and what's wrong with a little horsemeat anyway?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Especially lamb, as they eat a lot of that on the other side of that ditch! (at least, if I have to believe Jamie Oliver, who I love to watch!)

Jaimie Oliver rocks! I have learned a lot a really delicious recipes from his shows! Stuff I wouldn't even imagine doing, that turn out great!

Just read the wiki page: it's not so much forbidden as a taboo in English speaking countries... And that ban about eating horse meat is only for Roman Catholics. And it's not kosjer so Jews don't eat it either...

Hmmmm..... I wonder why. Most of the Laws of Kashrut about meats tend to be for cleanliness of the food, i.e. no bottom feeders, no garbage eaters, etc. I wonder why horse is included in that, other than they don't have split hooffies...


Stitchawl

[troll05]

It's especially strange because some famous foodstuff was originally made from horsemeat or sometimes donkey like Salami or Sauerbraten (in english marinated beef, but in germany it was traditionally made of horsemeat).

Apart from religious reasons I think the most important influence in the last 30 or 40 years is little girls beeing horsefans in nearly all western societies and therefore making it totally unacceptable to eat their beloved friends and comrades Same phenomenon with dogs...

I wonder why horse is included in that, other than they don't have split hooffies...

Valuable transport in wars

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Wouldn't that then rule out lamb, pork, and goat too?

I'm not sure I understand. As an ingredient of beef burgers that claim to only have beef in them? Yes, it certainly would.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I wonder why. Most of the Laws of Kashrut about meats tend to be for cleanliness of the food, i.e. no bottom feeders, no garbage eaters, etc. I wonder why horse is included in that, other than they don't have split hooffies...

It's purely because they don't have "split hoofies". The 'official' line on Kashrut is that the rules are just rules.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm not sure I understand. As an ingredient of beef burgers that claim to only have beef in them? Yes, it certainly would.

Exactly. There are two issues here:

1. It's illegal to sell horsemeat for human consumption.
2. The labelling doesn't correctly reflect the product ingredients. This is an issue not only for the horsemeat, but also because some of the products were found to contain traces of pork, which is a major problems for the followers of several different religions.

[TGS]

Although it appeared in the initial reports, it seems not to be much mentioned but apparently pork was also found in the dodgy beefburgers. The issue is surely not whether it's right to eat horse or pig, but the passing off of one thing as another. The dietary peculiarities we all have are just that - peculiarities - but I don't know that that means they can just be ignored or made out to be ridiculous.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Hmmmm..... I wonder why. Most of the Laws of Kashrut about meats tend to be for cleanliness of the food, i.e. no bottom feeders, no garbage eaters, etc. I wonder why horse is included in that, other than they don't have split hooffies...

Apparently also because they're not ruminants.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Exactly. There are two issues here:

1. It's illegal to sell horsemeat for human consumption.
2. The labelling doesn't correctly reflect the product ingredients. This is an issue not only for the horsemeat, but also because some of the products were found to contain traces of pork, which is a major problems for the followers of several different religions.

Your second point, I 1000% agree with. If you sell cow meat, it should consists of 100% cow. But I cannot find any thing about your first point. Only that it has a taboo and is banned by the Roman Catholic church (to stop pagan practices). I even found a piece that Gordon Ramsay serves horse meat in his restaurants (or at least, that was in 2007, no idea if he still does...)

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Apparently also because they're not ruminants.

Quite right! I'd forgotten that also applied.

And that is, of course, why pigs aren't kosher.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Quite right! I'd forgotten that also applied.

And that is, of course, why pigs aren't kosher.

I always thought that was because of the food pigs eat (they're omnivore...)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But I cannot find any thing about your first point. Only that it has a taboo and is banned by the Roman Catholic church (to stop pagan practices). I even found a piece that Gordon Ramsay serves horse meat in his restaurants (or at least, that was in 2007, no idea if he still does...)

It seems I'm wrong. From Wiki:

In the United Kingdom, the slaughter, preparation and consumption of horses for food is not against the law, although in practice it has been out of fashion since the 1930s and there is a strong taboo against it.

I stand corrected.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm not sure I understand. As an ingredient of beef burgers that claim to only have beef in them? Yes, it certainly would.

Yes, it certainly would.
You didn't quote anyone in your initial reply so I understood it to be a reply to the previous post about it being against the church rather than a general statement about Tesco's use of it.


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Horsemeat can now be sold in the US too, now that the government has included it for federal inspection. But I don't think it will ever become a top-shelf seller... Most Americans, especially pre-teen American girls are not going to want to eat My Little Pony.


Stitchawl

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

You didn't quote anyone in your initial reply so I understood it to be a reply to the previous post about it being against the church rather than a general statement about Tesco's use of it.

Oh, I see. No, I didn't quote anyone, as it was a general comment on several other posts in the thread concentrating on the horse aspect rather than the non-beef aspect. I can see that it might have been confusing.

[5thWiggle]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Horsemeat can now be sold in the US too, now that the government has included it for federal inspection. But I don't think it will ever become a top-shelf seller... Most Americans, especially pre-teen American girls are not going to want to eat My Little Pony.


Stitchawl

It's bad enough serving them lamb. In my case I made the mistake of singing a parody of "Barbara Ann" (Bob the Lamb) whilst serving kebobs...

Try explaining THIS to your daughters!

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by 5thWiggle

It's bad enough serving them lamb. In my case I made the mistake of singing a parody of "Barbara Ann" (Bob the Lamb) whilst serving kebobs...

Try explaining THIS to your daughters!

No thanks. I had enough trouble getting my son to eat Bambi...


Stitchawl