Sick EU meat

I would guess that there are illegal, rogue operations going on everywhere including the UK. The USA aren't just trying to get chlorinated chicken into the UK, Urmstongran, they also want to get us to move away from the EU rules on hormone-fed beef, GM crops, meat containing antibiotics etc.:-
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47036119
If the USA get their way, some food business practices that we currently object to in the UK will become legal or else no trade with them either.

There are rogue operations everywhere - there have been scandals in the UK

What is important is maintaining the rigorous standards that allow such producers to be tracked and prosecuted. I hope that the UK is able to maintain these and not be forced to abandon them as the "price" of doing free trade deals

Rouge and negligent operations are possible anywhere, not just with meat, but vegetables, cereals and any other food products, there is a lot of money to be made by cheating. The U.K. has good regulation just buy home produced food and you won’t go far wrong.

Always buy British, some countries within the EU have really dodgy practices where anaimal meat is concerned.

I heard that chlorinated chicken will be labelled as such in the shops so why can't halal meat be labelled? Surely we should have a choice about whether we eat it or not?

Sorry, to be pedantic I wrote 'can be' I meant 'should be'

I'm not against GM crops. In many cases the genetic modifications mean that less pesticide can be used while crops are growing. That seems like a good thing to me. I'm not convinced EU opposition to GM is scientific.

I also think the 'alarm' about chlorinated chicken has been deliberately hyped. Essentially, as I understand it, it's no different from rinsing a chicken under a running tap in the UK (UK tap water is chlorinated). And if it reduces the risk of things like salmonella, surely that's a good thing?

I agree, nonnie, that halal meat should be labelled, as should 'chlorinated' meat. That way people can make their own decisions.

There's an interesting article on the BBC News site about GM chickens that are laying eggs which contain anti cancer drugs. Early days yet but it looks very promising.

Good points Baggs and Nonnie re chlorinated chicken & halal meat.
Perhaps if the consumer is fully informed choices can be made?

Disgusting illegal practices go on in slaughterhouses everywhere, even in the UK. There’s plenty of evidence. Plus a lot of what is legal, everyday practice would horrify many people if they had to witness it.

I’m sure you’re right crystaltips
I wish meat was more expensive and something of a treat if it meant the animals had a better life instead of being crammed together in pens. When I see pigs with their baby piglets (apparently they are very intelligent animals) it upsets me. I’m ashamed to say I switch channels or turn the page.
We are having roast pork and stuffing for dinner today.
I enjoy it because I try not to think about how the meat got to the supermarket. ?

DH and I were chatting this morning about ready meals. We concluded it won't be long before we can only buy meat and fresh veg in specialist shops in middle class areas. Think of Tesco starting to close fresh meat and fish departments.

And the sadness is Nonnie that those in deprived areas will ping their goddam awful meals in a microwave.
We are so fortunate.
I can’t bear to think what some people have to eat.

I’m turning more and more towards being a vegetarian, like my almost-ten-year-old grandson. His own decision.

Hadn't seen this, but I can't say I'm surprised.
We don't eat very much meat any more, but what I do buy is only ever British, and only free-range chickens and UK pork and bacon from supermarkets I trust to source from responsible farmers. (Largely M&S and Waitrose). I will never, ever buy Danish or other EU pork or bacon, because of the factory-farming issue.

I am not suprised about this so glad l am vegan.

Cheap meat is at the root of all this malpractice. Animals are being reared and killed in awful conditions just so humans can eat their flesh as cheaply as possible.

I do eat meat, not a lot, but what I do is locally produced and free range. A chicken will do 3 meals and provide stock for soups and stews.

The west eat too much meat at the expense of our health, the welfare of animals and the planet.

I prefer halal meat, especially lamb as it has the old-fashioned taste I remember from childhood before farmers were allowed to pump goodness know what into animals.

I know people say they don't like the method of slaughter but if you have every been to a slaughterhouse, believe me, NO method is humane.