Waitrose & Animal Welfare

[aquarius moon]

And everybody seems to want a Waitrose in ED?

No thanks.

Posted by 'Hillside Animal Sanctuary'

Outraged, many of our supporters contacted Waitrose in disbelief after watching our short film (below) showing the appalling conditions endured by RSPCA Freedom Food accredited pigs at May Farm in Norfolk. The pigs were being sold by Waitrose as pork, produced under what they claim are 'the highest standards of welfare and animal husbandry.' Our film documents the appalling conditions at the farm from 2007 right through to 2012, despite being reported to the RSPCA on more than one occasion, and even featuring on ITV's 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald'

Waitrose has now responded by stating they have 'not taken any pork from May Farm since June 2009' Yet Dalehead Foods (also known as BQP, who own the pigs) state on their website that their farms 'are all specifically producing for Waitrose' meaning there was nowhere else they could be going!

Waitrose claim 'All Waitrose pork comes from British farmers, and we know every one of them personally' You might take this to mean that they are checking the welfare of the animals but it would appear not!

And Waitrose and Dalehead Foods (BQP) certainly do appear to have the same website writer...

The Dalehead (BQP) website says 'All of our pork comes from a dedicated group of farmers based predominately in East Anglia'

Compare this to the Waitrose website, which states 'Essential Waitrose pork comes from outdoor bred pigs reared by a dedicated group of farmers based predominantly in East Anglia'

So for Waitrose to state they haven't taken any pork from May Farm since June 2009 seems a little far fetched! If they had doubts about the welfare of pigs on RSPCA Freedom Food accredited May Farm, why did they carry on taking pork from all the other RSPCA FF farms as they clearly weren't capable of assuring acceptable conditions? Further, as the problems on May Farm were first disclosed in 2007, why did they carry on using the farm even up to the summer of 2009?!

We also caught Waitrose out last year...

In 2011, both Sky News and Channel 5 broadcast a Hillside investigation which uncovered evidence of free-range ducks being swung by their necks by farm workers. The ducks were being farmed by Gressingham Foods and then sold on the shelves of Waitrose as a high-welfare, free-range product. Waitrose's planned visit to the farm, which could have been used as a genuine opportunity to check on the welfare of the birds, was known about several weeks in advance, rendering it completely meaningless.

Hall Farm launched their own inquiry, saying: "We take matters of animal health and welfare very seriously and are extremely concerned by the footage we have been shown." Surely they knew what was going on on their own farm!! Gressingham (Green Label) said they were upset by the film, and had suspended the farm workers. Yet, when the RSPCA was asked if a prosecution was forthcoming, they said they couldn?t find out who the farm workers were!! This was despite stating "This is absolutely shocking footage and the RSPCA has very serious concerns about the level of cruelty inflicted on these ducks. The footage shows appalling behaviour in regards to the catchers who are seen swinging live ducks by their necks and throwing them at other ducks. This is undoubtedly a criminal offence under the Animal Welfare Act (2006), which makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring the welfare needs of their animals are met and that they are protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease.? So who was paying the farm workers if nobody knew who they were??

Sky News took up our investigation,

Waitrose make a lot of claims about the welfare of animals destined for their shelves, but the reality appears to be that they do very little to actually check on the 'high welfare' conditions they are promoting. Their description of pigs 'transferred indoors to bright, airy straw bedded sheds, with natural lighting and fed a natural, cereal-based diet' highlights the differences between their bold claims and the grim reality...

[Marmora Man]

MMmmmmmm Pork - yum yum.

Get perfect crispy skin on your slow-cooked aromatic pork with this recipe

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1kg pork belly

Sea salt and black pepper

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly sliced

4 fresh bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed

1 tsp cardamom pods, bashed

4 star anise

1 tbsp fennel seeds

Olive oil

325ml white wine

500?750ml chicken stock (depending on the size of your pan)

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Method

. Preheat the oven to 180?C/gas mark 4. Score the pork belly skin diagonally in a diamond pattern at 1? cm intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it well into the skin.

. Put the fennel, bay leaves, garlic, cardamom, star anise and half the fennel seeds into a hot roasting tray on the hob with a little oil and heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Push to the side of the tray, then add the pork, skin side down, and cook for at least 5 minutes until turning golden brown. Turn the pork over, season the skin again with salt and sprinkle with the remaining fennel seeds.

. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom (be careful not to get the skin of the pork wet). Bring to the boil, then pour in enough stock to come up to the layer of fat just below the skin and allow to boil again.

. Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and cook for 2? hours.

. Transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, spoon off any excess fat in the roasting tray or drag a slice of bread along the surface of the cooking juices to absorb it.

Heat the tray on the hob, adding the mustard. Mix in with a whisk, then taste and adjust the flavours as necessary. Remove the star anise and cardamom pods and pour the sauce into a jug. Serve the rested pork with the sauce alongside.

