Is eating fish really good for you? Are kampong chickens free-range
birds? Lisa-Ann Lee asks if we really know what we’re
putting into our mouths.
You
think: Whatever looks fresh.
What you
should know: These days, there’s more to choosing meat
than selecting the right cut. Cruel farming practices and the use
of growth hormones and antibiotics to speed up the animals’ growth
process have made it difficult not to consider the implications of
buying factory-farmed meat.
To eat or
not to eat?: For most people, price is often a deterrent
to buying sustainably reared meat. However, the butchers we spoke
to say that it isn’t much more expensive than the intensively
farmed variety. Andre Huber of Huber’s Butchery estimates that
their Australian organic beef is “about 10 percent more expensive
than the regular grass-fed variety.” Kellie Webster of The Butcher
suggests that budget conscious customers can also choose a cheaper
cut of meat and find out from the butcher how best to prepare and
cook it to make it taste as best as possible.
You
think: Fish is a healthier alternative to meat.
What you
should know: A lot of what is available in supermarkets
are raised in farms these days and poorly managed fish farms have
done more harm than good, cramming thousands of fish into pens and
turning them into a breeding ground for parasites and diseases. One
of the most prominent examples of this is the farmed salmon
industry. Studies have shown that not only do farmed salmon have
higher levels of toxin, they are also rife with diseases and sea
lice.
To eat or
not to eat?: Advocates of aquaculture say that not all
fish farms are poorly managed and that they do serve a purpose.
Says Chef Christopher Millar (Coast and Roast at One Rochester),
“The world’s fish supplies are low and net catches (the most common
form of wild fishing) is very damaging to the eco system,
collecting all sorts of fish varieties and damaging delicate
corals.” He recommends local barramundi farm
(www.barramundiasia.com) which “is superior to local sea bass, and
is available at Sheng Siong supermarkets.”
You
think: Organic produce is healthier than non-organic
ones.
What you
should know: This may not necessarily be true. Two
separate studies conducted by the UK’s Food Standards Agency and
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that organic
vegetables, dairy products and eggs are not more nutritious than
non-organic ones.
To eat or
not to eat?: Understandably, the studies have come under
fire from proponents of the organic movement. Advocates say that
the benefits of eating organic extend beyond nutritional benefits.
Says Wendy Wallace, an organic dairy farmer and director of Organic
Dairy Farmers Australia: “Consumers who choose organic receive the
added assurance of consuming products that are free from
pesticides, chemicals, additives, hormones, GMO, and antibiotics,
with the added bonus of organic farming systems that are sensitive
to the environment and animals.”
You
think: Kampong chickens are free-range.
What you
should know: The term “kampong chicken” (in Singapore at
least) refers to the breed of the fowl. In the interest of
preventing bird flu, chickens that are imported into Singapore are
raised in biosecure farms (meaning they are not allowed to roam
about freely). And yes, this applies to the kami sakura
chicken1 as well.
To eat or
not to eat?: Well, kampong chicken is supposed to be
leaner, and therefore healthier, than the conventional breed.
kami
sakura1 ... what?
No, this doesn’t have anything to do with cherry blossoms. Sakura
chicken is basically a fancy name for kampong chicken bred without
antibiotics or hormones using Japanese farming techniques.
You
think: I’ll buy whatever’s on offer.
What you
should know: Most of the world’s tea and coffee are grown
in third world countries and the farmers there are among the
poorest in the world. Fairtrade is a collective that aims to ensure
these farmers are paid a fair market price for their
goods.
To buy or
not to buy?: Critics question how much of the proceeds
from Fairtrade sales actually benefit the growers. With a range of
MNCs slapping their products with “Fairtrade” labels, the question
is: Is it altruism or marketing? The debate continues, but consider
this: Tea growers in these countries earn less than US$2 (S$2.80) a
day. However flawed it may be, why not give the Fairtrade system a
go?