A question about meat in Europe

heliocentric

This might sound like a really dumb question, but I'm going to ask anyway. I normally do not eat meat unless I know where it came from and how it was raised since I don't want CAFO meat and prefer to support local farms. However, I do enjoy meat on the occasions I can find some that meets that criteria.

I have two trips to Europe coming up and was wondering if meat there is better than meat here in the US? These are work trips so much of the food will be brought in for meetings and pre-selected. I am concerned there won't be many (or any) non-meat options (I am going to Germany and Belgium.). I am less concerned about eating at restaurants because then I can choose whatever I want. I have been to both places before and meals seemed pretty meat-centric.

jpeazybreezy

Well, I'm not too up on the subject, but I do know that many countries in Europe wont take our meat due to hormones and antibiotics, so I guess in that respect the meat quality could be better. As far as their actual farming practices, I don't know how they compare to our feedlot system. I'd be leary of english meat just because of the whole mad cow thing, not that I think it is still a risk, but that it was a gross farming practice to begin with which makes me wonder what else they do to their meat. If you're going to France, I know they place a high premium on the foods they eat being quality, so I bet the animals there are treated pretty nicely.

xnickerx

European meat is safer than US meat. It has much stricter guidelines and tracking from the birth of animal to the moment it hits the shelf. But as for how they raise meat.... well, bad farmers and ranchers are everywhere in the world, sad to say.

It is impossible for you as an individual to know where that piece of ham or this slice of turkey came from on the company provided sandwich platter. But that is the same whether you are in the states or overseas. My guess is they probably went for "cheap not humane" so the chances of it coming from a non-happy-no-frolicking-allowed farm is probably pretty darn good. But, I always see cheese sandwiches included on those platters, though, so maybe you can just aim for those?

Oh, and mad cow has been gone for decades. I totally and completely trust British beef. They seriously learned their lesson and cleaned up their act. Just tossing that out there.

Alisha_A

I'm not aware of the specifications on meat in those countries, but I do know there is organic just like here, and I don't think CAFOs are as common. I do think they have better regulations. Anyway, I did have a real point in answering -- when I traveled Europe I was a strict vegetarian and didn't starve. I ate a lot of spaetzle in Germany...yum.