Want to know more?

If animal welfare is an issue for you and you want to know the truth about how the food in the supermarket is produced and where it comes from, then here are some additional links that you might want to check out:

I have already referenced their website a number of times in this blog:

1. Compassion in World Farming

Founded by dairy farmer Peter Roberts in the UK in 1967, they campaign to end cruel factory farming. In 1988 Compassion in World Farming made a Public Information Film called Welcome To The Battery for the cinema advertisements. This was to promote awareness and encourage the Boycot of Battery Farming. They also initiate the The Good Egg Award reward companies for sourcing cage-free eggs.
They have branches in various countries, also Ireland: http://www.ciwf.ie/


2. RSPCA freedom food

Freedom Food is the RSPCA’s farm assurance and food labelling scheme dedicated to improving welfare standards for farm animals reared for food each year in the UK. The Freedom Food label enables shoppers to recognise higher welfare products - products that come from animals reared on farms inspected by the RSPCA. The RSPCA welfare standards are deliberately practical and achievable. They can be implemented on both large- and small-scale farms, and cover indoor and outdoor systems. This helps to provide real welfare improvements for as many farm animals as possible.

The freedom food label is unfortunately not used in Ireland but watch out for it when you shop in the UK. In any case the website has lots of useful tips on animal welfare, so it is worth a visit.


3. Celebrity Chefs Campaigning

Both Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's and Jamie Oliver have teamed up with Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA to improve the welfare of farm animals.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Chicken Out! Campaign

Lot’s of information on the Chicken Out! campaign that call’s for a clear labelling of products that come from intensive chicken production.
There is also a link where you can online view Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's programme Chickens, Hugh & Tesco Too: http://www.chickenout.tv/chickens-hugh-and-tesco-too.html

In his show “Fowl Dinners”, Jamie Oliver takes a revealing look at chicken farming. Extracts from the show can be viewed on the Channel4 website: http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/jamie-oliver/jamies-fowl-dinners/

More tips from Jamie on how to shop for poultry and eggs on his website: http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamiesfowldinners/


4. Documentary Films

- WE FEED THE WORLD - a film by the Austrian Erwin Wagenhofer. This is a very good documentary film that traces the origins of the food we eat and shows the realties of modern industrial food production.

Extracts from the film can be viewed on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywdFltUp9Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d-hTyo1eAg&

- EARTHLINGS - film by Writer/Director Shaun Monson.

This is the most comprehensive documentary on how animals are treated as raw material for industries. It shows humankind's absolute economic dependence on animals raised as pets, food, clothing, entertainment and for scientific research. Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, EARTHLINGS chronicles the day-to-day practices at some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.


5. Books

A large number of books have appeared in recent years on ethical shopping. These are just some examples:

- The Good Shopping Guide: Certifying the UK's Most Ethical Companies and Brands by Charlotte Mulvey
- The Rough Guide to Ethical Shopping by Duncan Clark
- Animal Free Shopper by Vegan Society
- Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets by Joanna Blythman
- Not on the Label: What Really Goes into the Food on Your Plate by Felicity
- The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Search for a Perfect Meal in a Fast-food World by Michael Pollan
- Life Stripped Bare: My Year Trying to Live Ethically by Leo Hickman

I would suggest to visit your local library or bookshop to see if you find something inspirational or useful for your lifestyle.

How to Produce your own Eggs: Raspberry Eggs with Chocolate Sauce

Recipe suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

For the eggs:

150 g Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
250 g Water
2 TS Raspberry Juice (if you don't have raspberry juice, puree a few of the fresh or frozen raspberries)
2 TS Sugar
1 TS of Agar
50 g Dark Chocolate (ca. 70% Cocoa)

Preparation of the eggs:

- Fill raspberries into egg moulds until completly filled. You will need 4 egg moulds.
- Mix water, raspberry juice, sugar and agar to a light pink juice.
- Heat mixture and bring to boil shortly, then remove from stove.
- Fill juice into the moulds with the raspberries.
- Leave to cool for 2 hours in the fridge.
- When the eggs are ready remove the from the moulds and melt the chocolate.
- Sprinkle chocolate sauce over the raspberry eggs and serve:

What the Food Producers Say (Part 2) – Indulge behind bars!

Due to the poor response from food producers to my email inquiry about the eggs used in their products, I decided to call the customer care line of the food producers to finally get the requested information. I soon realized that also I had many different brands (like Betty Crocker pancakes and Haagen-Dazs ice-cream), they all came from the same Food Producer General Mills.


I called the General Mills care line (Tel (ROI): 1800 535 115). After I had been informed that this call might be recorded for training purposes, a lady with a British accent answered the phone very quickly and enquired how she could help me. I stated that that I wanted to know if the eggs used in Betty Crocker pancakes and Haagen-Dazs ice-cream come from free-range eggs or from battery hens. After listening to my question and checking her database, she said she could not find this information in her database and would call me back. I left my mobile number and half and hour later the phone rang and the care line lady informed me that this information was not available at the moment, but she would send me a letter with the requested information, if I told her my address details. I left me address details and that was over a week ago and I am still waiting for this letter.

Another big corporation that has all my address details, but I still don’t have the information about the eggs. If the letter from General Mills every comes, I will publish it on this blog. After weeks of researching, writing emails and calling care lines, I still do not know where the eggs for Betty Crocker’s pancakes and Haagen-Dazs ice cream come from (although I think we can make an educated guess…). Who would have thought that a simple question like “Where do the eggs in the product come from?” is so difficult to answer. What is there to hide? Are battery hens not in line with the image of “caring” food company? It’s time to stop beating around the bush and lay the cards on the table: Once again the appeal for a clear labeling on the packaging: