this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2024
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American butter is shit tbf

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 4 months ago (5 children)

I think a more accurate conclusion then, would be "the average American is too poor to afford good food"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

The average US company is too greedy to make good food.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

No it's not it's specifically that companies can sell Americans the same food they sell in other countries but in those countries, the same food is made with much better ingredients.

Look at the difference between the ingredient list in a Heinz ketchup bottle in the EU vs in America.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

The CAP in Europe subsidizes more traditional farming and farming produce, not corn + hormone beef.

Also there are all sorts of local legislation that limit the extent to which crap food can be passed as real food: a lot of what can be sold as "cheese" in America can't be sold as "fromage" in France and similarly a "sausage" in Britain has a very strict definition of what can go into it (the crap stuff is called a "banger" since BY LAW it can't be called a "sausage").

A lot of the bad practices would be just as cost-saving to do in Europe as in the US, it's just that the legislation is way tighter and to some level (depending on the country) consumers are much more demanding (plus also due to the legislation, producers can't just name the fake stuff the same as the real stuff).

The impression I have from talking to Americans is that to eat good food in the US you need to really make an effort, whilst in Europe for most things comparativelly higher quality ingredients are widespread (often the default), easy to find it and there are quite a lot of restrictions on what producers can put in it (or how it's farmed or raised).

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

The impression I have from talking to Americans is that to eat good food in the US you need to really make an effort,

I promise, not anymore than the US. Actually, I'd argue especially in less urban areas getting fresh ingredients is more convenient from the prevalence of driving. The problem is if you can't drive you're screwed.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Sort of, it goes both ways its not just on the consumer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I too think it's a mix.

You see some kinds of shit food also being pushed in Europe, and then you see different outcomes per country, depending on local food culture and also legislation - people expect some thing and won't settle for less plus certain things are simply not allowed by Law to be sold as food or be branded in some ways (for example, there UK has very strict demands of what can go into what can be called a "sausage", which is why the shit stuff is called "bangers").

Also in Europe vs the US you see a major difference in where farming subsidies go to - if more traditional farming is subsidized instead of corn raising and hormone-filled cattle breeding, the better quality stuff is what's cheaper not the crap stuff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

FYI, the US doesn't use more antiobiotics in livestock than Europe in general, and uses much less than some European countries

I know you said hormones but I couldn't find data for that before I decided its time to go to sleep.