Just in time for the holidays, IKEA in Britain offers reindeer salami
Filed under: Food, Shopping, Health
It's a good time of year to get attention for the plight of the poor reindeer, which is not treated with reverence by today's herders, according to animal rights activists. A group in England is taking this holiday season to call attention to the way these animals are treated by protesting IKEA's sales of reindeer salami.
The group, Viva!, says that most reindeer are herded in Sweden by helicopter and snowmobile, which terrifies them and stresses them out, and that most are slaughtered as calves, which means they never even see snow. So banish all thoughts of cuddly little reindeer frolicking at the North Pole as they prepare to help Santa fly his sleigh. These are animals raised in harsh conditions to be ground up and served as sausage.
The group wants IKEA to ban the products. Is a campaign in the U.S. next? IKEA has been expanding rapidly across the country, but a call to IKEA's headquarters here has not yet been returned. A fellow blogger on the Around Town blog for NBC Washington called the Brooklyn IKEA location and got a worker who didn't quite know the answer, but the exchange is worth noting for its quintessential Red Hook-ness.
If reindeer salami does make it to the stores here, you can bet a publicity campaign against it would work. The TV networks are about to launch into their holiday specials, and it would be about as bad PR as you could get to 'dis good old Rudolph this time of year.
The group, Viva!, says that most reindeer are herded in Sweden by helicopter and snowmobile, which terrifies them and stresses them out, and that most are slaughtered as calves, which means they never even see snow. So banish all thoughts of cuddly little reindeer frolicking at the North Pole as they prepare to help Santa fly his sleigh. These are animals raised in harsh conditions to be ground up and served as sausage.
The group wants IKEA to ban the products. Is a campaign in the U.S. next? IKEA has been expanding rapidly across the country, but a call to IKEA's headquarters here has not yet been returned. A fellow blogger on the Around Town blog for NBC Washington called the Brooklyn IKEA location and got a worker who didn't quite know the answer, but the exchange is worth noting for its quintessential Red Hook-ness.
If reindeer salami does make it to the stores here, you can bet a publicity campaign against it would work. The TV networks are about to launch into their holiday specials, and it would be about as bad PR as you could get to 'dis good old Rudolph this time of year.
Recent Posts
- Penny-Pinching Picnics: Summer party tips that will save you money (7/04/2009)
- Live, from Walt Disney World, it's the Obamabot! (7/03/2009)
- Ukraine outlaws possession of porn, but can't define what it is (7/03/2009)
- Taken for a ride: 5 clever ways theme parks bleed you for extra (7/03/2009)
- Ask the Dolans: Is now the time to start my own business? (7/03/2009)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 15)
12-04-2008 @ 6:12AM
STFU already said...
get overt it.......... FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
12-04-2008 @ 9:32AM
Jon Boy said...
Reindeer salami yum
I found a good article about.....The truth behind those strange lumps and colors in food
http://www.curiousread.com/2008/11/what-hell-is-that-food-mysteries.html
12-05-2008 @ 12:54AM
mike said...
Wild game is the only true "green meat". It is free of hormones and other misc, additives and antiboitics. Do some research on the low cholersteral meat. It runs free, is cage free and taste pretty damn good! I can't wait until I get some elk steaks on the grill!
12-04-2008 @ 6:25AM
that guy said...
most people dont even know that reindeer meat in sweden, finland, and norway is a staple food. just like beef is in the u.s. these little prissy wankers need to shut up and grow up, these people have nothing better to do than slam a culture that has no other affordable meat staple.
Reply
12-04-2008 @ 8:05AM
COLIN said...
A lot of people think reindeer and red deer are only wild animals.Both of them can be farm raised as in Scotland-Red Deer,and Iceland-Reindeer,Finland.These animals are not wild,most of them would come right up to you if you had there food.In my home state New Hampshire we have deer farms that raise Red Deer,Elk,I know one of the farm owners and have been out in field with 100 Red Deer yearlings.These are farm animals,not scared of tractors,people or dogs.In europe these animals are a food staple.
