what's really in our food?

[Jonny69]

I'm glad there's a thread on this. I was in two minds whether to start one even though I got fed up with the programme and didn't watch to the end.

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

this seems to be a mix of dumb public and shocking practices.

I can't say I was particularly shocked by anything in the programme. I'd sussed out that M&S food naming was based on branding and not actual places or breeds some time ago. To be frank I wouldn't trust anything I see on packaging and if I wanted to know I'd have a closer look at the ingredients. I think you just have to assume that the minimum quality produce they can get away with are always used. It's why supermarket products taste like crap.

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

the most shocking one is meat which is filled with water can actually contain other meat as a stabiliser. I assume they just used chemicals.

So chicken breasts with pork and beef protein in it. God that is so wrong. That should be on the box.

This was exposed some time ago. I actually can't remember when I last bought chicken breasts because they are completely pumped full of crap, it was before I was a student, so 10 years ago maybe? Couldn't work out why packed chicken breasts were moist and gooey whern the breast actually on a chicken is usually quite dry and firm. Then that programme came on about 5 years ago saying what actually went in them and my suspicions were fulfilled.

At the moment I'm keeping an eye on 'outdoor reared' pork which is being used as a marketing tool because it looks like they aren't living outdoors at all. Closer looking at the packaging says they are kept indoors.

Free range chickens and eggs are also something to keep an eye on. For them to be called free range it just means the supermarkets are complying to a basic minimum requirement and I'd be interested to find out what this actually is. My suspicion is, because the chickens are usually the same breed as barn chickens, that they live in a barn and merely have the option to go outside. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if they are still kicked around, fed on the basic minimum, minimum requirements of hygiene etc etc.