We’ve watched the horse meat scandal unfold over the past few weeks. 

One by one big name companies have discovered that the meat content of their pre-prepared food is not what they thought, and have had to withdraw products from supermarket shelves.

While this is an unpalatable discovery, it strikes me that to focus just on the fact we’ve been eating horse is to miss the bigger point.  We are revolted by the idea and angry at being duped by criminals, and we have every right to be.  But I also believe strongly that consumers have to take some of the blame.

We all know the cost of basic ingredients.  By extension then, we know that if you can buy very cheap meals, there must be a catch.  That old phrase: “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is” applies as much to food as to anything else.  Cheap pre-prepared meals can only mean that someone somewhere along the chain is doing very badly. In the past it has been farmers, paid less for a pint of milk than it costs to produce.  Sheep farmers have suffered in a similar way in the past.  Now, it seems, it is the turn of the consumer.  We continue to demand very cheap prices, we are wilfully blind to the cost of food production, and we value convenience over quality.  This is the kind of behaviour that has handed criminals an opportunity to exploit us, and they have taken it.  It’s not pleasant, but it is inevitable.

On top of that, we all know that pre-prepared food is bad for you. As a general rule it is high in fat, salt, sugar and additives.  I get incensed every time I see a politician assuring us that were are only facing a labelling issue, and it is quite safe to continue eating pre-prepared food. Horse or no horse, it is nonsense to use “safe” in the same sentence as “ready meals”.  This is a perfect opportunity to see this low quality, poorly produced and unhealthy food for what it is, and leave it on the shelves.

Until we are prepared to pay a decent amount for our food, to learn to cook properly, to see the value in a variety of foods and to make ingredients last, we risk this kind of scandal.  It’s really that simple.