Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[Perris]

But then it gets complicated. E334 for example is an additive. It is Tartaric Acid.

This is why labels are misleading. Everything gets an E number, including 'trad' 'simple' 'real' foods like salt and sugar. I think its introduction was a highly successful confusion marketing ploy by the food industry so that we don't just leave things with E numbers, because they're everywhere, and none of us can remember which are the very, very good ones and which are the very, very bad ones, never mind all the ones in between.

And then there's the issue of whether or not the label is accurate, assuming it was not designed to deceive in the first place. This from a recent news item here: "inspectors found that nine in 10 out of 61 products - including 13 dairy alternatives and 48 meat alternatives - marked as vegan contained inaccuracies in labelling and nutritional information.

John Herriman, the chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said: “The lack of legal definition could be exploited by unethical food businesses claiming foods are as vegan, when in fact they contain animal-derived products. Perhaps of greater concern is that this ambiguity can have disastrous and sometimes tragic consequences for those with allergies to animal-derived products, like milk and eggs. We are aware that people have sadly lost their lives because of this and are therefore calling for more clarity on what can and can’t legally be described as vegan and plant-based food.”

And then there's the issue of inadequate laws and definitions: "Recent polling has discovered the widespread belief that something marketed as vegan is free from animal-derived ingredients. The CTSI surveyed 2,000 people, finding that 76% believed this to be so.

But there is currently no legal definition for vegan food, allowing firms to market their products as being so even if they contain dairy or egg. And there is no threshold requirement for animal-derived products in the UK or the EU, unlike the prerequisite for trace amounts of gluten."

I definitely fall into that 76% percent. One wonders what 'vegan' is supposed to mean on a food item if NOT that it contains no animal-derived ingredients. Suggestions anyone?

 

[Perris]

Tax for labels: a ring of chickens

(Fez is about to jump off, to follow Polka who just dismounted)

 

[RoyalChick]

Tax for labels: a ring of chickens
View attachment 3591839
(Fez is about to jump off, to follow Polka who just dismounted)

Is that a trampoline? So they ever jump on the middle of it?

Here is my food label tax. Piglet who does not bother with labels.

 

[Perris]

Is that a trampoline? So they ever jump on the middle of it?

yes, and they do use the middle, and it does flex when they do, though I haven't seen any of them jumping on it as yet It's actually had a lot more use as a chicken shelter/ perch /display area than it ever had as a children's plaything

Piglet

what a cutie! what is she?

 

[RoyalChick]

yes, and they do use the middle, and it does flex when they do, though I haven't seen any of them jumping on it as yet It's actually had a lot more use as a chicken shelter/ perch /display area than it ever had as a children's plaything

what a cutie! what is she?

I am not reliable on breeds. In order of my confidence she is:
- A pretty chicken
- A complete glutton - she will overcome any fear or adversity to be first to eat
- A Legbar
- An Opal or maybe it is Isabel Legbar

 

[GregnLety]

Is that a trampoline? So they ever jump on the middle of it?

Here is my food label tax. Piglet who does not bother with labels.

View attachment 3591861

Piglet sounds like my kind of buddy

 

[RoyalChick]

Piglet sounds like my kind of buddy

I know all chickens are food oriented - but she is seriously something else.
When I brought them home at a week old they were of course terrified of me and terrified from the journey and just generally terrified.
So I make soft cooing sounds and carefully lift each one out of the box and gently place them one by one in the brooder where they stand frozen before scuttling away from my hand.
When it comes to Piglet's turn however, she leans forward out of my hand and starts eating from the food container before I have even set her feet on the floor.
She hasn't looked back!

 

[Molpet]

Yesterday I looked at the label on a pack of raisins I have in the pantry and notice that it contains hydrogenated sunflower oil.

I had to go look at my raisins, just organic raisins.


I signed up for recalls from the USDA. Lots of recalls for common allergens that I don't see on the news.

 

[BDutch]

Good new s the fire got in control!

My chickens don’t care about strange ingredients in the food as long as its tasty.
I give them supplements in the water and in the food to make their blood disgusting for red mites. I looked at the ingredients and it seems that its mostly herbs.

• Finecto+ solution for in the drinking water is a liquid and it contains: echinacea, oregano, ginseng and cynerrhodon (roses)
• Finecto+ oral to add to the food contains, Echinacea, astragalus, uncaria, gentiane, thymus, citronellol, citronallal, calciumcarbonaat, maltodextrine, sepioliet, natriumchloride.

4 of my hens sunbathing this afternoon:

 

[ManueB]

Well it turns out there is a whole other level to reading food labels than I was aware of.

