One of the joys of blogging (both writing and reading) is that you get to know so many people and learn so much about food and recipes; triumphs and disasters and the passions that drive people to cook. Blogging provides us with a way to communicate with each other. We can share in what we cook and eat and also what we think.
One of the things I am most passionate about is the use of good ingredients. I buy and use my vegetables as I need them, to make sure they are fresh and local whenever possible; if I eat meat then it has to be from an animal that has been treated well; if I use eggs then they have to be free range. I would never knowingly use battery farmed eggs – I have seen what a battery farm does to hens and it is cruel and disgusting. I love getting my eggs from our local farm and I can always see and taste the difference – the yolks are large and golden and the whites are clear. Whatever I make from them reflects the quality of the eggs.
The eggs may be different sizes
Some of them are real whoppers… but they are always fresh and they are always free range.
Now, because I cook so much, I rarely buy anything that is ready made. When I do, it is from premium ranges and I expect, from a premium range, that they will be using premium products. I do not expect to find that battery hen eggs have been used in there. I normally make my own mayonnaise but when I don’t I use Hellman’s – delicious and smooth Hellman’s… made with free range eggs.
So it can be done and it can be done on a very large scale… goodness knows how many millions of gallons of mayonnaise are made by Hellman’s but they manage it. A mainstream product using free range eggs. Well done, Hellman’s.
It was, therefore, a huge surprise to read my friend Sabrina’s blog (she of the famous and delicious Sabrina’s Chicken) and see that she has discovered that Gü, makers of so-called premium chocolate puddings, were using battery hen eggs in up to 90% of their puddings. These are puddings that promote themselves as top end luxury products. You expect the best – you certainly pay the best prices for them. You do not expect to find they are using cheap eggs from hens crammed in cages, producing eggs till they die, still in their cage. Why don’t they make this clear? This lack of transparency makes me look at them in a new light. No longer a high quality company with high quality products… but a disappointing sham.
Please follow this link to Sabrina’s Passions and read about her battle to get Gü to admit they are using battery eggs. I suppose the fact they are owned by a major battery egg producer might have something to do with it……
And just remember – just because something promotes itself as a premium product doesn’t mean they are following through with premium ingredients.
This is all about choice – if you don’t mind where your ingredients come from then don’t look any further. I choose to look and explore for the best option and it is disingenuous of Gü to try and hide the facts.
The moral of this? Always read the ingredient list if you buy something ready made… or better still? Make it yourself!