It is the major retailers who have had the most opprobrium heaped
on them in the horsemeat scandal. And this is fair enough given that most food bought comes from supermarkets. The adverse publicity has
had an effect. The furore has led to a shift in sourcing policy from Tesco who
have committed to closer working relationships with farmers. If Tesco delivers
on their promises this can only be good for all in the food chain from farmer
to consumers, and where they lead others will follow.
By contrast catering suppliers, those hundreds of thousands
of premises who feed us outside of the home, have got off lightly . Even news
of local authorities withdrawing meat fed to children has caused barely a
ripple, yet up and down the country from fast food outlets like Burger King, through
up market caterers like Sodexho who ironically supply Royal Ascot, Compass, one
of the biggest catering companies in the world, IKEA with their restaurants
claiming to provide family friendly meals, multi- national giant Whitbread who
owns Brewer’s Fayre, Beefeater and Premier Inns, and local authorities from Scotland to South
west England, and across Wales have all had to change what they provide to
customers because they were failing in their duty of care to those they are
feeding
.
Every one of these companies and the local authorities has
blamed their suppliers. No one has searched their consciences to see whether
demands to save money or increase profits might have been a factor in things
going so wrong.
Few will be punished. Assiduous followers of the scandal
might defect from Burger King to McDonalds, who despite providing food at the
lower price end of the spectrum seem to have emerged with their sourcing
integrity intact. Families might avoid the meat balls in IKEA restaurants, for
a day or two.
The rest of the catering trade will experience no adverse
comeback because, with over 420,000 outlets, it is highly fragmented and largely
uncontrolled. It is also has few recognised consumer brands so there is little
for the media to get its teeth into and inflict reputational damage, as in the
case of supermarkets.
So what can be done to ensure that caterers are serving what
they purport to serve?
They could for starters be obliged to tell consumers at point
of eating where the food comes from. People might think twice if the beef,
bacon, or ham comes from anywhere but Britain.
The Food Standards Agency could focus their analyses on the
catering trade, on the grounds that in the short term at least supermarkets
will be bending over backwards to ensure that their supply chain is scandal
free.
Local authorities could actually be local when it comes to
sourcing the food they supply, much of which goes to the vulnerable – the very
young or the old and sick.
Crusading foodie types could focus attention on the catering
trade with as much vigour as they do the supermarkets.
And as for us , the general populace, we too could play a part
as opposed to leaving it up to everyone else – and actually ask those supplying
food when we eat out to give a full account of what they are serving to us.
What is served up in catering establishments does matter. We
spend £48 billion on food and non alcoholic drinks consumed outside the home.
£2.5bn is spent on food procurement by the public sector, most going to those
who have little choice of eating establishment. The number of times we eat out
is growing despite the recession.
Yet we have little reassurance if any as to the quality and
provenance of the vast majority of the food we eat when away from home.
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