Food for Thought

It can only be a good thing long term, the more people are sheltered from the realities of life the more they will turn to things like vegetarianism. The more they are exposed to the slaughter of stock the more immune they will become to it .

I know someone who visited an abbatoir in Denmark and said there were groups of school kids there watching pigs being killed from a viewing gallery and then moving onto another room to eat sausages. To them, seeing animals slaughtered was completely normal - I don't see why it has to be such an issue over here in the UK.

Of course it's a good thing. The more people know the truth, the better. Look at hunting - the more people realised what's actually involved the more popular it has become.

'Floods of complaints' are always systematically organised by bunny-huggers - just like all the near-identical letters you read from veggie types in local papers.

What I'm looking forward to is a series detailing the appalling level of cruelty to and slaughter of animals that is needed to grow wheat - which, as we all know, goes onto the supermarket shelves as a loaf, with a sanctimonious sticker saying 'suitable for vegetarians'!

You have to feel sorry for all those dead creatures that happened to get in the way of veggie food production: slugs, snails, mice , worms, rats, rabbits, aphids, orange blossom midges (and even the seagull than managed to get itself ploughed in one day) - because they aren't cuddly wuddly, the veggies seem to ignore their plight.

Harrumph!

Of course it's a good thing. The more people know the truth, the better. Look at hunting - the more people realised what's actually involved the more popular it has become.

'Floods of complaints' are always systematically organised by bunny-huggers - just like all the near-identical letters you read from veggie types in local papers.

What I'm looking forward to is a series detailing the appalling level of cruelty to and slaughter of animals that is needed to grow wheat - which, as we all know, goes onto the supermarket shelves as a loaf, with a sanctimonious sticker saying 'suitable for vegetarians'!

You have to feel sorry for all those dead creatures that happened to get in the way of veggie food production: slugs, snails, mice , worms, rats, rabbits, aphids, orange blossom midges (and even the seagull than managed to get itself ploughed in one day) - because they aren't cuddly wuddly, the veggies seem to ignore their plight.

Harrumph!

Of course it's a good thing. The more people know the truth, the better. Look at hunting - the more people realised what's actually involved the more popular it has become.

'Floods of complaints' are always systematically organised by bunny-huggers - just like all the near-identical letters you read from veggie types in local papers.

What I'm looking forward to is a series detailing the appalling level of cruelty to and slaughter of animals that is needed to grow wheat - which, as we all know, goes onto the supermarket shelves as a loaf, with a sanctimonious sticker saying 'suitable for vegetarians'!

You have to feel sorry for all those dead creatures that happened to get in the way of veggie food production: slugs, snails, mice , worms, rats, rabbits, aphids, orange blossom midges (and even the seagull than managed to get itself ploughed in one day) - because they aren't cuddly wuddly, the veggies seem to ignore their plight.

Harrumph!

See how angry I am - I managed to post it three times!

Of course it is a good thing for understanding to be improved. That's not in question. The question is whether this TV programme will achieve that, or indeed has any intention of doing so. That's why many are right to be nervious. We know the media can spin messages any which way it wants. This could be constructive or devsatating - depends on the producers. The real big question will be how the industry responds if it is negative - who is putting a plan in place to deal with that swiftly the day after? Or will it be knee-jerk anger after the event? Seems like a critical moment where real PR impact could be achieved, whichever way the programme goes.

As above it can only be a good thing. The experience of recent years suggests that the more people know about how their food is produced the more disceerning they become. This should be good for british farmers who should be able to market themselves by highlighting the differences between their standards compared to foreign competitors. pity it is on so late.

As a member of the family that was initially approached to assist with this programme and who recommended John Mettrick to the producers I can confirm that the aim of the series is to look at the whole process of the food chain, from the rearing of animals, to the best practice of killing animals and how we eat meat.

The producers wanted to show to the audience the best of best practice. How it can, and is, done to the highest possible standards in this country and how we do justice to the animal once it has been slaughtered, through what we eat.

Since December 2005, we have had videos of our slaughter process to download on our website and any member of the public can come and view the slaughter process if they so wish.

We have nothing to hide and I just wish there were more people like my Dad and John Mettrick in the meat industry today.

As all the trade industry heads (BMPA, AIMS, SAFe, MLC, Guild of Q etc)were approached by the producers perhaps Farmers' Weekly should ask them whether they supported this project.

Their answers will make interesting reading (if they're truthful!)

