And continuing on the turkies on telly theme - real ones this time - I caught the end of a documentary on the animal rights organisation PETA last night. There was horrendous footage on the mistreatment of turkies in a factory somewhere in the US. It really did get me thinking of either becoming a vegetarian - although I think I'd struggle to completely replace my animal protein with tofu, free-range eggs and lentils - or at least trying only to buy free-range chickens killed in a humane manner. But then I remembered that I live in Norway.Besides being over-priced and pumped up with water, chicken breasts here comes in three types: two-breast, family and economy packs, all from the same company. There's no such thing as free-range chicken with the name of the farmer provided on the pack. The same with all meat in fact: no product choice, or consumer information provided on the products available. The same with dairy produce - two companies and very little variety. When I go into a supermaket in Ireland these days, I'm overwhelmed to the point of anxiety by the range of dairy and meat products available. At least though, if you want to buy organic, ethically produced foods, you can.
Supermarkets in Norway are on a par with those in Manila in terms of product range but without the helpful bag-packers at the checkout. They are small, often poorly-stocked, and it is almost impossible to do all one's shopping in one place.
But back to the turkies and chickens. I don't know how chickens are treated in slaughter houses in Norway but I doubt the premium we pay for their meat is due to the luxury conditions in which they meet their demise. So, please save me from a either a bad conscience or indigestion: does anyone know where one can buy free-range chicken breasts in my part of Norway (without sourcing a farmer oneself)?
Photo: Konrad Busslinger
