I have been following the horsemeat story with interest. From the beginning when it was revealed that some value burgers contained traces of horsemeat to the latest story that some brands of lasagne have been found to contain 100% horsemeat. It’s not that I am particularly adverse to eating horsemeat, it’s good enough for the French market, I’m sure it’s good enough for us. I guess the point is that you want to know what is in the food you are eating and that the labelling accurately reflects that.
Personally our family does not eat ready meals of any kind. We buy all of meat from a supplier that works directly with the farmers that produce it. Whilst there is still a chance this could become contaminated, it is less likely than buying products produced in large factories where the traceability issue can become more difficult. I expect in the coming weeks and months there will be more and more brands and suppliers found to be affected by this scandal. I will continue to buy my meat not from the supermarket but from sources that can trace where it comes from but I am aware not everyone can afford to do this. I wonder whether there this will encourage supermarkets to think more about how they source and produce their products. There are certainly reports that trade is up 20% at some butchers around the country so consumers are already looking elsewhere for their meat.
In the long run, it is likely that not much will change, from a cost perspective there will be always be people who cannot afford to buy anything but the cheapest meals and the supermarkets cater very well for this market but if they are selling 100% horse meat products it should be clearly labelled as such so the consumer can make an informed choice.