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Organic beef controversy in UK

An undercover investigation revealed that some butchers in the UK were selling non-certified organic beef under an organic label. Some of the butchers were from small towns and knew their meat suppliers closely. They were willing to attest to the quality of the beef that they sold, even if they have not been willing or able to purchase organic certification for their shop. Others, however, simply claimed to use the term as "shorthand."

Because the organic label can command up to 5 times the price of conventional beef, there is a clear financial incentive for less scrupulous butchers to try and sell it as such. From the customer's perspective, it can be quite difficult, if not nearly impossible, to tell the difference between organic and non-organic beef based on physical appearance and the scientific methods are not a guarantee. Relying on certification continues to be the most trustworthy method, but is it actually doing a disservice to small businesses, like some butchers, who say they can't afford the £300-£400 to become certified?

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Filed Under: Newspapers, Ingredients
Tags: beef, british isles, butcher, cows, england, fake, market, meat, meats, organic, scam, scandal, store, uk

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

Spoonman

5-16-2006 @12:03PM Spoonman said... If they'll be able to command up to 5X the price for the beef, how can they not afford to get certified for such a small amount?
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Laughingrat

5-16-2006 @2:00PM Laughingrat said... Relying on certification continues to be the most trustworthy method, but is it actually doing a disservice to small businesses, like some butchers, who say they can't afford the £300-£400 to become certified?

I hear that. It's a real conundrum. Here in Ohio we have an awesome dairy called Hartzler's...according to them, they use no pesticides, all-vegetable feed, no antibiotics or hormones, and even are a cut above as far as how the cows are treated. (The milk, by the way, is...well, it's heavenly.) "Organic" is one thing missing from their label, and by all rights it sounds like they deserve to have it on there. I'm guessing they can't afford to get certified, although I could be wrong. I just find it sad that the organic market was giving so many small farms a shot in the arm a few years ago, but now that it costs a great deal of time and money to get certified, those same farms are unable to pay for the label. Who can afford the certification process? Megafarms! It's pretty sad, really.
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2 Comments / 1 Pages

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