ethics

the problem with dogs...

Throughout most of the world, dogs are considered to be companion animals, not food sources, yet the eating of dog meat is widely practised in a few countries in Asia. The production, transport and slaughter of dogs and cats for food involves methods that severely compromise the welfare of these...

sustainable food

Sustainable ethically sourced produce is the start of good cooking. You just can't turn rubbish into a good dish. If I don't know where my food comes from and the impact caused by its production, then I am already a little reluctant to cook with it. With most produce the...

not all milk is created equal...

Pictures of happy herds on rolling lush pastures featured on product labels may not always be the case... Imagine if the milk you drank was purchased at marginal prices from dairy farmers far and wide. The cows were in "full housing" and not free to access real pasture for the...

grass fed red angus ribs

Animal Welfare League South Australia took over the Kitchen Door at Penny's Hill Winery for an event in November 2010. I got to share the menu for the night with resident Chef Ben Sommariva, to knock out a five course menu of shared plates. These guys really get it, great...

where's the bycatch?

Depending on who's data you believe there seems to be a growing awareness that the species that appear on most menus and the fishing methods employed for these fish are simply not sustainable. Not too far down the track we will be increasingly turning to fish that during my early...

this little piggy

Okay, this picture of the crispy pig belly looks nice enough but could you eat it while thinking about images of sow stalls, farrowing crates, pigs crammed in sheds? Thankfully the decision by Australian Pork Limited last year to phase out sow stalls voluntarily by 2017 should improve conditions somewhat...

lamb with a conscience

There are a growing number of lamb producers who have built a production process around the welfare of their flock. This is one of the happier food industry scenarios whereby the product not only tastes better but these farmers can command a better price for their toil and the sheep...

stepping on eggshells...free range eggs

If you are buying free range eggs there are a few things to consider. You may be surprised to learn Australia does not have a national enforceable independent certification system that applies to the whole industry like the EU has. This is truly a case of "buyers beware" as not...

lucky prawns

Some 25 000 tonnes of prawns are caught from Australian waters per year. A great deal of these will end up on our tables on Christmas Day, as our enthusiasm for "chucking a prawn on the BBQ," has become almost ritualistic. So mention the word Christmas to a prawn and...

if it's not fair, it's just not fair

Fair trade week kicks off in May , here's some food for thought.... Funny to think that a dummy spit in the 1860s by a former Dutch civil servant about corrupt colonial trading practices could have so much impact on the chocolate that you purchase now. Eduard Douwes Dekker penned...

chicken(ing) out

I like chickens; they're intelligent, curious creatures with a way of going about their day to day business that just makes me smile. It's hard to be sad when you see a happy chicken. Unfortunately 90% of Australia's meat birds are produced under "conventional methods" which is a nice way...

cows on grass

Grain fed beef is one of the most successful marketing stories in the food industry. There is simply not enough space in this article to begin a dissertation on how this happened so put a few keywords in google and get reading; (cheap US corn prices, faster growing cattle, marbled...

to roo, or not to roo, that is the question...

There are many shades of grey when looking at ethical food production. In many cases when it comes to best practice ethical producers and animal advocates seem to be on the same page, but not when it comes to the issue of kangaroo meat. If I put my chef's hat...

there's a yabby on my barbie

Everyone who grew up in Australia seems to have a fond memory of being a kid and catching yabbies....summer, a dam or stream, wet trouser legs, squishy mud between toes and the occasional nip to the finger. That said, yabbies are a little under- represented on restaurant menus, but they...