Thursday, October 5, 2017

"People buying meat from strangers on social media is a serious problem"

Ya think?

From The Next Web:
Ireland’s authorities are investigating illicit sales of meat on social media. Yes, meat. Like sausages and steak. On Facebook.

According to the Irish Times, a recent investigation by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) centered around the sale of meat on social media by unregistered individuals.

Obviously, this is bad. Any business that sells food in Europe (and, indeed, in pretty much any Western country) is subject to stringent health, safety, and hygiene regulations.

If you’re buying food – meat of all things – from someone on Facebook, you have no idea if the person is abiding by these rules.

There’s no way to tell that they washed their hands after using the restroom before handling your cut-price sirloin. You don’t know if their premises have been inspected, or if they’re working in a clean and proper environment.

And there’s no guarantee what you’re paying for is the real thing. Food fraud is endemic in Europe, the most notorious example being the 2013 horsemeat scandal, where donkey and horsemeat entered the foodchain masquerading as beef.....MORE