[FlamingCobra]

Germany's development minister has suggested that horsemeat mislabelled as beef should be distributed to the poor.

[The E]

To put it in context:

This was something first reported on by "Bild", a tabloid known for, shall we say, embellishing the truth somewhat. Their report was about a member of parliament who said that Nestle and the other companies involved in this meat affair should not throw away the mislabeled food, but rather bring it back on the market for a reduced price.

What this is, essentially, is Bild taking quotes somewhat out of context and making it a bigger deal as it actually is.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

And I'm against destroying food on principle, I'd much rather it be distributed to the poor. People living under a bridge, spending their day begging on the streets, in the hope of gathering enough for a single sandwich that evening - offer them a free lasagna, and I'm confident that they couldn't care less what animal it came from.

[karajorma]

Yeah, I was going to post the same story but once I got past the headline it was obvious that the guy was actually making a quite sensible point that it was a complete waste to throw away food that people could use.

[BlueFlames]

I still don't get what people have against eating horsemeat... where I come from it's just sold in the butchery, along with cow, pork, sheep and everything else.

While there is a social norm against eating horsemeat that is arguably arbitrary, I can see raising a stink about being sold horsemeat, under the pretense that you were buying something else.  Not only have you fallen victim to false advertising, in that case, but poor regulatory enforcement as well, as one of the early steps in meat production inspection should most surely be, "Are you butchering the right animal?"

[deathfun]

involved in this meat affair should not throw away the mislabeled food,

Anyone ever heard about a Sharpie?
Cross out the part that's mislabeled, and add over it the proper one
Bam. Problem solved

[Dragon]

Isn't food supposed to have a breakdown of contents on the side? If somebody can eat beef, but can't eat horsemeat for some reason, then this could be a health hazard for such a person.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

I can see raising a stink about being sold horsemeat, under the pretense that you were buying something else.  Not only have you fallen victim to false advertising, in that case, but poor regulatory enforcement as well, as one of the early steps in meat production inspection should most surely be, "Are you butchering the right animal?"

Fully agree there, manufacturers should be honest about what they're putting in their food. My post was more aimed at the "oh god there's horsemeat in it what do we do with it now" attitude - it's not like horses are poisonous or anything...

[karajorma]

* karajorma has eaten donkey here in China.

* karajorma thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.

[castor]

My post was more aimed at the "oh god there's horsemeat in it what do we do with it now" attitude - it's not like horses are poisonous or anything...

Farming horses for meat doesn't seem to be a big industry. Who knows where these animals come from, and what was pumped in them..

[karajorma]

It's not an industry but it does exist as one. They could be perfectly fine.

The big worry is that there are certain drugs which can be used on horses which won't enter the food chain. They're never supposed to be used on horses which will be eaten by humans.

[Cyker]

Yeah, that is the real problem - Horse meat itself is fine; Apparently they sell it in supermarkets in lots of countries!

No, the problem is that it was supposed to be beef but is somehow mixed with horse meat which isn't listed as an ingredient and probably isn't rated for human consumption. That has exposed a big ugly truth - We only have it on faith that what's on the tin is in the tin, so to speak.

It's like the long running joke about hotdogs - supposed to be pork but who knows what goes into one of those! :

[Mikes]

Hilariously.... as BSE (Mad cow disease) was in the news a few years ago everyone wanted to buy horsemeat over here.



Also, one of our comedian who commented on the issue put it best:  pigs? Much more intelligent than horses.... but ugly! So of course no one minds eating those!

But Horses? Budgies? Cats? No way!!! Can't eat *cute* animals!!! Poor pigs just ain't cute enough.



Kidding aside... as others have noted, the problem here was that it said beef on the label but they sold something else entirely.
As there have been several meat related scandals the last years where meat that was way past it's expiration date was still sold in processed food products... the next question one has to ask next is of course: If it says beef on the label, but really is horse... what else could be wrong with it?

Otherwise.... Lasagna "Black Beauty", why not?

[yuezhi]

Most headlines I come across mention bute, some kind of growth drug.

* karajorma has eaten donkey here in China.

* karajorma thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.

and dog?

[Nuke]

my view on feeding the homeless:

feed the dead ones to the live ones.

[Mikes]

my view on feeding the homeless:

feed the dead ones to the live ones.

Soylent Nuke?

[karajorma]

Most headlines I come across mention bute, some kind of growth drug.

* karajorma has eaten donkey here in China.

* karajorma thinks donkey is ****ing delicious.

and dog?

Dog is okay. A bit fatty. Not bad in a stew. (And before people get upset, pigs are smarter than dogs yet most people don't give a **** about eating pork or bacon).

Seriously though, donkey is ****ing delicious. It's like the most tender beef you ever ate. Only meat I've ever tried that is better is Yak. Yak ****s on Kobe beef.

[NGTM-1R]

But does it make good hamburger? Because I did that once. Heresy that it was, using Kobe beef that way, but hey, you get some from a restaurant friend...

[karajorma]

Yak hamburgers are ****ing amazing. It's better as a steak though.

[NGTM-1R]

A shall make a note of it, though it's deeply unlikely I'll ever get my hands on yak meat.