My reply from Tesco about my complaint about China

[Guest guest]

For what its worth , this was my reply from the supermarket I used to shop at; Thank you for your email. I am sorry for the distress caused by this. We believe it is important to uphold strong standards on food safety, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. We are therefore very concerned when our customers or other members of the public highlight issues in our stores or our supply chain with which they are unhappy. We will always look closely at these issues. Tesco entered the Chinese market in September 2004, acquiring a 50 per cent stake in the Hymall business, which was an existing chain of hypermarkets based in Shanghai. When entering a new market, our preference is to work with existing retailers who understand the needs and tastes of local customers. As you will be aware, turtles and frogs are a traditional and popular part of the diet in

China, are consumed widely alongside other meats. They are regularly used in dishes such as soups and stews and are therefore sold by most food retailers in the country. We are aware that this may be one of a number of habits and tastes that do not translate easily to Western culture, and that some people in this country may find them difficult to accept. We believe, however, that it would be wrong to impose our values on other countries, regardless of local feeling, attitudes and tradition. We do of course recognise that the importance of upholding cultural differences needs to be balanced against other priorities such as food safety, animal welfare or environmental sustainability. Let me therefore answer each of these points in turn: * The animals undergo an official inspection before they are sold, and we work hard to maintain the highest hygiene standards in our stores. As with other fresh products, such as poultry and meat, the animals are

kept separate to avoid cross-contamination with other products. It is legal to keep these animals live for sale, and customers ask to see them being prepared, which staff are trained to do. * The turtles and frogs that Hymall sells are reared on farms for food production. They are not caught in the wild. They are therefore sourced in a sustainable way and do not cause damage to endangered populations. * Our Standard Operating Procedures require that the animals are slaughtered in ways that immediately kill the animals, and minimise the risk of suffering. We have noted the concerns that you and others have raised about welfare of the animals prior to slaughter. I can assure you that we are complying with all the standards set in China. We recognise that these differ from those in the UK. We cannot simply transpose standards across national borders. However, in light of your feedback, we will be looking at what improvements we can make to

our policies and procedures in this area. I hope this helps to answer your concerns and I would like to thank you for taking the time to write to us. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service quoting TES2316263X. Kind Regards Frances Gibson Tesco Customer ServicePeter H

 

Try the all-new Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" – The Wall Street Journal

[Guest guest]

At least you received an answer.

 

Jo

 

-

peter VV

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:58 PM

Re: My reply from Tesco about my complaint about China

 

For what its worth , this was my reply from the supermarket I used to shop at;

 

 

Thank you for your email.

I am sorry for the distress caused by this.

We believe it is important to uphold strong standards on food safety, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. We are therefore very concerned when our customers or other members of the public highlight issues in our stores or our supply chain with which they are unhappy. We will always look closely at these issues.

Tesco entered the Chinese market in September 2004, acquiring a 50 per cent stake in the Hymall business, which was an existing chain of hypermarkets based in Shanghai. When entering a new market, our preference is to work with existing retailers who understand the needs and tastes of local customers.

As you will be aware, turtles and frogs are a traditional and popular part of the diet in China, are consumed widely alongside other meats. They are regularly used in dishes such as soups and stews and are therefore sold by most food retailers in the country. We are aware that this may be one of a number of habits and tastes that do not translate easily to Western culture, and that some people in this country may find them difficult to accept. We believe, however, that it would be wrong to impose our values on other countries, regardless of local feeling, attitudes and tradition.

We do of course recognise that the importance of upholding cultural differences needs to be balanced against other priorities such as food safety, animal welfare or environmental sustainability. Let me therefore answer each of these points in turn:

* The animals undergo an official inspection before they are sold, and we work hard to maintain the highest hygiene standards in our stores. As with other fresh products, such as poultry and meat, the animals are kept separate to avoid cross-contamination with other products. It is legal to keep these animals live for sale, and customers ask to see them being prepared, which staff are trained to do.

* The turtles and frogs that Hymall sells are reared on farms for food production. They are not caught in the wild. They are therefore sourced in a sustainable way and do not cause damage to endangered populations.

* Our Standard Operating Procedures require that the animals are slaughtered in ways that immediately kill the animals, and minimise the risk of suffering.

We have noted the concerns that you and others have raised about welfare of the animals prior to slaughter. I can assure you that we are complying with all the standards set in China. We recognise that these differ from those in the UK. We cannot simply transpose standards across national borders. However, in light of your feedback, we will be looking at what improvements we can make to our policies and procedures in this area.

 

I hope this helps to answer your concerns and I would like to thank you for taking the time to write to us.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service quoting TES2316263X.

Kind Regards

 

Frances Gibson

Tesco Customer Service

Peter H

 

 

 

Try the all-new Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" – The Wall Street Journal