COSATU statement on the meat scandal

COSATU is disturbed to learn that South Africa's main food retail stores - Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Fruit and Veg City, Woolworths and Spar - have been found to bestocking animal products with undeclared meat contents.

Just last month these supermarkets said they trusted the meat products on their shelves to be what they are said to be and gave consumers and assurance that their meat was not mixed with undeclared meat products. This means either that they had not bothered to test the products, or had tested them and were lying about the results. Capitalism is barbaric!

We are also disturbed by the possibility of finding human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in some meat products as it is quite likely that abattoir workers frequently cut themselves during production.

COSATU believes that this has health and religious implications as some of these meats are not ordinarily consumed by some for religious, cultural, ethical and health reasons.

The federation calls on National Consumer Commission to launch a review into the meat scandal, as consumers have an ethical right to be informed if the meat they are consuming is mixed with other kinds of products.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, April 16 2013

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