I Thought That Whopper Tasted Kinda' Funny!

[celtic_crippler]

As if you needed another reason not to eat that processed death-burger...

Burger King admitted on Thursday that its burger supplier was using horse meat in ground beef.

Story here:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/130201/burger-king-caught-horse-meat-scandal

 

[Tez3]

The problem with traces of horsemeat being found in beef from a factory in Ireland isn't of Burger King's making. The factory, Silvercrest, is currently closed and Burger King have found another supplier of meat from England. Silvercrest were supplied with meat from Poland where horsemeat is a common meat as it is in most of Europe. It's believed that only traces were found in the beef. The horsemeat was perfectly safe for human consumption, however in the UK and Ireland eating horsemeat is culturally frowned on.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21267262
Still there is always a silver lining, the Silvercrest contracts for Burger King etc have been awarded to the company my son works for and he's currently enjoying plenty of overtime and relative job security!

 

[Dirty Dog]

What's the big deal? Horse is perfectly good meat.

 

[granfire]

What's the big deal? Horse is perfectly good meat.

but like ZOMG it's TRIGGER!


nah, you are right, it's the other red meat!

 

[Dirty Dog]

but like ZOMG it's TRIGGER!


nah, you are right, it's the other red meat!

I have no problem eating Trigger, Bambi, Lassie, Garfield or Nemo.

I do think you should know what you're eating though. Given that there are pretty much always things in your food that are not what you ordered, how much horsemeat is allowed before they have to sell it AS horsemeat?

 

[granfire]

I have no problem eating Trigger, Bambi, Lassie, Garfield or Nemo.

I do think you should know what you're eating though. Given that there are pretty much always things in your food that are not what you ordered, how much horsemeat is allowed before they have to sell it AS horsemeat?

I think there is a thing on the FDA about foreign matter in the food....

There is however a serious side to it: A growing number of people have severe food allergies. Those undeclared ingredients can be a killer.
Really no fun when you get just a rash, but anaphylaxis is no fun, or having to go to the hospital, because traces are not declared.

BTW, you missed Chicken Little on the menu....

 

[Dirty Dog]

I think there is a thing on the FDA about foreign matter in the food....

That was sort of my point. How much non-beef needs to be in beef before it has to be mentioned?

There is however a serious side to it: A growing number of people have severe food allergies. Those undeclared ingredients can be a killer.
Really no fun when you get just a rash, but anaphylaxis is no fun, or having to go to the hospital, because traces are not declared.

How much is allowed before it must be declared? I think you'll agree that it's neither practical or even possible to declare every possible trace of non-beef that could show up after processing.

BTW, you missed Chicken Little on the menu....

Sorry. Allow me to officially rectify the oversight. I would eat Chicken Little too.
For that matter, I'd eat Thumper, Flower, and pretty much the entire cast of most Disney movies.

Foghorn Leghon might be a little tough, but if you prepared him in a pressure cooker or a crockpot, he'd probably be fine.

 

[granfire]

That was sort of my point. How much non-beef needs to be in beef before it has to be mentioned?



How much is allowed before it must be declared? I think you'll agree that it's neither practical or even possible to declare every possible trace of non-beef that could show up after processing.



Sorry. Allow me to officially rectify the oversight. I would eat Chicken Little too.
For that matter, I'd eat Thumper, Flower, and pretty much the entire cast of most Disney movies.

Foghorn Leghon might be a little tough, but if you prepared him in a pressure cooker or a crockpot, he'd probably be fine.

at least the little engine that could is safe.....and Mater....

I am not sure how low the percentages are, thankfully it is not relevant for me.

but meat is actually really easy to keep contaminate free: kill only one species in any given plant. Problem solved. The species have different requirements anyhow to make the kill humane with the fewest misses.
A whopper should have never come in contact with horse.

 

[Dirty Dog]

at least the little engine that could is safe.....and Mater....

That much iron in my diet could make me constipated...

I am not sure how low the percentages are, thankfully it is not relevant for me.

You never eat prepackaged food? How about having a hotdog? Catsup? Buy a soda?

but meat is actually really easy to keep contaminate free: kill only one species in any given plant. Problem solved. The species have different requirements anyhow to make the kill humane with the fewest misses.
A whopper should have never come in contact with horse.

I don't really know how different the requirements are. How much difference is there between killing a Trigger and killing Clara?

BTW, I think I deserve extra credit for coming up with a named bovine cartoon character. They're not that common...

 

[Sukerkin]

It would seem there are specific regulations that apply to the slaughter of horses for either consumption or compassionate veterinarian reasons and the actions of 'Animal Rights' groups {aka Nutters} are serving to blur and misrepresent these regulations:

http://thecattleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/humane-slaughter-of-horses-is-good.html

 

[granfire]

That much iron in my diet could make me constipated...



You never eat prepackaged food? How about having a hotdog? Catsup? Buy a soda?



I don't really know how different the requirements are. How much difference is there between killing a Trigger and killing Clara?

BTW, I think I deserve extra credit for coming up with a named bovine cartoon character. They're not that common...

yep, awesome work on Clara!
I think Betsy would work, Babe the Ox, or Norman....


