I have just received this in my inbox and I am really pleased about it. I hope the other supermarkets follow suit as I don't want to chose between chlorinated chicken and hormone laden beef and no chicken and beef. Goodness knows how sub-standard food like that would affect people and in particular, all those who are already vulnerable in more ways than one.
We won’t sell it: Waitrose ups the ante in fight against lower-welfare US food imports
THE NEWLY INSTALLED BOSS AT UK SUPERMARKET WAITROSE HAS ADDED TO A CHORUS OF CALLS FROM FARMERS, CONSUMER GROUPS AND FOOD CAMPAIGNERS URGING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOT TO ACCEPT LOWER FOOD SAFETY AND WELFARE STANDARDS AS THE PRICE OF STRIKING A POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL WITH THE US.
He adds: “It would be simply wrong to maintain high standards at home yet import food from overseas that has been produced to lower standards. We would be closing our eyes to a problem that exists in another part of the world and to animals who are out of our sight and our minds. I feel sure customers will share our view.”
In a defiant, closing remark, Bailey says: “We promise we will never sell any Waitrose product that does not meet our own high standards.” In other words, he is making it very clear to Ministers, that whatever they decide, Waitrose will not be selling “chlorinated chicken, beef treated with growth hormones and fruit and veg treated with pesticides currently banned in the UK by EU law”.
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springcross
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Whilst other supermarkets are available, Waitrose stocks the biggest range of organic products in my area, which is important to me. I have relied on them for my regular food shopping deliveries since being poleaxed by RA and especially during the lockdown period.
I don't very often buy organic I must admit but perish the thought of only having a choice of chlorinated chicken and beef that's been treated with hormones or nowt. I thought all this had been sorted and that it was completely off the table in trade talks.
I try to avoid eating foods that contain antibiotics and which have been sprayed with pesticides which is why I buy organic dairy, meat and fruit and veg if I can.
I don't blame you. We have bought organic meat in the past from an organic only butcher but even a couple of chicken breasts were massively expensive. The shop had been there for years but ended up having to close down. We do buy some organic foods but not all. As regards veg etc for example, we grow our own and there is definitely nothing nasty about about any of it, we don't use any sprays and we know that it is good stuff and our plant food is organic. The only spray we have used over the last few years was Neem oil for rust on the garlic and leeks.
I stopped buying organic meat a few years ago when money became tight but have been buying everything other than chicken at a local farm shop butchers. Until Covid I bought chicken at Sainsburys - either free range or organic - but recently have been using the local co-ops as I couldn't get deliveries. The chicken we've had has been very disappointing and so cheap that I feel guilty so I've taken the plunge and put in an online meat order with a firm specialising in free-range and pasture fed meat of all kinds from small, high-welfare farms. It looks expensive at first but I'm hoping that it will be good quality - we're happy to eat small portions and I'm pretty good at making several meals out of a relatively small amount of good quality meat. I'm hoping that it's successful and then I won't need to think about avoiding the American rubbish.
I have noticed a lot lately that the chicken breasts we buy from Tesco seem to have a lot of tiny blood clots right in the middle of the meat and I find myself cutting them out and almost mutilating the breasts to get them all out and I have also noticed that the breasts are bigger than usual. To be honest, it has put me off and we are now talking about maybe buying them from someone else. I have been buying and cooking chicken breasts for more years than I care to remember but I can never remember them being like that.
I sincerely hope that the other supermarkets do the same. We grow a lot of vegetables and soft fruits and avoid chemical treatments. I don't eat much meat anymore but I would not want to eat hormone-boosted, antibiotic-treated, chlorine washed food. Goodness alone knows what all those artificial chemicals do to healthy people let alone those with serious health problems.
My point exactly. They kept saying that it wouldn't happen (I never believed them I have to say) but it looks as though they are talking about it otherwise Waitrose wouldn't have put that out now would they. It makes my blood boil as the government know how the people in the UK feel about it.
Do they? I suspect those in politics only have a dim idea of what life is like for so many people. I also suspect that the prospect of cheap food would be attractive for some. We'll see
I used to be vegetarian, then started eating meat, but am increasingly going back to my old ways, so I'm lucky enought to be used to not eating meat (it's bean central round here 😂). It's a pretty ocassional treat for us nowadays - usually only buy free range organic, so it costs too much to be anything else! Very glad to hear Waitrose take this stance.
Yes, I hope the others join in too. 🤞 I must admit, we don't eat much meat now apart from chicken, the very occasional lamb rump chops or a beef joint but that would be over many months, although we have sausages occasionally too.