[aquarius moon]

Marmora Man,

I think you've kind of missed the point of this thread?

[woodrot]

TBF Aquarius, this was always gonna happen in the piss taking hell of the Lounge

[aquarius moon]

So where is it supposed to go then?

It's hardly an ED issue when there isn't even a Waitrose here (yet)

And I would be kicked out of the Drawing Room.

There are a few people who visit the Lounge, capable of sensible comments/discussion

[????]

There are?

[macrobana]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> MMmmmmmm Pork - yum yum.

>

Yardarm?

[aquarius moon]

It's not about whether you should eat meat/be vegetarian.

It's about how the animals are treated prior to their deaths.

So read the report & watch the video.

Is this an ok way to treat living things??

[milliemum]

Thanks for posting this AM. Take no notice of the tedious reply. It's always so saddening to hear these stories about animal welfare. Let's hope they don't make it to ED.

[maxxi]

To be fair most supermarkets have shown that they have trouble keeping track of the production methods used in their foods including the accidental use of GM cereal crops and Frankenstein vegetable strains that get imported through two or three countries to avoid detection and/or get included in ready meals (including those with vegetarian labels).

Personally I avoid mass-produced pork as it has rather a 'pissy' taste and go for rare-breed slow-grown pork but I believe I am more at risk from the dodgy production methods used in a lot of (for example) soya farming and the processing of same into 'pseudo-meat' products to satisfy vegetarians who like to pretend to eat meat (as in Linda McCartneys fucking pies for example) than from poor husbandry.

[woodrot]

maxxi Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> To be fair most supermarkets have shown that they

> have trouble keeping track of the production

> methods used in their foods including the

> accidental use of GM cereal crops and Frankenstein

> vegetable strains that get imported through two or

> three countries to avoid detection and/or get

> included in ready meals (including those with

> vegetarian labels).

>

>

Innit. I SO want to be able to relay of tale of this but it would probably ensure a legal action

[Huguenot]

Seems to me that this complaint is based entirely upon the RSPCA certification, not Waitrose.

Waitrose rely upon that certification to make the claims they do about the welfare of animals at their supplier.

The comment about 'having the same website writer' must have been made by someone with a single digit IQ or barely out of primary school. Of course people copy and paste marketing material, it's not evidence of a grand conspiracy.

Likewise the people working on duck farms are not the kind of people who give nicknames to their extended fluffy toy collection. You can't expect Waitrose to be able to dictate their behaviour.

The attack on Waitrose seems vindictive and unwarranted.

If you have a complaint, take it to the RSPCA, and ask them to be more stringent with their certification.

[Salsaboy]

Bacon makes everything better.

[Ilovemywhippet]

This is absolutely disgusting but unfortunately, its not an uncommon problem.

Without insulting the majority of good farm workers out there, it seems that a minority are a certain "type of people" brought up in such a way to show now respect for animals, they are just food, they do not have feelings and so they find it quite acceptable and funny to treat them in such a way. There must also be something "wrong" mentally with these people. Its one thing being brought up in a way to think throwing ducks around is OK because they have never known to respect an animal but look at the farmers a few years back, burning pigs with cigarettes for fun. Thats not something you do just because your not an animal lover, thats torture and it sickens me that these weirdos work anywhere, let alone animals.

I know this isn't really to the point but I think the problem is that the punishments are NOT HARSH, convictions are few and far between and everyone has something else to blame. These slaughter houses are employing people with strong stomachs, there certainly not animal lovers as even if you are not a veggie, love animals but eat meat, your still hardly likely to wind up applying for jobs at a slaughter house are you? It takes a certain type of person and its these types that are hindering the good work of new animal welfare regulations of meats etc.

Same goes for those funeral directors, filmed doing all sorts to the dead people in their care. Again, it takes a type of person.

So how do you try to prevent it? A stricter employment process? Unannounced welfare visits? More CCTV and regular checks of it? Bottom line is these farms do not care about the animals, they care about supplying waitrose and making money but if Waitrose said you have to allow us to monitor X, Y, Z in order to be our suppliers, maybe those running the farms will start to give a crap about what goes on and who works for them because they wont want to lose out on their contracts. I don't think your every going to make the owners of slaughter houses and its employees ever really care about animals but you could make it extremely difficult to produce to any known stores if they do not keep to very strict guidelines and if people are found to break the Law, they MUST be brought to justice and lose their job.

[Dulwichmudlark]

Sainsburys are good for animal welfare

[uncleglen]

I've only ever shopped in Waitrose once- and guess what I bought?- Pork chops without the bone. They were delicious at the time.

[Lowlander]

The manufacturer of Quorn is Marlow Foods, a division of the multinational pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca, one of the dominant corporations in genetically engineered food.

