Forum Topic

in a meantime....

very interesting read......what is going on...https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/full-list-of-mps-who-voted-to-lower-our-food-standards-during-the-covid-pandemic/26/05/

Dominika Szulc ● 2351d23 Comments

Isn't the most effective way to increase the disposable income of the poor to reduce food prices?

Paul Corcoran ● 2351d

bring on the yummy chlorinated chicken and all the other joys all this brings.....wow...who need food quality standards anyway hey

Dominika Szulc ● 2351d

"..bring on the yummy chlorinated chicken.."Well, it doesn't seem to have done the Americans any harm. It's not as though it has affected their mental health in such a way that they would vote for someone totally unsuitable to be their President. Oh, hang on.....

Richard Greenhough ● 2351d

DS: "... bring on the yummy chlorinated chicken and all the other joys all this brings."Do you ever eat salad from the supermarket? Since that's all chlorinated, too. And if you should happen to wash it down with a glass of water from the tap, then guess what's in that as well.Fact is, Chlorination (or anti-microbial washing) is just another preferred method of industrial food manufacturers to keep food safe to eat, including here in the UK.Nor does it taint the taste either, unless you're eating your chicken raw.Which is not to say that there aren't other, compelling arguments for avoiding chlorinated chicken - there most certainly are.But they're to do with animal welfare and the ability of small producers to compete with giant agri-businesses, not anything concerning taste or safety.

Richard Cathcart ● 2351d

Does lower prices means an increase of hunk food?  In which case a big NO!  We all know  this junk can be ruinous for health and increasing your weight - NOT a good thing.  If however, lower prices on good basics and fruit and veg then yes but you'd have to set a programme in  place to teach people how to cook starting with using cheaper cuts of meat.  These can be delicious if properly prepared and cooked.

Jennifer Selig ● 2351d

Those Brexit bonuses keep rolling in.

Stewart Jones ● 2350d

Hopefully the lowering of food standards will encourage people to give up meat and dairy.

Steve Taylor ● 2350d

If lower food standards also lead to lower prices (likely), then that may lead to people eating MORE meat and dairy, not less.

Richard Cathcart ● 2350d

ST > Hopefully the lowering of food standards will encourage people to give up meat and dairy."I doubt the lowering of food standards will be limited to just meat and dairy. Think: GMO, industrial quantities of pesticides and herbicides, etc.

John Whitworth ● 2350d

Cheap food = fatter peopleObesity leads to all sorts of health problems.  That'll be good for privatised health.I understand that in a third of the Covid-19 deaths diabetes was also implicated - both types.

Philippa Bond ● 2350d

I for one will never give up meat and dairy.  I read recently that full fat milk, butter, cheese etc has been proved beneficial in reducing damage to arteries and harming hearts.  I always try to buy organic meat even though it means buying less of it.

Jennifer Selig ● 2350d

1995: vCJD  Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob ("mad cow")disease .  From cows.1997: Bird Flu H5N1 and H7N9.  From chickens.2002: SARS .  From wild animals probably transmitted through wet markets.2009: Swine Flu.  From pigs.  Killed over half a million people.2012: MERS.    From camel milk and meat.2014: Ebola Virus Disease.  From wild animals.2019: COVID-19.  Probably originated in a “wet market” in China.It's not just about whether eating meat or diary is good for you (or for that matter for the animals).  It's about whether low farming and food standards are good for society as a whole.  They are obviously not. If we embrace American farming practices, we should expect a lot more of this to come.On one view, eating animals is as selfish and anti-social as driving to Durham and back, or going on sighting trips whilst suffering from Covid.

T P Howell ● 2349d

Having done shopping for some elderly neighbours, was surprised thatthey don't have very healthy diets and like their chocolates, cream,cakes and no meat, they are 80s and 90s

Janice Evans ● 2349d

Good for them! They might just as well enjoy themselves. At that age, diet is going to make little difference to their life expectancy.

Robert Fish ● 2349d

TPH: "If we embrace American farming practices, we should expect a lot more [animal-derived viruses] to come."There are many reasons why we should be wary of adopting US practices for animal husbandry, but I'm not sure you can blame any of those diseases you cited on America.For while US practices may be ethically unacceptable, I suspect the food arriving on American plates is just as safe as anywhere else and a whole lot safer than most places. This is basically because US food producers will get their ass sued off them if they poison someone, which in turn is why they adopt extreme, but effective, hygiene methods like chlorination.

Richard Cathcart ● 2349d

“ Think: GMO, industrial quantities of pesticides and herbicides, etc.”I don’t think absorbing pesticides and herbicides has lead to and pandemics has it?  Eating meat and dairy on the other hand.........!!

Steve Taylor ● 2349d

Swine Flu.

T P Howell ● 2349d

ST > "I don’t think absorbing pesticides and herbicides has lead to and pandemics has it?"You may be right.But, arguably, there is a cancer pandemic which may be linked to the increased presence of such compounds in the food chain.And who knows what devastating effects they may have on human intelligence?

John Whitworth ● 2349d

I think many of us eat too much  - portions are too large and we eat too much carbohydrate.  That is noticeable when you weigh the portions you eat.  But who wants to keep on weighing portions?  Easier to reduce the size of the plate and increase the vegetables (not potatoes).  It's very difficult finding restaurants that don't serve huge portions and it is hard for them to reduce amounts from publicity aspect.  You can ask for less and/or ask to take home the remainder to eat.  We are happy eating cold curry for breakfast and/or lunch.  I love it when restaurants offer different sized portions.I do miss going out for a meal.  This ready steady cook every day is a trial.Vast amounts of food are wasted in this country.  Hurray that there is more cooking in lockdown but it needs to be practical healthy cookery and not just cakes...  what's wrong with healthy things on toast?

Philippa Bond ● 2348d

Philippa, agree we eat too much and not very healthy foods either,cannot go without potatoes, also like cold curry and cold chips.

Janice Evans ● 2348d

I do eat potatoes just not in vast quantities and hardly ever eat chips.  Chips are so often a large part of a meal eaten out.  I also know and have experienced the vast amounts of meat that often ends up on a plate in America.  In South America I remember being faced with a steak that was the size of the plate.  Just too much.  We don't need cheap food in order to encourage us all to eat more and make us all bigger and fatter.  And what about the hormones and antibiotics?  There is a sad lack of control in society nowadays.

Philippa Bond ● 2348d

Just give me a steak the size of a dinner plate medium rare so i can dip my chips in the juices along with some red wine and im very happy Luvvly jubbly

Julian Pavey ● 2348d

Enough meat for a family of four meateaters I reckon!

Philippa Bond ● 2347d