Tesco Ready Meals

[Gittins Gal]

Ok, they're not healthy - even if they profess to be good for you. All those preservatives, flavourings, e numbers etc...

But my little woodland retreat is only equipped with a microwave so I do occasionally buy them when I can't face yet another jacquette potato.

Now, although I'm not a veggie, I don't eat any ready meals ,or similar, that contain meat. It's 100% an animal welfare thing and you can bet your bottom dollar that the meat in those microwave meals is factory farmed.

So, I was in Tesco the other night and, out of innerest, I looked at the label on a chicken karma ready meal.

The label stated words to the effect that the product contains chicken pieces from Thailand and various EU countries?

Now, I'm guessing welfare standards in Thailand are pretty lacking but , even if that doesn't concern you, just the thought of chicken pieces from Thailand and various EU countries... It's like they're serving up the scrapings from the floors of all these far flung processing plants - Eeurghh...

For the record, if I eat something containing chicken I'd like to think that the meat, or at least most of it, came from the same bird.

[NotAllThere]

"jacquette"? Really?

[alreadypacked]

" chicken pieces from Thailand and various EU countries"
I think they are refering to
Mechanically separated meat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HTH

[d000hg]

Ok, they're not healthy - even if they profess to be good for you. All those preservatives, flavourings, e numbers etc...

Is that another opinion or are you agreeing with the healthy goody-goodies' findings now?

[VectraMan]

The chicken jalfrezi is actually not bad.

I didn't ask the chicken where it came from though.

[d000hg]

The chicken jalfrezi is actually not bad.

I didn't ask the chicken where it came from though.

Ready meals have moved on a LOT in the last decade or so. Many are quite pleasant, especially the more expensive ones - advances in food science and the customer's desire for "prepared meals" rather than "ready meals" i.e. something that's proper food you didn't cook rather than just cheap TV dinner stuff.

[Scrag Meister]

" chicken pieces from Thailand and various EU countries"
I think they are refering to
Mechanically separated meat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HTH

or Geographically separated meat?

[vwdan]

Ready meals have moved on a LOT in the last decade or so. Many are quite pleasant, especially the more expensive ones - advances in food science and the customer's desire for "prepared meals" rather than "ready meals" i.e. something that's proper food you didn't cook rather than just cheap TV dinner stuff.

Yep - I picked up some stuff in the Tesco Finest range the other day and, to be honest, it was as enjoyable as most things I'd cook from scratch. It was an oven meal rather than microwave, though - not that it's any healthier.

[VectraMan]

Ready meals have moved on a LOT in the last decade or so. Many are quite pleasant, especially the more expensive ones - advances in food science and the customer's desire for "prepared meals" rather than "ready meals" i.e. something that's proper food you didn't cook rather than just cheap TV dinner stuff.

Plus the infrastructure. If it was made in a factory the day before and kept refrigerated, there's no reason to think it won't be as good as food you'd make yourself and reheat, or even a takeaway. The image of "ready meals" is that they're weeks old and full of processed crap to make them pass food safety tests.

[DirtyDog]

I looked at the label on a chicken karma ready meal.

Is that one which comes back to bite you if you aren't nice to other people?