Posts from old forum ...

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Toffeejim
Joined 27-11-2004
Posted on Friday, 12 October, 2007 - 01:49 pm:

Following the debate on the Halal/Kosher thread in the 'Beyond SE23' forum I wonder if any shopkeeper, restauranteur, take-away owner or other food outlet in this area is prepared to say that the meat they supply is reared and slaughtered in cruelty-free environment?

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Michael
Joined 04-03-2005
Posted on Friday, 12 October, 2007 - 02:23 pm:


Jamie did say on the St Germain/Honor Oak thread that their aim was to use "organic ingredients and fair trade products". However, I do not know what they have been able to achieve since opening.

The Halal/Kosher thread has demonstrated that it is not possible to have meat reared and slaughtered in cruelty-free environment. Eating meat involves some suffering to the animal you are eating, the question is how much suffering.

For cruelty-free food eat vegetarian, although even some vegetable growing involves suffering to animals by use of some nasty pesticides and animal based fertilizers, so best to eat organic vegetables that have been grown in a hermetically sealed environment - if such a thing is really possible.

Michael, surely you're not suggesting that if you can't do everything you should do nothing? I am trying to determine if any retailers are actually trying to take reasonable steps to minimise animal suffering and, in light of that information, to inform the choice of local consumers. It may well be that I'm banging my head against a brick wall. But it may also be that some retailers do find the idea of making money out of the inhumane to be unacceptable or that some consumers are keen to find alternatives that will allow them to stop sponsoring it. So I renew my call: do we have any retailers who take care that the meat they sell is from animals that:

have been able to behave naturally?

have been raised with sufficient space and shelter and with gentle handling to limit their stress?

have had access to ample fresh water and a healthy diet without additional anti-biotics or hormones?

has been slaughtered as humanely as possible?

Those are all good questions to ask when buying meat. I was making the point that your challenge to local shops was a little unfair since there is no such thing as "cruelty-free environment", there is only "as humanely as possible" (and even that is a matter of debate).
I do think it is good to know as much as possible about the food you eat, although it is also a bit scary for an urbanite such as myself.

As nobody has yet volunteered that they sell humanely reared meat locally here is a very good article about happily raised animals from The Observer. I note with interest that the cattle get to listen to Lilly Allen as they await slaughter. There is also a link to where you can buy said meat although I see that this thread is now festooned with advertisements that claim to offer something similar.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonth...91,00.html