12-04-2008 @ 10:08AM
admireme said...
you are so right!! are they going to ban the meatballs that IKEA sells! It is just crazy! I personally happen to like deer meat!
12-04-2008 @ 10:47AM
Scandigirl said...
You said the people in Sweden, Norway and Finland do not have any other affordable meat staple, where did you get this idea from? I am Finn, your statement is totally ridiculous. I can answer to this by saying the people in the USA do not have any other affordable meat staple but the crapola that Mc Donalds uses in their hamburgers. Kaikennakoisia hulluja kulkee maailmalla...varsinkin amerikoissa.
12-04-2008 @ 12:34PM
annclouisville said...
people in the united states have a fit if you kill deer.I dont think you should kill and leave it to go to waste.deer meat is so much better for you then beef.it has no fat.and it eats only berries corn etc.clean food.not like a chicken that will eat anything.dead animals worms.what ever it is.and we have so many deer here,that there is not enough food for them so they dont grow.I guess when we americans got here.we called up the first Indian we saw and ask where is your super market.
12-04-2008 @ 2:44PM
just a girl said...
Amen, and thank you for that. People need to be more aware of other cultures besides what they have here in the USA, and live and let live.
12-04-2008 @ 11:46PM
Kat said...
Ha.....great point! Made me giggle.
12-04-2008 @ 6:35AM
PlantRightsNow said...
We at the Revolutionaries Against Plant Eating (R.A.P.E.) strongly protest against the evil of Vegetarianism! How cruel must a person be to wantonly devour the most helpless and innocent of all the living things on our planet: namely Plants? Vegetarians thoughtlessly and cruelly rip the leaves off these helpless and innocent living entities every day for their own food while they promote the increased population of plant eating animals, and they do all this all in the name of Saving the Planet! What hypocrisy! Some Vegetarians even go so far as to actually pull plants up by their roots in order to satisfy their monstrous culinary lusts! Any fool can see that the very word Planet is related to the word PLANT, not animal. We are the only organization which truly works to save the Planet by demanding that those who eat their veggies be put in jail! Remember that PETAism is the same as HITLERism!
Reply
12-04-2008 @ 7:33AM
leelee said...
I think you may have a major screw loose! Quick! Somebody call the wacky shack!!!
12-04-2008 @ 7:54AM
Catherine said...
I totally love what you have said, except that I love Collards. Do you think there may be a 12 step program for me?
Thanks for the humor this morning, it was great. You should have your own column.
12-04-2008 @ 8:28AM
Glenda said...
plantrightsnow, i'm guilty! Thanks for your comments, you gave me my first smile of the day.
12-04-2008 @ 8:33AM
PARKER said...
DAMN STRAIGHT!
NOT TO MENTION, THE WANTON WASTE OF RESIDUAL PLANT MATTER (the portions not eaten); THAT ABUNDANT CAST-OFF MINUTIA WHICH COULD BE RIGHTLY FASHIONED INTO BELTS AND SHOES AND ZIPPERS, ETC.
BUT, NOOOOOO!
"DAMN THE LOT OF 'EM!", I SAY.
"UP THE IRISH!"
12-04-2008 @ 9:29AM
Eileen said...
Great! I loved it! I too, am against murdering Plants! I mean after all, they do not put any c02 into our already HOT climate! (I forgot, it is -6 where I live, this morning) And who wants to eat all that Green stuff anyway!
12-04-2008 @ 9:23AM
Don W said...
Touche' I loved your diatribe on R.A.P.E. as I myself am a member of P.E,T.A. (People eating tasty animals). This has put a smile on my face for today. Thanks
12-04-2008 @ 9:59AM
Steve said...
That was AWESOME!!
12-04-2008 @ 10:02AM
input said...
LOL way to go
12-04-2008 @ 10:17AM
R.MCKENZIE said...
SIGN ME UP!!! THIS IS SO TRUE, THANKS FOR PUTTING IT OUT THERE. MEATATARIANS, UNITE!!!!!!!!!