Delighted to hear such a common-sense approach was taken in the making of this programme. Farmers need to watch it and promote it. Great web-site by the way, well worth a look. And, yes, I'd love to know what all those industry bodies think - go for it FW.....

Kill It, Cook It, Eat It has made me go a veggie!!!!

Good for you Gavin Field. I do feel that the programme will bring about good things, in the way that hopefully more people will chose to go the veggie way. Not just for the animals but for health to.
This programme has highlighted that yes indeed there are nice small farms, that do care and treat there animals with respect, and that is good to know but, it has only highlighted this. Its the hundreds of big factory slaughter houses that people need to see, they have to kill so many in one day, they kill then as quicky as possible and unfortunately it isnt humane in every one, as the programme suggests. thats what the world needs to see, what happens behind close doors, where no one sees the suffering of animals having to see their friends, killed before their very eyes, knowing there are next. Smelling the blood and fear. Thats reality. Go Veggie!

Stacey.

You write with utter confidence about the awfulness of the big slaughterhouses. How do you know? Have you ever been to one?

I personally haven't been to a big abattoir but I see no reason to assume that standards are any worse. The process will still be the same, as will the presence of vets and MHS inspectors.

I will keep eating meat.

Yes I agree the process should be the same, and it is suppose to be but, it isnt aways. You only need to look on the net to see it, if it was kind and humane all the time then why is there so many undercover workers even today showing what happens, there are vidoes to prove it. I spos it helps with the guilt if people assume its always so humane,makes them feel better when they eat them. And no i havnt been to one, but i dont need to, if people were watching then the workers would have to do it properly anyway, its undercover that works. Its not just the slaughter process though is it, its how they were kept before hand,factory farms for example and there is no doubt in the fact that they are treated badly. Overall it is all wrong!

I accept that there may be undercover footage showing practices that no one could approve of. All I am saying is that I don't think it is widespread enough to justify not eating meat.

I also don't recognise your description of factory farms - particularly in relation to the beef industry. What do you classify as a beef "factory" farm.

Well I've just watched programme two. And I have to say how refreshing it is to see a TV show which could have whipped up a whole load of hysteria actually take a very calm and rounded view of the issue.

Of course everyone is entitled to make their own mind up, but it seems they'll be doing so on the basis of fact and not hype.

As someone who spent most of last year trumpeting the food miles issue and provenance, it's good to see the series' aim to link farm gate to plate being successfully achieved.

Thanks Beeb...crikey this is sounding a bit like Points of View. Where's Terry...?

A message for Stacey Inness and Gavin Field: if you think your vegetarian diet involves no animal deaths you're wrong. The whole vegetarian ethos is founded on one whopping lie: no animals are killed in the production of wheat.

Ask any arable farmer how many animals he has to kill to produce your daily loaf.

Might one or both of you be available to come ploughing next autumn? Spend a couple of hours watching the carnage taking place behind the tractor, and then try to tell me that wheat is cruelty-free!

My hens eat lots of snails and worms and mice and bugs of all kinds to produce eggs ......

.....they certainly aren't vegetarian!

I haven't yet seen this program. But more than 20 years ago I watched a video of what went on in a slaughterhouse and became vegetarian the same day. It doesn't matter how "humane" the process is, as the animal still ends up dead.

Since then I've found many other reasons for vegetarian living including:

* Better health
* Lower use of land and water resources - 20 vegetarians can live off the same land as one meat eater
* Reduced pollution (from slurry)
* No BSE

It's a Great shame the programme did not a tell a story of where all the small british slaughterhouses have gone. thanks to the E.U. & Blair.My family Had 3 in the South East not any more.

Put down your 'What to say on a Veggie debating forum' cribsheet, Marc, and answer me this:

This bit of land supporting 20 vegetarians: how are you going to ensure that no animals die on it? I'd really like to know.

I work with farmers on a daily basis and have always felt nervous about witnessing the slaughter process - despite being a hefty meat eater. This programme has given me the confidence that if invited, I would be happy to witness the slaughter process personally now.
Vegetarians are entitled to their views but the reality is that the human race has lived on a blanced diet of meat and veg over the majority of history - we are designed to that diet.

It`s all very well showing how they are killed and dressed so proffesionally but nobody has showned how much the farmer is paid for the animals,and how much the consumer pays!