Nobody will be forced to buy any food they don’t approve of.
We will still have free choice ......if this food is ever allowed to be sold in
the UK ....people will investigate all the claims & make up their own minds.
Although it is a good sales ploy for Waitrose to make the announcement.....a whole lot of of people can’t afford to shop there now.....and this time next year when a lot of people will be earning less....I would imagine even less will be shopping there.
Do agree with you. I am lucky enough to have a priority delivery slot with Waitrose and love their food. I am not rich and choose to buy the minimum of things that I trust and have cut down on items i really do not need.
I now shop mostly at Aldi & the farm shops......all the fresh produce I buy, in Aldi....fruit, veg etc is just as good as Waitrose. They recently had Cherries from the same source as Waitrose selling on their weekly special offer for 75p....same weight in Waitrose was £2.75.
If anyone want to spend the extra money that is their choice...I would rather buy extra Cherries!
Yes, I agree as since lockdown, hubby has been going there now and then and we have been really pleased with the quality of the food he has bought. I remember early last year my sister telling me that the best place she has found for buying chickens now is Aldi as they are really nice and better quality than the other supermarkets.
I have been confined to my home( where I live alone )since March as categorised extreme clinically vulnerable and am grateful for the slot I was offered. There are no Aldi or Lidl stores where I live, and i tried the delivery from the local farm Shop. but found it was too pricey for my means. As my government letter is telling me to refrain from entering food store after July 6th until August when I will receive more information, I will stay with my present provider.
Yes we have mostly all been confined for a long time now , and those of us lucky enough to have had someone to shop for us have been very fortunate.
I too live alone & I have now decided that enough is enough, & I will venture out to the shops....suitably masked,
I go when the shops are quiet..usually mid afternoon,& I am finding everybody is sticking to the rules, & in fact people are being very polite & not barging about at all....we are all too fixated with the arrows on the floor telling us which way to walk,
I too had a four page letter describing what will be happening & I have decided what is right for me.....the letter is only advisory after all.
I feel life is too short to stay locked away indefinitely...it is a personal decision that we all have the choice to make.
When you do get out & about I hope you enjoy shopping again ....buying what you enjoy to eat.
It would be good to see shops not selling food of any sort that isn't produced to our standards (or higher). But we do have a choice with what we buy as long as produce is labelled correctly. I think people are more concerned about 'ready meals' or other processed foods as they don't necessarily tell you on the packet EXACTLY where all those contents are from. Does that mean that Waitrose and others will request suppliers (including branded goods) to confirm they will only stock items that conform to this. I buy British meat and veg wherever possible and will continue to do so.
Thanks for that Springcross, I hadn't seen it. Although I don't really eat meat, I'm very pleased to hear them say that they won't accept any lowering of food standards and welfare standards.
Interestingly, a couple of years ago I went into a new Waitrose which had opened up which I could get to with a small detour on my way home from work (there isn't one close to home.) Although there were various things I liked, there was was no organic or free-range chicken so I stuck with Sainsburys. Maybe that's changed? 🤔
Good for Waitrose. Yuk. Chlorinated chicken, even sounds awful. Time to become veggie perhaps? I wouldn't put anything past them. I'm waiting for an announcement welcoming Americans into the UK because their infection rates are so low. Sorry I'm being sarcastic 😁 but nothing would surprise me anymore.
Well done Waitrose. I buy all my meat from local farms. It might be more expensive but the animals are looked after, it is healthier meat and no waste. x
I would rather become a vegetarian than eat American meat. I won't eat organic meat from here either because , in my opinion, the animals don't benefit from the strict regulations regarding their own health. Free range is the best option and I have a friend who visits Waitrose suppliers. She is very happy with the treatment of the animals.
So do you know if their chicken is free-range, cakenomore? I couldn't find anything to say so 🤔 Interestingly, I always found the Sainsburys free-range chicken better than the organic..
I have witnessed certain things that have changed how and where I shop and I don't buy organic any more. Waitrose have free range chicken and there entry level chickens are raised in large houses with natural daylight and more space than standard. They do have info on their website. My friend has been to some of their beef farms incognito. She said she was impressed with the set up. Hope this answers your question. I live on an organic farm so know a bit about the rules surrounding animal welfare.
We've been vegetarians for a year now but I’m so worried about the American style of labelling of food products, especialy genetically modified products. For a super power they have incredibly low food standards.
I presume that’s not free range, as that is all I’m buying now, as that’s also grass fed which is better for us, which is also better for animals as it’s omega 3, so a natural way for us to consume it and I don’t like intensive farming.
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