16 votes

US school apologises after canteen serves dish with kangaroo meat

19 comments

  1. [17]
    r_13
    Link
    I've posted this link because I found it to be a bit of an overreaction to a situation. A school chef served a chili made with beef and kangaroo meat, justifying the decision to add kangaroo based...

    I've posted this link because I found it to be a bit of an overreaction to a situation. A school chef served a chili made with beef and kangaroo meat, justifying the decision to add kangaroo based on its nutritional quality of low fat content.

    I think the school overreacted, but this opinion may be biased due to (a) being Australian, and (b) liking kangaroo meat as food.

    Other sources indicate that not only has the school apologised publicly but also that the chef was dismissed.

    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/school-cook-who-added-kangaroo-meat-to-chilli-beef-loses-job-20181020-p50av8.html

    10 votes
    1. mrbig
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Most people are averse to eating animals they consider cute. But cuteness is subjective. What is cute in one country isn’t in another. I petted a calf once. He was as cute as a dog puppy. Most...

      Most people are averse to eating animals they consider cute. But cuteness is subjective. What is cute in one country isn’t in another. I petted a calf once. He was as cute as a dog puppy. Most “cute” animals have fur of some kind. That’s why no one cares about fish (but a fish with fur might be terrifying...).

      How we determine which animals are food is a highly emotional process, and it’s sad that this food professional lost his job not for putting children in danger, but because he failed to consult the cuteness police beforehand.

      9 votes
    2. [14]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I don't know if I necessarily agree that it was an overreaction. In Australia it may be normal to eat Kangaroo but cultural norms need to be considered and in the US it would be considered an...

      I don't know if I necessarily agree that it was an overreaction. In Australia it may be normal to eat Kangaroo but cultural norms need to be considered and in the US it would be considered an "exotic" meat. With that in mind, I think the ethical (and smart) thing to do would have been to simply propose adding it to the meals but consult the school administration and students' parents first.

      7 votes
      1. [3]
        mrbig
        Link Parent
        I agree people should know beforehand what is going in their children's food. But the firing seems excessive.

        I agree people should know beforehand what is going in their children's food. But the firing seems excessive.

        8 votes
        1. [2]
          cfabbro
          Link Parent
          Yeah, the firing seems pretty harsh, but honestly not that surprising considering the zero-tolerance, "protect thine-self from litigation at all costs" style bureaucracy of the US school system.

          Yeah, the firing seems pretty harsh, but honestly not that surprising considering the zero-tolerance, "protect thine-self from litigation at all costs" style bureaucracy of the US school system.

          11 votes
          1. mrbig
            Link Parent
            Here in Brazil is quite the opposite... is almost impossible to fire a public servant. I think both extremes are wrong in this case!

            Here in Brazil is quite the opposite... is almost impossible to fire a public servant. I think both extremes are wrong in this case!

            5 votes
      2. [10]
        Algernon_Asimov
        Link Parent
        It's not normal. You're not going to see some ordinary suburban family sitting down to a meal of kangaroo steaks with mashed potato & veg on a regular basis. Kangaroo meat is still considered a...

        In Australia it may be normal to eat Kangaroo

        It's not normal. You're not going to see some ordinary suburban family sitting down to a meal of kangaroo steaks with mashed potato & veg on a regular basis. Kangaroo meat is still considered a little bit different or special. It's the sort of thing you might order at a mid-to-high level restaurant as a special treat.

        However, part of that is due to the price. Kangaroo meat is more expensive than beef or lamb or pork - which is probably due to the fact that kangaroos aren't farmed as widely as cows or sheep or pigs... yet!

        8 votes
        1. [9]
          vakieh
          Link Parent
          It's totally normal. Colesworth both have entire butcher sections for roo meat now. I use it for bolognese, we do roo snags, and if you use roo meat in place of the the lamb in Mongolian lamb it...

          It's totally normal. Colesworth both have entire butcher sections for roo meat now. I use it for bolognese, we do roo snags, and if you use roo meat in place of the the lamb in Mongolian lamb it is just incredible.

