If you’re in Europe right now, you’ve probably already heard a lot about the recent horse scandal that came to light over the last month. Tesco, Morrisions, Ikea and even Sedexo, a food service company that runs student cafeterias in schools, were found to be selling beef products that aren’t as meaty as the packaging might suggest. Significant traces of horse meat were found in beef products; in some cases there was more horse than meat. Since the revelations, there have been protests over food standards and regulations. The fact that a crisis like this happened in the first place doesn’t surprise me at all. When you consider the lack of regulation and supervision, it is quite easy to write off a crisis like this as almost inevitable.
Most people don’t understand how complex supply chains are in our economy. If you were asked how your food got on your plate, I think you would end your answer with ‘from the supermarket’. Ultimately, we have no idea what goes on behind the supermarkets. Where does the meat come from? Who transports the products? What region? What country? I couldn’t answer any of these questions for sure. This worries me This worries me a lot. We have to start asking the questions that we have ignored for so long. Who exactly is monitoring the supply and distribution chains? I hope the answer to that is no one.
If there is no official body that controls the supply chain, from the farm to the supermarket, how on earth can we even say that what we eat is totally safe for consumption? Horse burgers have probably been sold as beef burgers and we’ve only realized when this has probably been going on for years. If it’s as easy to sell horse as beef, then what does it mean that there are no hazardous substances in the food we’re eating right now. Also, do we understand the long-term effects of eating the things we’re eating?
As a result of the exposure of these supermarkets, we have seen a complete drop in consumer confidence. We rely heavily on supermarkets by using them to buy almost everything we depend on. This scandal has destroyed that trust and we have now started to see a big drop in purchases of cheaper meat products. The challenge for supermarkets is to show that they are in control and can certify the quality and content of all their products. While trying to send that message to consumers, these same supermarkets are pleading with authorities who had no idea what was going on. These are the supermarkets that are among the richest corporations in the world; they hire industry-leading analysts and observers. Are they claiming they didn’t know anything about the horse? If they couldn’t find an issue as shocking as this, how on earth can the consumer regain trust from him?
The short answer to all these questions is no. The problem in this crisis is the lack of understanding. Nobody seems to have a clear and concise picture of how our food is obtained. Our society is becoming more complex and more advanced, yet I feel that within this complexity, we are losing track of a lot of really important things. A little horse in our burgers certainly won’t be the worst of the problems that come to light. I predict that similar labeling issues will become apparent in the coming months/years and we will begin to better deal with the seriousness of the situation.