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Saturday 19 January 2013

What is actually in a value burger?


The presence of horsemeat in value beefburgers has caused a furore. But what is usually in the patties?
"It has been a sobering week for fans of the beefburger.
Tesco have used full-page adverts in national newspapers to apologise for selling burgers in the UK that were found to contain 29% horsemeat. Traces of horse DNA were also detected by the Food Standards Agency of Ireland in products sold by Iceland, Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes. But a beefburger rarely contains 100% beef.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has two classifications for burger products - standard and economy. A standard beefburger can only be classified as such if it comprises a minimum of 62% beef. Similarly, a chicken (or other poultry) or rabbit burger must contain a minimum of 55% meat, and a pork burger 67% minimum pig meat.
The percentages take a tumble when it comes to economy or "value" burger products."

As Tesco likes to say "Every little bit helps" but a horse ! What a way to treat poor old Dobbin.

Eddie
More on this scandal here.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

In my mind burgers should not include horsemeat. I do feel that as families budgets are being hit, more will look at the cheaper foods, where you perhaps do not get the most nutritious of ingredients. Perhaps a better answer would be to make the burgers yourself.

Jean

Lori Miller said...

Reminds me of a conversation my father overheard between his father and another man when he was a kid (the 1930s or 1940s): "Don't tell your kids it's horse meat."

Lori Miller said...

When my dad was a kid, he overheard a man telling his (my dad's) father, "Don't tell your kids it's horsemeat."

tess said...

...when everybody knows, a mule is better eating! :-) no kidding -- a lot of 19th century western-america explorers preferred to travel with mules rather than horses because, if things went badly, mules tasted better.

Anonymous said...

It gives a whole new meaning to "My Lidl Pony"!

Or, Low fat, low carb but high Shergar!

Ray

Unknown said...

If you could buy Horse Burgers in Tescos, I'd buy them for sure.

Grass fed horse meat is going to be much better for you than grain fed cow.

Anonymous said...

Or the cooment, Wow, These burgers are the dog's b*llocks

Lowcarb team member said...

"Grass fed horse meat is going to be much better for you than grain fed cow."

I bet you could run a lot faster as well Fergie.

Eddie

Lowcarb team member said...

Joking aside, when one of the worlds largest food retailers doesn’t have a clue what is in their processed foods, it’s time to go lowcarb. With fresh vegetables, and unprocessed foods that you can actually recognise as err…..food, rather than a failed science experiment.!

Lowcarb team member said...

Coming soon my low cost value home made beef burger, I can guarantee no horse meat whatsoever, I think.

Eddie

Anonymous said...

See in news today Waitrose have had to clear their shelves of burgers.
Jeff