          It's weird that it seems to be the ones I would least expect to go for it (middle class city people) who have latched onto it, while rural people who could go out and shoot their own... don't?

          7 votes
          1. [8]
            Algernon_Asimov
            Link Parent
            I happened to be in a supermarket today, so I checked the meat section. Roo meat is displayed with venison and game: the exotic meats. It has about 25-33% of the shelf space of beef or pork or...

            I happened to be in a supermarket today, so I checked the meat section.

            Roo meat is displayed with venison and game: the exotic meats. It has about 25-33% of the shelf space of beef or pork or lamb. It's about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than those meats.

            In other words, the evidence all points to kangaroo meat being a specialty item, rather than an ingredient for normal meals.

            4 votes
            1. [5]
              vakieh
              Link Parent
              Where do you live? Here in Sydney (specifically inner west, north shore and northern beaches) it gets a significant space. It doesn't equal beef, for example, but neither do pork or lamb. Chicken...

              Where do you live? Here in Sydney (specifically inner west, north shore and northern beaches) it gets a significant space. It doesn't equal beef, for example, but neither do pork or lamb. Chicken beats them all.

              3 votes
              1. [4]
                Algernon_Asimov
                Link Parent
                I don't reveal that information.

                Where do you live?

                I don't reveal that information.

                5 votes
                1. [3]
                  mrbig
                  Link Parent
                  But how will I know where to send 100 usd worth of roo meat to my favorite Tilder???? Just kidding:) I’d send you some moqueca instead ;)

                  But how will I know where to send 100 usd worth of roo meat to my favorite Tilder???? Just kidding:)

                  I’d send you some moqueca instead ;)

                  2 votes
                  1. [2]
                    Algernon_Asimov
                    Link Parent
                    All Australians are called Bruce. So, just address your package to "Bruce in 'Straya", and it'll find me.

                    All Australians are called Bruce. So, just address your package to "Bruce in 'Straya", and it'll find me.

                    7 votes
                    1. mrbig
                      Link Parent
                      You'll receive a frozen brick of shrimp and palm oil in about 4 months.

                      You'll receive a frozen brick of shrimp and palm oil in about 4 months.

            2. [2]
              Octofox
              Link Parent
              Its something a large % of people in Australia have tried though even if they don't eat it regularly. Its not exactly a crazy meal idea.

              Its something a large % of people in Australia have tried though even if they don't eat it regularly. Its not exactly a crazy meal idea.

              1 vote
              1. Algernon_Asimov
                Link Parent
                Yes, but there's a big difference between a lot of people trying something and not considering it a crazy meal idea, and it being normal to eat Kangaroo, as @cfabbro said way up there.

                Yes, but there's a big difference between a lot of people trying something and not considering it a crazy meal idea, and it being normal to eat Kangaroo, as @cfabbro said way up there.

                1 vote
    3. Addicto
      Link Parent
      Honestly, kangaroo meat is awesome. Even though I've only had it once, it was a real nice steak.

      Honestly, kangaroo meat is awesome. Even though I've only had it once, it was a real nice steak.

      1 vote
  2. [2]
    Octofox
    Link
    If they genuinely cared about about not causing harm then they would remove all meat from the menu. Those kangaroos they served likely lived a much better life on some gigantic farm in Australia...

    If they genuinely cared about about not causing harm then they would remove all meat from the menu. Those kangaroos they served likely lived a much better life on some gigantic farm in Australia than the cows they usually serve which are grown in some optimized hellhole meatfarm.

    7 votes
    1. mrbig
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Probably. But this is not about animal suffering, it's about human suffering. It's about the moral suffering we endure when we discover that we (or someone we take care of) ate an animal we regard...

      Probably. But this is not about animal suffering, it's about human suffering. It's about the moral suffering we endure when we discover that we (or someone we take care of) ate an animal we regard as "cute".

      Please note: just because I described the thought process it doesn't mean I find it reasonable.

      8 votes