The Nestle Meat Debacle

Nestle ‘has increased testing in its pasta meals after the discoveries of horse meat in British foods and traces of horse DNA in two products made with beef supplied by a German company‘ according to an article in the NY Times on Wednesday.

If you’re in the US, though, don’t worry, as the meat in this country’s Nestle products doesn’t come from the potentially affected European meat.  Plus, it’s ‘not a food safety issue, but the mislabeling of products‘ issue.

Huh?

First of all,  how have we gotten to a place where buying processed pasta meals from what was once a chocolate company is something we do without a second thought?

Secondly, I completely agree that the meat needs to be labeled as what it is, and in particular if we consider anyone who cannot eat certain meats due to religious reasons, but I find it odd that people get more up in arms about eating horse meat than all the other, far worse things one might find in a package of Buitoni Beef Ravioli (which happens to include: EXTRA FANCY ENRICHED DURUM FLOUR (DURUM WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SEASONED SHREDDED COOKED BEEF (BEEF, NATURAL FLAVOR), EGGS, BREAD CRUMBS (FLOUR, SUGAR, YEAST, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL), WATER, CANOLA OIL, ONIONS, REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), BEEF FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, BEEF EXTRACT, RENDERED BEEF FAT, SESAME OIL), SALT, SPICES, DEHYDRATED GARLIC).

I’m not saying I’m a huge fan of horse meat in particular but I’d rather eat that than flour, cheese, bread crumbs, soybean oil and yeast.

Finally, when might Nestle increase ‘testing of consumers who develop diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure after consuming their products for years‘?  I already know the answer- never – but of course, one can’t help but dream!