Organic food in supermarkets

ThriftyFelicity

ASDA currently has organic spaghetti (dried) for 50p (500g packet).

Kirri

Edwardia wrote: »

Kirri, haven't heard about a drug :eek: did read in The Grocer today that Tesco sold burgers which had been recalled by overriding recall notice at the tills. The burgers were withdrawn as a precaution and probably didn't contain cheval DNA but it's the principle of the thing. Not only not removed, but some dippy person didn't read what was in front of him/her and sold them.

It was a potential cancer causing drug used in horses, think it began with P? Can't remember where I read it now though??

I saw the story on the till op overriding it and the pics. Did you get the email from Waitrose today about their withdrawn burgers? Saying they were ok and were 100% beef.

Did you see that Food Inspectors prog the other night btw? Showed some dodgy butchers in South London selling meat with fur on and spinal cord intact!

Kirri

ThriftyFelicity wrote: »

ASDA currently has organic spaghetti (dried) for 50p (500g packet).

That seems a good buy.

I got Seeds of Change pasta from Waitrose as I like penne but it was £2 (was very nice looking though). Waitrose had own brand organic half that price ish but was fusilli. I do buy Sainsbury's penne, used to be 89p but think it was well over £1 last time, not as good as SOC but then once it's cooked I couldn't say I could really taste a difference. Hadn't checked Asda.

ThriftyFelicity

Kirri wrote: »

It was a potential cancer causing drug used in horses, think it began with P? Can't remember where I read it now though??

phenylbutazone

Horse meat containing cancer causing drug 'may have entered food chain'

Edwardia

The drug may be phenylbutazone much used on horses to enable them to compete because they can't feel the pain of the injuries.

Also given to injured throughbred broodmares to enable them to walk and carry a valuable foal (seen this myself).

It's known as bute - sometimes used on humans as was originally developed for arthritis but it's banned for humans in US - not sure about UK. It's a carcinogen in humans.

Haven't checked all my email a/c yet but haven't seen email from Waitrose. Did hear Mark Price on BBC yesterday explaining. Silvercrest and Liffey had certification revoked so Waitrose removed stock automatically and certification has been reinstated now.

EU signed deal with US last yr which means that USDA certified organic food can be sold in EU. That opens door for a lot of the big manufacturers to sell their organic brands of processed food in EU. They will be the people pressurising EU to allow GM in organic as will Monsanto.

Labelling GM got defeated in California by 6% but other states still want to do it. If even one succeeds, then in effect manufacturers will have to label GM as they can't make one version of packaging for say Vermont and one for everywhere else.

American brands which export here have to export GM free stuff so it's not like they can't do it. They want everyone to eat GM as it's cheaper for them.

94% of soya and 88% of corn in the world is GM now. If it's fed to animals the resulting produce be it steaks or eggs doesn't have to be labelled in EU. Prior to 2004 GM itself didn't have to be labelled in EU.

If you're not eating organic where GM is not allowed in any form, then you are eating GM via animal feed.

The French did a 2 yr study which proves that this GM stuff with Roundup can cause cancer.

Kirri

Yep that was it, thanks TF&E!

Was looking for gpig food yesterday, one well known brand I saw listed on an ecopet site said 'may contain GM' against it, never seen that listed against that brand on normal pet sites, I don't want them eating GM anymore than me. I have a lot of trouble finding good quality hay online that isn't sprayed as well.

Edwardia

Do guineapigs eat hay ? (looks confused).

I was eating soya mince 1994-1999 and until 2004 any GM soya didn't have to be labelled so I am kinda wondering if that's why I ended up with diabetes When we were broke we had it 5 evening meals out of 7

I'm looking at cheese now thinking eww that could be GM fed cow milk in there There's not a lot of organic cheese about though.

Kirri

Yes, they eat loads of hay, almost constantly so I like to get good quality but it's quite expensive. The one I was using last week was unsprayed but a bit musty and that could have contributed to my large vet's bill last week.. so on the hunt again now.

Was GM soya so widely grown back then?? Though guess the big GM scare when I first looked at converting to organic was way back when I was still eating meat so before 2001.

I'm quite happy with the selection of cheese I've found so far though I don't eat many types anyway.

smallblueplanet

Edwardia wrote: »

I'm looking at cheese now thinking eww that could be GM fed cow milk in there There's not a lot of organic cheese about though.

Ocado sell 'Green's of Glastonbury' organic cheeses, their smoked cheddar is lovely! Other organic cheeses including cheddar are tasty.

Ocado also sell Caws (is it?) an organic soft Welsh cheese - really tasty, had some at xmas. -edit was this: http://www.cawscenarth.co.uk/section/6/1/golden-cenarth-cheese but not in stock now, maybe just xmas?

Waitrose sell an organic Reblochon - makes a lovely tartiflette, but not veggie. -edit just checked not showing stock, but there was/is one.

Remember listening to a Radio4 prog a while back saying how few varieties of cheese we Brits eat - mostly at xmas I think they said!

Edwardia

Have had both smoked and unsmoked organic Cheddars from Green's of Glastonbury, also Mature and Vintage organic Cheddars from Lye Cross Farm as well as their organic Red Leicester and Double Gloucester.

Have tried Sainsbury's organic mature Cheddar and Wensleydale plus Red Leicester and Double Gloucester. Also had Abel & Cole mature Cheddar. Like that best and the Green's smoked Cheddar.

The best organic Mozzarella tried was Brescia, better than Laverstoke Park or Sainsbury's SO organic. Not found a good organic Feta yet. Didn't much like High Weald Dairy organic Halloumi but it's only one I've seen. The Taifun organic tofu with basil was actually better.

Our fridge has a proper cheese drawer and it's usually at least half full. Besides these also organic parmigiano reggiano plus non organic Brie and Camembert, Applewood, Emmenthal, Edam, Gouda with cumin, Cornish Yarg, Sussex Slipcote (that might be organic),Morbier, Soignon or Cherba, Port Salut, Gorgonzola, Maroilles - never realised for meat eaters we eat quite a bit of cheese. I vacuum up small bits/reduced ones.