A Unique Child: Nutrition - Meaty issue
Mary Llewellin
Monday, January 11, 2016
Cutting back on meat, and checking its provenance, are important. Mary Llewellin explains why and how
At the end of last year, a story hit the news that made me feel very glad that at Snapdragons we have chosen, through our Soil Association Gold Catering Mark, to consider very carefully the provenance and production methods of our meat.
Researchers had identified a new form of resistance to colistin, the antibiotic of last resort. We are probably all aware that doctors have been directed to reduce the amount of antibiotic prescriptions that they issue; this latest resistance, though, was found in pigs – causing alarm bells to ring in the medical world.
Antibiotics are routinely used by farmers, not just to treat infections. Time magazine reports that, ‘According to a recent study by the Food and Drug Administration, some 80 per cent of the antibiotics sold in the US are used in farm animals, not in human beings, and 90 per cent of that amount is dispensed through feed or water.’
They are used to protect livestock from infections caused by intensive farming methods, and they are regularly added to feed to promote growth. China is reportedly one of the world’s highest users of colistin in agriculture, but it is used worldwide, including in Europe.
While governments, scientists, farmers and medics must work together to safeguard our antibiotics, we can all help by considering the provenance of our meat and by reducing the amount of it we eat.
HIGHER WELFARE
The Catering Mark standards set by the Soil Association require caterers to source their meat only from farms that can prove that their welfare standards are adequate. Look for logos such as Red Tractor and Freedom Foods when you are shopping. They also now require all eggs to be free-range because of the appalling conditions for battery hens, although ‘free range’ is a term that is open to a certain amount of interpretation – hens can be kept in large warehouses with just a few exit hatches that they may not be able to reach and still be classified as free-range. These are the conditions that can lead to a higher use of preventative antibiotics.
ORGANIC
If you really want to be sure of farm animals’ well-being, the best way to go is organic. Animal welfare is one of the key principles of organic farming, and stocking densities, access to the outdoors and natural diet are all required. Organic systems only allow antibiotics when animals are sick, and the withdrawal period before meat, eggs or dairy products can be sold is twice as long as for non-organically reared animals. Studies suggest that antibiotic use in UK organic pigs may be 40 to 50 times lower than in non-organically reared pigs.
A MEAT-FREE DAY
Even when we are sure of where our meat is from, we are still all eating too much. This meat mania is harming the environment because of the amount of the world’s food and water used to feed animals rather than humans – 12kg of grain produces 1kg of beef. Water pollution from animal waste and air pollution from methane are another issue.
Having a meat-free day is an easy way to cut down on our consumption. Meat-free, according to the Gold Catering Mark, also means cheese-free because of the environmental impact of cheese production. Instead of reaching for dairy, we can replace animal protein with beans, lentils, nuts and even protein-rich vegetables.
HALF AND HALF
Of course, you can cut down on meat within a dish too. We often use lentils and beans to replace some of the meat in dishes such as shepherd’s pie, casseroles, tagines and even homemade sausage rolls. That way we get the flavour of meat but we don’t lose out on the protein content by using less. The Children’s Food Trust advises that a portion of meat for a young child is 40g, but with beans it is 55g – so bear that in mind when replacing meat in your dishes.
A LITTLE OF WHAT YOU FANCY…
While we are advocating cutting down on meat for the sake of animal welfare, our health, our budget and the environment, there is no denying that it plays an important part in our diets and can also be truly delicious. So, if we eat meat we should carry on enjoying it, just less often and with a clear conscience.
As the saying goes, a little bit of what you fancy does you good! n
Mary Llewellin is operations manager for Snapdragons’ eight nurseries. Snapdragons Keynsham has won several food awards, including the Nursery World Food Award in 2012 and 2014. See www.snapdragonsnursery.com
MORE INFORMATION
www.sacert.org/catering/thebenefits
[asset_library_tag 1069,Download the PDF]
