Fish revisited

About eighteen months ago I reported on Tesco's capricious misuse of the word "Vegetarian".

Today, that entry has been linked from a forum which is discussing the same issue

A poster there writes about the moronic and dishonest response she got from Tesco, who said

I do apologise that you where shocked to find fish in a vegetarian product and I apologise for the upset caused.

There is a vegetarian called a Pesco-vegetarians which means they eat fish, dairy and eggs..."Therefore, as the content of fish is suitable for some forms of vegetarianism, for example Pesco Vegetarianism, Semi-Vegetarianism and Macrobiotic Vegetarianism, we will continue to show our Vegetarian symbol on products which contain fish, so long as there are no animal by-products."

Based on this I would warn you to exercise extreme caution in regard to anything that the lying bunch of tosspots at Tesco say regarding what is in their food.

Comments

[Adrian]

I suggest Tesco creates symbols for Pesco Vegetarianism, Semi-Vegetarianism and Macrobiotic Vegetarianism.

Or alternatively labels things with fish in it as "contains fish - is not suitable for veterinarians unless you are pesco (not the same as pesto)"

[Elle]

I worked for them very briefly in the 90s and it was a real eye opener. As a consequence I haven't shopped at Tesco's for a number of years. I don't like their policies and actively dislike the way they play word games to get customers.
Bad form, Tesco, yet again.

[Paul]

I think they meant a Tesco-Vegetarian!

[Blue Witch]

Personally I would advise anyone to boycott Tesco's altogether. But then I have high moral and ethical standards.

[Alan]

This is what the Food Standards Agency has to say regarding vegetarian labelling:

"The 'Suitable for Vegetarians' logo is not regulated. It is known as a 'voluntary claim', which means it is illegal for the labelling information to include anything that is false or likely to mislead."

Surely this falls under the category of "likely to mislead"? Therefore a legal challenge could be made?

[Blue Witch]

Yeah but... who'd take on Tesco? Planners won't, even when they build stores 50% larger than they have been given permission for (I think there are currently 5 cases of that in the UK). If a householder were to do that they'd be made to take it down immediately, but Tesco are a law unto themsleves. Totally, totally uncontrollable.

Sad thing is, people still shop there - even many of those who decry their methods and business practices.

[Gert]

Can't argue with you BW. People do shop there and sometimes it's because they're ignorant or misguided or because they don't care. But often it's because the alternative is so vastly inconvenient, or expensive, or without choice - often as a direct result of the supermarkets forcing out the small local shops.

And to be honest, it's easy to get nostalgic about small local shops but I can't get very nostalgic aboout what I can remember from the Seventies of over-priced grocery shops with little choice except heavily processed foods. Nowadays in some places we can at least go to organic butchers and choose organic fruits from greengrocers, markets, farmers markets and the weekly box. And that's not universal: a colleague living in the wilds of Kent went to a farmers market there and it was dismal and I remember reading a blogger (Pewari, I think) who tried to find decent small shops in her town and couldn't. It was certainly somebody in a fruit-growing area because I was shocked she couldn't find a greengrocers.

People want it cheap in money and don't care about the other costs.

[Ham]

Hey, BW, I'll have you know I have high moral and ethical standards - I just can't reach 'em up there! But why do people shop at Tesco? Because they are - perceived to be - cheap. Don't believe everything you read in the adverts.

[KW]

Scary. I'm not a vegetarian, but I can completely understand the 'upset' this would cause. I don't understand why there is no comprehensive legislation to restrict this sort of word-game.

I wish Tesco's was more expensive... I speak as one who reluctantly shops there, largely because I'm skint. I would love to shop in smaller shops etc etc, but, having tried various options, I am forced to the conclusion that, at least for the time being, Tesco's is the cheapest option in my area. I am striking back by growing vegetables and fruit this year though! I can just feel the Tesco CEOs quaking... ;)

[Ham]

KW, I sympathise entirely. But difficult though it is sometimes, I decided some time ago, for example, that the racks of plastic chickens just don't exist. Lord alone knows the farming conditions that those poor things are brought up in.

Here's my current supermarket shopping regime (I realise that I have the benefit living in London). I shop in Waitrose. I buy very little prepared food and pick up as much reduced meat & veg as I can. Every now and again I check my bill by going online to Tesco/Sainsbury and - ignoring the "premium" stuff you can't buy - I am always surprised by how little, if any, overall difference there is. I go into Tesco for things I can't get elsewhere and for their free yeast (sore point, that, with some).

Not that I'm accusing you of this, but looking at people's shopping trolleys I am convinced that waste is the largest single factor in shopping cost. The number of times I have had to compost Tesco's fruit that goes from inedible to overripe in the blink of an eye is in exact proportion tothe number of times I shopped there. Buying good quality stuff, shelf life is good and very little goes to waste.

[Peter]

Tesco is Anti-English

from http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2006/03/12/scottish-and-british-cheese/#comments

According to Tesco, Caledonian cheese is Scottish (they display the Scottish flag on the product).

Likewise, according to Tesco, Stilton is a British cheese (they display the Union flag — the flag of the United Kingdom).

Now call me fussy, but I believe Scotland is British so either the English cheese should be labelled with the Cross of St George or the Scottish cheese should be labelled with the Union flag as the English one is currently.