You might right.

Time to start testing for Human DNA!

Tesco email I got...


Following my last email to you explaining what we are doing to review how we source our food and sharing the progress we are making on our testing programme, today I am announcing some new commitments.

I know that the discovery of the horsemeat in products sold in several major retailers, including Tesco, has shaken your trust in food retailers and the products we sell.

You've told us that you want to buy British. And that the journey from farm to fork should be far less complicated.
I've listened to what you have said and we're making some real and lasting changes.

Today I make you a promise. Tesco is going to bring the food we sell closer to home. We're going to make how we source our food simpler, more transparent and shorter, and we will build better relationships with our nation's famers.
We are the UK's biggest retailer, the biggest customer of UK agriculture and I firmly believe that we should be the best supporter of British farmers.

Already, all of our beef – fresh, frozen and in ready meals – comes from the UK and the Republic of Ireland. So, we have made a start. But events over the past month have reinforced my conviction that we need to move faster and try harder.

As a first step, today I am announcing that from July all of our fresh chickens will come from UK farms. No exceptions. We will also move, over time, to ensure that all the chicken in all of our products - fresh and frozen – is from the British Isles.

We are building on our partnerships with farmers so everyone gets a fair deal. It's the right thing to do for British agriculture and for you, our customer.

I can assure you that everyone at Tesco is committed to ensuring our entire product range offers the highest quality. This applies as much to our Everyday Value range as to our Finest range. We know that, no matter what you spend, everyone deserves to eat well. Whatever a customer is able to afford, there can be no compromise - what's on the pack (and only what's on the pack) is what will be in the product.

Everyone in the food industry has a big job ahead to win back your trust. But I am determined to lead the way, by changing the way Tesco sources food for the better.

The commitments I am making are genuine, and I expect to be held to account for them. That's why we are also establishing an independent panel to improve the way the supply chain works in practice.

So, in summary
We'll put in place better controls
We'll bring food closer to home
We'll build better relationships with our farmers
We'll create more transparency

Here's the link to a new website that we are launching today, to keep you informed on our progress. Over time, it will allow you to see where the food you are eating comes from, how it was produced and who produced it.

I am clear it is time to do things differently. As the market leader in the UK, it is our responsibility to lead and it's what you, our customer expect of us.

Thank you,
Philip Clarke

 
      

Well apparently burger sales are down 43% which is hardly surprising. Though meat sales are also down some 13% so the industry will have lost a lot of money. Though how long will people continue to not trust the supermarkets?

Yup. It's practically impossible to find anywhere that'll actually sell you burgers (that aren't fresh or Birdseye ones). I imagine that's the main reason.

Your local butchers should do you a good burger. We're a little spoiled for choice round here.

Well I suspect that even stores that were no affected are being impacted by the scandal.


I now get the meat from the butcher and mince it myself. At least then I know what is in it. Though I was making the transition before the scandal, and rarely bought burgers because they were invariably very fatty. Though now that I have a mincer I might try making some myself.

Mine do great ones and I always get them for the BBQ - esp the 8 oz Belly Busters

I bet many people are now switching to the local butcher as a result of this scandal. The fact that there are butchery competitions involving sausages and burgers has meant that they have had to keep standards higher. It might mean that they probably sailed through this crisis relatively unscathed.

Since the scandal, I've seen butchers placards state things like "We don't horse around with your food" and "all of our meat are locally sourced".

At this moment I think Solyent Green is still marked as safe for human consumption.

So anyone risked pub grub yet?