Animal Welfare

I prefer to buy eggs from somewhere where I can see the chickens scratching around outside. They are no dearer than supermarket eggs. I know not everyone has a farm or garden nearby but many people do keep chickens now and sell the eggs.

I should have included pork with bacon.

I haven't bought Danish bacon for over 30 years because of the low welfare standards there, and I am cannot possibly be the only person to make that decision when I did.

In fact Danish bacon is the first product I made animal welfare decisions on; followed by beef and lamb and lastly chicken, mainly because I do not like chicken or poultry (or eggs), so we ate it so little.

Witzend

Nobody ever gets steamed up about the tons of Danish bacon that’s been sold annually in the Uk for many years - and Denmark is notorious for its factory-farmed pigs.
I never quite understand why chickens should seem to be more deserving of our concern than pigs.

In case anyone’s wondering, I buy only U.K. origin, free range eggs and chickens, and I don’t buy Danish anything.

Actually, many people do "get steamed up" about Dutch pork and bacon. I always buy free range eggs and will eat fewer rather than eat (slightly) cheaper barn eggs.

Witzend, I have not deliberately bought anything but British pig products for years, (not that I buy much) and not do my DD’s. I did inadvertently buy some non-British bacon from a local ‘artisan’ butcher. I didn’t think to check the label, assuming it was all locally produced. Nope! Bacon from the Netherlands. 🤷‍♀️

I don’t buy free range eggs because the hens can still be debeaked. Only organic eggs are guaranteed not to be debeaked.

The problem with cheap food is that someone/something somewhere is paying the price, be it battery hens, or migrant labour or lowpaid shop staff.

Nobody ever gets steamed up about the tons of Danish bacon that’s been sold annually in the Uk for many years - and Denmark is notorious for its factory-farmed pigs.
I never quite understand why chickens should seem to be more deserving of our concern than pigs.

In case anyone’s wondering, I buy only U.K. origin, free range eggs and chickens, and I don’t buy Danish anything.

With bird flu so prevalent, hens have been kept inside anyway until recently.

Even though eggs were marketed in boxes marked 'free range', there was a little label stating they were barn eggs.

Free range eggs involve suffering as well, even though the female hens will be better off than caged ones. But their 'brothers' are no use to the egg industry, and are killed either by gassing or maceration.

Yes you can eat for an initial lower cost, but a casserole for example or pulses require a long cooking time, fine if you have £20 to buy a slow cooker. Not fine if you have only a cheap microwave and can’t afford to run an oven for an hour or so, or can only get to your local convenience store that has a limited offering.

I buy free-range eggs and don't eat meat, however, I do buy cakes and other things that contain eggs that I would think contain the cheapest eggs which could well be low-welfare.

Germanshepherdsmum

I would rather eat meat less frequently than have to stretch it that far. That’s two ounces per person before it reduces in cooking. A minuscule amount.

Or a mix of chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils.

One, yes, but not all together 🤮

I would rather eat meat less frequently than have to stretch it that far. That’s two ounces per person before it reduces in cooking. A minuscule amount.

You can eat meat quite healthily, providing you buy organic or, for beef and lamb, Pasture for Life certified meat.

The Pasture for life system means that animals eat only grass and forage crops for their entire life. Usually all grown on the same farm they spend al their lives on and where the animals tread their manure intothe ground, feeding the grass and flowers that grow in it, enhancing diversity and reducing emissions.

It is, of course expensive, but I have just halved the size of the portion of meat I use. Now 1lb of beef, in a casserole with lots of vegetables is sufficient to feed 8. and th eprice is back comparable with supermarket meat.

Yet another decline in our quality of life thanks to Brexit.

And watch out American meat pumped full of hormones is on the way too.
I no longer am eating meat and have now cut out most dairy, eggs, fish etc. There is so much inhumane cruelty involved in the production of these things. Not only that but also lots of chemicals. I wouldn't see those eggs as 'food' but rather I'd be introducing something really nasty into my body.

And as has been mentioned there are many ways of getting a healthy diet without animal products. 500g chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils etc will feed 8 people at least... they cost around £1.50

I guess most battery hens' eggs are used for commercial bakery products. Most private consumers in the UK are concerned about cruelty to birds.

Indeed. As do vegans. Or you can buy fewer, free range, eggs.

Do poor people want to buy food that comes from animals that have been cruelly treataed.

Most poor people share the same abhorrance of animal cruelty as all the rest of us. You do not havennto eat eggs, you can have an inexpensive nourishing diet without eating eggs.

Most supermarkets no longer sell many, if any, battery eggs - almost all are free range. Saying that someone should buy fewer, but free range, eggs if their budget is limited is not denying them the ability to feed their families. Other foodstuffs are available.

Germanshepherdsmum

And people will buy them because they’re cheap, just as they buy British battery eggs. I would rather not have eggs than buy those which are not free range. I expect the battery eggs find their way into all manner of manufactured ‘foods’. Disgraceful.

You are fortunate you can afford free range...many people cannot

For some it’s purchasing cheap eggs or no eggs at all, I think it’s rather callous to deny them the ability to feed their families.

I can afford to buy free range high welfare eggs, many cannot.

Sorry! think meant amoral.

GSM, I agree. Market forces are always completely immoral.

And people will buy them because they’re cheap, just as they buy British battery eggs. I would rather not have eggs than buy those which are not free range. I expect the battery eggs find their way into all manner of manufactured ‘foods’. Disgraceful.