Quorn is made with non free-range eggs, produced in atrocious conditions:

http://www.healthypages.co.uk/forum/vegetarian-vegan/4642-letter-quorn.html

And if you eat quorn, are you aware that the company has been censored by the ASA http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/fresh/fish/asa-finds-something-fishy-about-quorn-ad/227438.article

And it's allegedly not good for you http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/aug/17/science.foodanddrink

If you're a vegetarian concerned about animal welfare, you should look into the soy products you eat as most production destroys rainforest and their associated wildlife http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/soy-deception-article.htm

You might also want to avoid palm oil http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/palm-oil.php

You might want to sort out your vegetarian ways first!

[RosieH]

Lowlander, while I hate a hypocritical vegetarian as much as the next man (probably more), some of those links are old. Is the Quorn free range situation still the same as 8 years ago? According to Wikipedia, "by 2004 all Quorn products sold in the UK were produced without battery eggs, earning the Vegetarian Society's seal of approval".

The people in glass houses point is valid, and preachy preachers would do well to check that their own house is in order before flecking my face with psychotic spittle.

But.

But, but, but - on this, I think we're all pretty much living in glass houses. We would all probably do well to think a bit more about where we're getting our stuff, and not turn a blind eye to Bangladeshi factory workers burned alive because we've seen the cutest little boots in Primark and they're only ?15, or would buy outdoor-reared pork but we've just blown the budget on snowballs and eggnog so settle for battery sausage.

It shouldn't be a case of you sort your shit out then I'll think about mine. It's Christmas, maybe we can all be a little shit-sorty and make the world a nicer place for our fellow manimals.

[Chillaxed]

What are manimals?

[Lowlander]

RosieH Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Lowlander, while I hate a hypocritical vegetarian

> as much as the next man (probably more), some of

> those links are old. Is the Quorn free range

> situation still the same as 8 years ago? According

> to Wikipedia, "by 2004 all Quorn products sold in

> the UK were produced without battery eggs, earning

> the Vegetarian Society's seal of approval".

>

> The people in glass houses point is valid, and

> preachy preachers would do well to check that

> their own house is in order before flecking my

> face with psychotic spittle.

>

> But.

>

> But, but, but - on this, I think we're all pretty

> much living in glass houses. We would all

> probably do well to think a bit more about where

> we're getting our stuff, and not turn a blind eye

> to Bangladeshi factory workers burned alive

> because we've seen the cutest little boots in

> Primark and they're only ?15, or would buy

> outdoor-reared pork but we've just blown the

> budget on snowballs and eggnog so settle for

> battery sausage.

>

> It shouldn't be a case of you sort your shit out

> then I'll think about mine. It's Christmas, maybe

> we can all be a little shit-sorty and make the

> world a nicer place for our fellow manimals.

Fair enough, I see that Quorn use free-range eggs now, I didn't realise. Still filthy stuff though.

I eat less meat than I used to but it's all free-range or outdoor-bred now. So I spend the same as I always have.

And merry Christmas to you too.

[Salsaboy]

And can you eat them?

Chillaxed Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What are manimals?

[aquarius moon]

I only advise Quorn as a meat alternative because it is more readily available.

Also, meat eaters that turn veggie may prefer something that at least looks like meat.

Yes, I am aware that originally Marlow foods used eggs from battery hens, but that was years ago.

Redwood's & Fry's do excellent meat alternatives, but are only available at larger branches of Holland & Barrett & are a lot more expensive than supermarket sold Quorn products which are often on special offer so more people are likely to try it.

[Lowlander]

I don't think you need to do that, Quorn's owners have plans to achieve ?1bn sales over the next decade from their current ?150m. The private equity owners aren't concerned with vegetarianism, just profit. Ethically, you'd be far better off buying meat from a small scale producer. Have a search on Google for quorn and allergy for some interesting reading.

As someone who eats vegetarian at least 3 days a week (and who has spent some time being vegetarian in India) I really can't see the point in substitutes. Tofu produced from ethcially produced soy from SMBS foods and pulses are far more natural than fermented mould.

Adn a damned sight cheaper.

[RosieH]

Salsaboy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And can you eat them?

>

> Chillaxed Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > What are manimals?

I'll say! http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNSYyANnrCQ/UFn2mGhnX5I/AAAAAAAABCA/QbRdI_8WwX8/s1600/Manimal.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.zakiscorner.com/2012/09/manimal-movie-seriously.html&h=162&w=136&sz=1&tbnid=WGvw0DSehN4Z-M:&tbnh=162&tbnw=136&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmanimal%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=manimal&usg=__93RrFECvkx-MtUukOwP28sTWwUE=&docid=G3IhPdxlF2_wRM&itg=1&sa=X&ei=EGnVUMSqLqjI0AWpiID4Bw&ved=0CJ4BEPwdMAo

And yeah, Quorn's horrid. Missing meat? Try a mushroom.

[civilservant]

Chinese supermarkets sell something called mock duck, which is a processed form of gluten. It's a traditional Chinese meat substitute, allegedly invented by Buddhist monks, that attempts to replicate the texture of meat.

And Chinese mushrooms are pretty good meat substitutes too