chlorinated chicken and their food/welfare standards (which I share absolutely) but I don’t recall any similar feelings about the vast amount of factory farming that goes on within Europe.
Who can honestly think that the huge quantities of Danish bacon available in our supermarkets are at all humanely produced? Ditto all that Lurpak butter?

In the past few years I’ve also noticed quite a bit of German pork in Asda, which I’ve never bought, since I suspected factory farming - even more so now.

We don’t eat all that much meat but I do make sure that virtually everything I buy we buy is British, high welfare - the sole exception is New Zealand lamb.

suziewoozie Thu 25-Jun-20 20:56:43

There’s two issues here- one is factory farming and the other is good safety. The two are do not necessarily go together. The problem with the US is that their food standards are much more lower than ours - awful
figures for food poisoning etc

suziewoozie Thu 25-Jun-20 20:57:16

good = food

suziewoozie Thu 25-Jun-20 21:00:50

Should have said poor food safety <too much sun>

Txquiltz Fri 26-Jun-20 04:30:00

I am American. I don't eat chlorinated meat...ever. Thankfully,we do have sources for organic, non-gmo, non chlorinated meat. Avoid this toxic stuff!

NotSpaghetti Fri 26-Jun-20 06:15:21

The issue here is obviously price.
Some people will always buy whatever is cheapest. It’s all very well for those of us who are not turning the sofa upside down looking for coppers to say we will buy organic/welfare friendly/Waitrose produce.