Still Veggie!!!! My Mum has and Girlfriend have gone Veggie too when I showed her the video of Kill It, Cook It, Eat It

Just reading your posts after watching Kill It, Cook It, Eat It on Sky+. I felt I had to comment on the post from Wayne that says we are designed to eat meat, a phrase often repeated as an ill thought out argument. In comparison to other animals, many of which have evolved with similar dietary requirements, we do not have a short colon like other meat eaters. We do not have the stomach enzymes to process raw meat and a meat only diet would certainly kill us. Carnivores do not have the enzymes to process carbohydrates whereas humans do. Our canine teeth are unusually small and our fingernails are not hard like normal predators. Our jaws move sideways (for grinding vegetation) rather than purely up-and-down like true carnivores and our back teeth are flat (carnivores do not have any flat teeth). There do not appear to be any physiological characteristics that would indicate that we were ever designed to eat meat. If we were, there is a major flaw in the evolutionary plan. We appear to be the only meat-eating creature on the planet that suffers from cholesterol induced heart disease.

Most of the replies on this blog are intelligent and concise, but there always has to be one or two that have to be insulting to veggies.
I've been vegan for fifty one years and look and feel many years younger thanks avoiding meat and dairy. It was not until vegetarianism started to become popular (not that long ago) that I noticed some hostility from my eating friends. All of a sudden I found them making snidy remarks and I even caught them putting animal blood into the pasta meal they had prepared for me. Funny though! Because for years they had treated nme the same as anyone else.Needless to say I rarely see them anynmore
However, it's always the hard core meat eater that points out how the veggie diet and eating wheat is causing terrible suffering to all sorts of tiny creatures.

Charlie, it appears you have a lot of compassion for small animals accidentally killed in the wheat process, but none whatsoever for animals deliberately killed for meat.
However your anger seems to be aimed at us veggies because we don't want to be part of a cruel Industry. It's not just the death of an animal that prevents us from eating its meat. Some of us are repulsed at the idea of eating flesh. For others its the whole rotten process - not least because animals have to endure tail docking, castration, de-horning, noisy market places, transportation, live exports, and factory farms.
Also cows are kept in a permanent state of pregnancy while at the same time forced to yield far more milk than is normal. In fact if a human female was subjected to the same hormonal torture, she would be begging for her life to end. Cows also grieve for their calves when they are taken from them, usually after just a few days. Grief is not just a human trait, so they aren't much different to us in that respect. Becoming maternal is an instinct nature gives to mothers to ensure they take good care of their offspring. You could even call it love!
But going back to a cows udders - imagine your testicles swelling to around fifteen times their normal size. Painful eh! This is the reality for cows forced to produce many pints of milk for you to drink.
For other farm animals there are many indignities imposed on them. They have to endure all sorts of painful proceedures, both mental and physical.
Some people seem to think animals are not capable of suffering. Well - they breathe like us, bleed like us, scream like us, and they sure as hell die like us. Need I say more!

Bravo Judi! Couldn't agree more.

I watched the show and it made me very upset there is no need to kill these harmless animals! They obviously suffer i have now became a vegan since i watched the show, i will never eat a animals again.

How young is too young to kill an animal ???? If you are eating animals anyhow, how does it make a difference ? Dont be hypocritical by saying they led a good life , or they are dying a humane death. Why dont we take your dogs or human beings ? Ones that have led such good lives and decide to kill them bcos they are going die a humane death . Who are we to decide whether they have led good lives ? Who are we to decide " Yes , Thats enough. I think they are ready to die now ! " !!! As a vegetarian I am apalled that people who saw that still can bring themselves to eat meat !

Judi Hewitt, very well said!!
No matter what, in my eyes MEAT will always been seen as MURDER! I think this quote just sums it all up!

A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral."

Go Veggie...for the Animals!

I'm not a veggie or a vegan or one of these crazes sweeping the nation where you can only eat food that falls from a tree. Humans have eaten animals for centuries whats the difference now? Well the difference is the public have no idea how the meat gets to their table. Some of them can't relate to an animal growing up to a piece of meat infront of them. Back in the old days (Which I'm not from) people had to get their hands dirty, more people knew what happened to flossy the sheep before having her for sunday roast.
With the constant price rises in the uk food market due to world demand increasing, everything is becoming more expensive. I think those people who eat meat need to know where it has come from, why it costs so much and the process it goes through to get to the table.
These programs are good for public education and if it turns you off meat well fine. Don't go on about it.
If your a veggie or a vegan fair play to you. I don't wantto hear it because "Meat is murder" thats my choice. You won't see me at a "save the vegetables rally" I don't care about "your choice".