Pork - Jamie Oliver

[jazzactivist]

Did anyone else watch the TV programme about pigs and pork hosted by Jamie Oliver last night? What did you think of it? I thought that it was really informative and useful, but felt a bit sorry for the sow in labour who was transported to the studio and gave birth to her piglets in front of the cameras. One of the things that Jamie covered was that many items that appear to be produced in Britain aren't if you read the small print on the packet. Also, that Danish bacon is cheaper, but that cruel sow stalls are still used for 20% of the products and we don't know which. Most interesting was that in the UK we only tend to buy and eat the rear legs and back fillet of the pig, but if we bought and cooked pork shoulder and belly of pork (both very tasty and affordable cuts) then we could easily help British pig farmers to get back on track and make a decent living. It seems an easy change to make. I am off to get my shoulder tomorrow...

[Crocus]

Hi Jazz, we of course didn't see this programme, but I agree that one should use more of the affordable cuts which is what I use for stews and casseroles. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the taste. By the slow cooking method you won't even now it's not the most expensive cuts.
Enjoy that should of pork Jazz!

[Oola]

I think the supermarkets are in part to blame for this. But then, I always blame the supermarkets!

My point is, is that they say that they're giving consumers/customers what they want. But they conveniently hide the 'truth' of the meat industry and welfare standards from us with their underhand and misleading labelling. Words such as outdoor bred, outdoor reared and free range are completely misleading and don't paint a true picture. They say the information is on the packaging BUT they rely on the fact that not everyone has 10 minutes to spare to stand in the middle of a shopping aisle and try to decipher what Wiltshire Cure is (a type of cure that can be undertaken anywhere in the world), where the pigs are reared, what British Farm Assured means, and how much of the pork was injected with saline. The supermarkets rely on big graphical representations of fields, a happy farmer, and a few buzz words that ultimately mean nothing at all.

And I wonder how much a supermarket will drive a 'food fashion'. If consumers want lamb, they give them more lamb and reduce shelf space for mutton. So more people buy more lamb, because it's cheap, quick and easy to use. The people that want mutton have less choice, less availability leads to further decline in sales and then the mutton is removed from the shelves altogether. Younger people who aren't even aware of mutton or how they can cook it therefore never get to experience it, and so always buy lamb....etc etc etc.

It's time the supermarkets started to take responsibility in their part in the debacle that is standard animal welfare standards!

[Crocus]

Supermarkets can actually play such a big and important role in 'educating' people, especially young people who, as you've mentioned Oola, don't even know what mutton is, probably haven't tasted it as well. If only supermarkets would work hand in hand with organic farmers, promote organic foods, free range rearing etc. etc., take a stand as to where and how animals are reared for food production. It will possibly only take one supermarket chain to start doing this, for the rest to hopefully follow. More and more people are aware now of free range and organic farming, and will definitely support such a supermarket chain.

Most people are dependent on supermarkets, which is probably the reason why supermarkets carry on the way they do, what they're used to doing for years. It will take quite some convincing and education of course, but something I think can be done, even if it does take years. If only they would start!

[dragonfly]

I don't think supermarkets give a damn about anything but money. Not animals or people. They only care anbout their shareholders.

[mrsj]

we buy our mutton from the farmer up the lane, one week the sheep can be in our field, the next in the freezer, he only charges us £50 (for a whole sheep). The rest of our meat we buy from our butcher, it is all locally reared and of excellent quality. I totally agree with you Oola about the supermarkets!