First off, most of what I buy I don't read the label because I think of it as plain stuff - meaning it is just the ingredient that I am buying like butter, flour, raisins, olive oil or dried beans, lentils, rice etc.

Yesterday I looked at the label on a pack of raisins I have in the pantry and notice that it contains hydrogenated sunflower oil. It never crossed my mind there was something other than raisins in the bag! I am sure it isn't much - I mean they are just raisins when you tip them out of the bag - but they add some oil presumably to stop them sticking together.

Anything that is more complex of course I read the label - and in general I am put off by products that have lots of additives. But then it gets complicated. E334 for example is an additive. It is Tartaric Acid. That is naturally occurring acid that I am sure many of us have used to make baked goods rise.

So I guess I have got lazy!

But what I now have learned is that some things that sound OK may be less OK than they sound.

Take my bag of raisins. Although I think it is unnecessary to add sunflower oil to stop them sticking, I don't have an immediate aversion to sunflower oil. I cook with it after all. But I glossed over the hydrogenated piece - and according to the 'ultra processed' movement I should be very wary of hydrogenated oils.

So I am still learning - and it is interesting. Yesterday I only ate food that was processed by me. This morning though, I had a handful of raisins!

Thanks for explaining, I get it now. You do read labels then, but you need to jump to advanced level reading!

Raisins, like all dry fruits, are not all similar from one brand to another. In many you will find sulphur dioxide used as a conservative. Orange dried apricots ? Impossible without, they should be brown. Not that sulphur dioxide is harmful but I already get enough from the wine I drink . Almonds can have whitening agent...
Not processed doesn't mean without additives, think about conventional fruits and vegetables covered in chemicals and coating .

This is why labels are misleading. Everything gets an E number, including 'trad' 'simple' 'real' foods like salt and sugar. I think its introduction was a highly successful confusion marketing ploy by the food industry so that we don't just leave things with E numbers, because they're everywhere, and none of us can remember which are the very, very good ones and which are the very, very bad ones, never mind all the ones in between.

And then there's the issue of whether or not the label is accurate, assuming it was not designed to deceive in the first place. This from a recent news item here: "inspectors found that nine in 10 out of 61 products - including 13 dairy alternatives and 48 meat alternatives - marked as vegan contained inaccuracies in labelling and nutritional information.

John Herriman, the chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said: “The lack of legal definition could be exploited by unethical food businesses claiming foods are as vegan, when in fact they contain animal-derived products. Perhaps of greater concern is that this ambiguity can have disastrous and sometimes tragic consequences for those with allergies to animal-derived products, like milk and eggs. We are aware that people have sadly lost their lives because of this and are therefore calling for more clarity on what can and can’t legally be described as vegan and plant-based food.”

And then there's the issue of inadequate laws and definitions: "Recent polling has discovered the widespread belief that something marketed as vegan is free from animal-derived ingredients. The CTSI surveyed 2,000 people, finding that 76% believed this to be so.

But there is currently no legal definition for vegan food, allowing firms to market their products as being so even if they contain dairy or egg. And there is no threshold requirement for animal-derived products in the UK or the EU, unlike the prerequisite for trace amounts of gluten."

I definitely fall into that 76% percent. One wonders what 'vegan' is supposed to mean on a food item if NOT that it contains no animal-derived ingredients. Suggestions anyone?

There is a story behind this. Several vegan associations were sollicitated and came up with a standard for EU they intended to become a law. This had been on the European parliament's tablets since almost 2010 actually! Then, ISO also came up with a standard that is closer to the food producer's wishes, ISO 23662. From what I can gather, the main point of disagreement is not about a minimum threshold as cross contamination is considered impossible to completely banish, but the associations include ethical criterias, such as that the producer firm should not participate in any animal testing, not only for said product. Vegan isn't only about food but about global treatment of animals. So I think counter lobbying is the reason why there is no legal regulation in the EU.

In France government is much more worried about vegan products wrongly borrowing animal products name : it is forbidden to call a product almond milk, vegan butter or soy yogurt...than about it's content.

I had to go look at my raisins, just organic raisins.


I signed up for recalls from the USDA. Lots of recalls for common allergens that I don't see on the news.

Organic does make a difference I think in regards to the additives used.
But organic or not, ultra- processed is ultra-processed.
I donate to and follow a non profit organization named food watch which lobbies for more food security and tracks frauds. Right now for example they have a campaign regarding honey imported from China : testing showed that in average, there is less than 45% honey in the product and the rest is glucose syrup .

Piglet sounds like my kind of buddy

Mine too ! She is very pretty though and far too elegant for her name.

Years before we considered getting chickens my partner 's nickname for me was hen-whale. Hen because of my attitude to food, whale because of the size of my stomach .