No, I meant I won't be thrown into some allergic nightmare by eating anything that's not declared - yet, anyhow....

Well, cows and horses are very differently build and they have different ways of behaving. It can make a big difference in effective clean kills.

And since it's hard to tell the difference, there is the legal hurdle to avoide that the other red meat is substituted for beef, which is generally more expensive than horse. In Europe the horse butcher is generally a separate shop all together, doing nothing but horse and featuring a horse head hanging over the door.

 

[granfire]

It would seem there are specific regulations that apply to the slaughter of horses for either consumption or compassionate veterinarian reasons and the actions of 'Animal Rights' groups {aka Nutters} are serving to blur and misrepresent these regulations:

http://thecattleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/humane-slaughter-of-horses-is-good.html

The three plants in the US have since shut down, I think 5 years ago. One was burned down and not reopened, the other two folded when funding for the inspectors were cut.
The horses went on to Mexican and Canadian plants...then the economy tanked.

But yeah, the nutters were at work and I am conversing with a couple every month around the full moon.... :lol:

I had not idea that the heart surgery thing came from dead horses though....interesting!

Thanks for digging that up!

 

[Dirty Dog]

yep, awesome work on Clara!

What, no rep?????? :rofl:

I think Betsy would work, Babe the Ox, or Norman....

I was limiting myself to cartoons, since all the other critters I named were cartoons. Betsy was probably nothing more than urban legend, an Ox isn't a cow, and Norman wasn't a cartoon either. Although a movie character is close...

No, I meant I won't be thrown into some allergic nightmare by eating anything that's not declared - yet, anyhow....

Ok, now I get it.

Well, cows and horses are very differently build and they have different ways of behaving. It can make a big difference in effective clean kills.

And since it's hard to tell the difference, there is the legal hurdle to avoide that the other red meat is substituted for beef, which is generally more expensive than horse. In Europe the horse butcher is generally a separate shop all together, doing nothing but horse and featuring a horse head hanging over the door.

Interesting. I don't know much about slaughter houses, but I sort of assumed they got the critter in some sort of funnel-ish passage to restrict its movement and then popped it in the brain with something.

 

[granfire]

What, no rep?????? :rofl:



I was limiting myself to cartoons, since all the other critters I named were cartoons. Betsy was probably nothing more than urban legend, an Ox isn't a cow, and Norman wasn't a cartoon either. Although a movie character is close...



Ok, now I get it.



Interesting. I don't know much about slaughter houses, but I sort of assumed they got the critter in some sort of funnel-ish passage to restrict its movement and then popped it in the brain with something.

I'd rep you, but I done did it a little while ago...so no-go, sorry!

well, in the knck box the trouble starts, since the neck is much longer and flexible. and it's not all that easy to find the sweet spot on a relatively narrow head (FYI along the imaginary lines intersecting between the eyes and opposite ears)
Also, horses are much flightier...but even in not species specific build plants the kills are normally clean. Accidents hurt the product, thus the bottom line of the plant.

 

[Dirty Dog]

well, in the knck box the trouble starts, since the neck is much longer and flexible. and it's not all that easy to find the sweet spot on a relatively narrow head (FYI along the imaginary lines intersecting between the eyes and opposite ears)

I knew that target. I think I learned it from a Crocodile Dundee movie. Works well for lots of animals. One of the few times I've been faced by a truely agressive dog, I gave him a punch right there, and it seemed pretty effective.

Also, horses are much flightier...but even in not species specific build plants the kills are normally clean. Accidents hurt the product, thus the bottom line of the plant.

[/QUOTE]

That strikes me as just being an engineering issue. Adjustable "knock boxes" shouldn't be beyond the skill of a people who can put men on the moon.

 

[arnisador]

Lassie

I read this as 'Nessie' at first and I thought we were gonna have a problem.

No problem with people eating horsemeat but that ain't what a burger's supposed to be made of over here.

 

[granfire]

That strikes me as just being an engineering issue. Adjustable "knock boxes" shouldn't be beyond the skill of a people who can put men on the moon.

it's not rocket science. But the plants in operations were under fire by the local nutters...or rather the international nutters. One was burned down, the others were old, retooled beef packers from god knows when. The companies just didn't fix them up, since the writing was on the wall anyhow. In other countries the plants are more specific.

Temple Grandin did fantastic work in regard of slaughter plants. Alas, even her efforts went to waste more than once.

Lets not forget the meat industry is the target of some really dangerous people. Property damage is nothing, perpetrated with no regard of possible human injuries or even fatalities!

 

[Dirty Dog]

I read this as 'Nessie' at first and I thought we were gonna have a problem.

No problem with people eating horsemeat but that ain't what a burger's supposed to be made of over here.

I would not eat Nessie, since if she exists she'd certainly belong to an endangered species...

 

[celtic_crippler]

but meat is actually really easy to keep contaminate free.

You really believe that?

 

[Tez3]

The traces of horse DNA was less than 1% indicating horse meat in the beef. It indicated the authorities reckon that it was cross contamination rather than horsemeat being put in with the beef. Horse meat is very popular in Europe so factories there will be processing it as well as the usual beef, pork lamb etc. Nothing has been said about it beng a deliberate attempt to con anyone rather that it's accidental.