By: Natasha Archary
Founder and CEO (Cow Executive Officer) of Farmers Club, Ntuthuko Shezi joins Gugulethu Mfuphi on Kaya Biz to share that some South Africans may be getting cheated when it comes to local meat products.
Tests on meat products reveal that consumers may want to avoid eating mince, sausages, burger patties, dried meat, and even deli meats, especially after the SA meat industry was rocked by the meat scandal which found horse and donkey meat mixed in.
Another worrying fact is that the cheaper the meat product, whether it is minced or burger patties, it is mixed with pork and not 100% beef or chicken meat.
Shezi says South Africans should be mindful of where they are sourcing their meat and meat products from, as some farmers use growth hormones to speed up how quickly an animal matures, and how big or fat it gets before it’s slaughtered and turned into the meat on your plate.
“You are what you eat, and often as consumers, you want to stretch your money further, but sometimes cheaper does not always mean better.
Our meat at Farmers Club is better, free range, grass-fed and our meat is audited. Our brand is not cheap compared to other products that’s available but, in the long run cheaper can often be expensive later down the line.
The cost of your health, when people are being diagnosed with cancer or other health complications, can you really put a price on that?
Given that meat is a staple in most SA homes, most consumers don’t even know where their meat comes from or what the conditions are on the farm that their meat is sourced from.”
Founder and CEO (Cow Executive Officer) of Farmers Club, Ntuthuko Shezi
Shezi says most farmers take shortcuts and find ways to cut costs, including feeding cows, sheep, and goats chicken feed instead of grass or grain.
The Cow Executive Officer advises people to read the labels on their products thoroughly and to only buy meat from reputable outlets or farms.
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Biz:
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