|
Soay Sheep
In This Section...
(1) Eating Quality
(2) Animal Health
(3) Good Farming Practice
(4) All Done on a Local Basis
(5) The Skill of the Craft Butcher
(6) Breeds |
 Why is Meat from Rare Breeds so Special?
Good Farming Practice
© Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Company Ltd
Undoubtedly, part of what influences the quality of
meat is how it is farmed and on what the animal has been fed.
Farmers are not inherently cruel but economic reality means that the
prices that supermarkets and major wholesalers pay demands that
corners have to be cut. The TBMM initiative pays producers a premium
for well-finished, pedigree rare breeds. It is not a huge difference
but it does make the keeping of rare breeds sustainable. Further, in
order to achieve such premiums, producers have to sign up to our own
code of welfare standards which ensures that rare breeds’ stock is
not kept or fed intensively. (Most rare breeds, remember, do not
react well in intensive conditions anyway so this is just an added
reassurance to our customers).
-
Recently we have heard about dairy cattle that
never see a blade of fresh grass – they are kept indoors
throughout their lives.
-
During the BSE crisis it emerged that intensive
herbivore stock was being fed on the rendered remains of sheep
in order for feed suppliers to keep their costs down.
-
Antibiotics are still allowed to be given
routinely in feed in the intensive poultry sector.
-
It is acknowledged that standards of welfare and
what is allowed to be fed to stock are lower in most foreign
countries than in the UK. Yet foreign meat (except beef) can
come into this country and be processed in some way - bacon, for
instance can be sliced and packaged - and legally labelled
‘British Produce’. According to the Meat & Livestock Commission
(MLC) 85% of pork and bacon in the catering sector, (hotels,
restaurants, schools, hospitals, etc.), is of foreign origin as
imports rose in 2003 to 770,000 tonnes. In other words, if you
want a guarantee of what you are eating, you have to demand to
know the provenance of the meat. You cannot rely on seeing a
Union Jack on a pack of meat in the mass market – it is
meaningless. We routinely certify every carcase that goes
through our system to give you the ultimate reassurance.
Did you know that a large proportion of Organic produce sold in
the supermarkets is sourced from abroad?
It’s not just feed that makes a difference. Stress
in animals causes problems to occur in the structure of the meat.
Because of our belief in the highest animal welfare, we only source
stock direct from the farmer – NEVER through a cattle market or a
dealer.
Further, the farmer takes his own stock to a LOCAL abattoir,
minimising stress and unnecessary Food Miles. We only use
abattoirs that we are happy with in terms of animal handling,
(hygiene etc. is governed by official inspectors).
For more information on "Food Miles" see these
external websites (which will open in a new window):
www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/foodmiles.shtml
www.fwi.co.uk/gr/foodmiles/index.html
It is our belief that animal welfare standards should never be
compromised for the sake of ‘cheap’ food.
o
Continue to "All Done on
a Local Basis" |
