# Sick of it.



## PieMan (Jul 14, 2016)

Allpro and Robinsons are the two companies that come to mind.

IF IT'S NOT REAL MILK OR IT'S NOT REAL JUICE, THEN LABEL IT AS SUCH

Tiny little words on the back aren't good enough, "milk substitute" is not a milk substitute, it's trash, that's all it is, yet they're ore than happy to stick images of real cows or real fruit on the front.

I'm not yet used to the UK and it's lack of real food, everything is processed.

Lucky I tasted my sauce before cooking my duck and not after. Duck a l'concentrate my arse.

Serves me right for trying to buy a bottle of orange juice rather than juicing my own like I was going to.


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## jbl (Jul 14, 2016)

Robinson's is cordial! UK has less processed food than the States, more than the rest of Western Europe. Not sure where you're shopping


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## PieMan (Jul 14, 2016)

Why doesn't it say Cordial on the front of it then!


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## jbl (Jul 14, 2016)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=r...UIBygB&biw=1280&bih=800#imgrc=GbBS71ZbkyuPLM:


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## PieMan (Jul 14, 2016)




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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 14, 2016)

Take a vegetarian with you when shopping, we have industrial grade label scanners and interpreters built in


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## Matus (Jul 14, 2016)

I live in Germany and have these kind of problems rarely. Most products have to comply with EU standards to be allowed to be labeled as such. I am not overly too happy with food quality in DE, but I can not really complain about lacking non-processed food or ingredients (I do import some stuff from Slovakia, but it is mostly local products).


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 14, 2016)

Yes, but wouldn't UK law prescribe a similar distinction on the label (like what would be Orangendirektsaft vs Orangensaft aus Orangensaftkonzentrat vs Orangennektar vs Orangen-Fruchtsaftgetränk)?


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## Dan P. (Jul 14, 2016)

Yes, UK labelling also makes these distinctions.
Pictures aside, I find it quite easy to discriminate between the various degrees of nastiness by the initial labelleing.
I have strong links to the US as well as obviously to the UK, and have travelled a little bit in Europe, and it's interesting to see the spectrum of processed foods, what is acceptable and what is not. I've noticed that a week or two in the US and I start to get fat. Not a flabby fat, a stout healthy fat like an animal fatted for slaughter. I understand it's the ubiquity of corn syrup, which I believe is the same as the dextrose beloved of body builders? 
I noted with interest that the Dutch have a lot of crap produce in their supermarkets, I think it's their genius for intensive agriculture. It's a similar picture in the UK.
I could go on (and on) but I'm boring myself.


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## Devon_Steven (Jul 14, 2016)

After half a year living in Denmark (2013), I returned to the UK thankful for the relative ease of finding wholesome unprocessed ingredients. 

So the UK isn't as bad as some other (north) western European countries. 

NB - you can find good ingredients in Denmark but they are very expensive and you need to know where to look.


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## Chef Doom (Jul 14, 2016)

Blame a century's worth of demand for convenience, time saving, lower cost, and trust in the government and markets.

You can always sue companies for false advertising. That's the American way.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 15, 2016)

Just made the experiment: Chugged down a bottle of direct pressed orange juice, it was every bit as convenient to chug down as a bottle of orange cordial


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 15, 2016)

I've never had any issues, but then again maybe it's worse in Scotland. I too was under the impression that the EU controlled labelling, but maybe Scotland is different; after all the last time there was 'European Union' they built a wall to keep you guys out. :viking:

Was the bottle in the photo the one you had issues with? I only ask because the bottle does state that it's Cordial and that it's only 25% fruit juice!

I also don't have problems with Soya Milk or any other types of milk substitute, I always understood it just to mean that it's not dairy but works on cereals.

I am worried though for when I go travelling as I can't decipher anything that's not written in English. I've been visiting a Polish supermarket and I've not had much luck in finding the intended products (and the staff look at me like I'm nuts when I ask if a block of butter is a block of butter). :whistling:

Other than recognised brands it'll be all fresh meat and vegetables and juicing my own fruit when I'm overseas as I'm sure I'll pick up the wrong products otherwise.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 15, 2016)

Milk is milk, soymilk is soymilk and almond milk is almond milk... it's the cook that makes one a substitute for another not the vendor.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 15, 2016)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> Milk is milk, soymilk is soymilk and almond milk is almond milk... it's the cook that makes one a substitute for another not the vendor.



"Milk Substitute" is a technical term meaning a whitish liquid containing similar amounts of proteins, fats, and other vitamins and minerals as found in milk, which is intended to replace milk.

Of course it is the choice of the cook to USE a Milk Substitute, but it is up to the vendor to indicate that the product is intended as a substitute for milk.


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## Dan P. (Jul 15, 2016)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> Just made the experiment: Chugged down a bottle of direct pressed orange juice, it was every bit as convenient to chug down as a bottle of orange cordial



I like to do a shot of cordial, then drink a glass of water. It's quicker just to let it mix in your stomach. More convenient.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 15, 2016)

@MAS40T0 "anything substitute" obscures what it actually is on its own... don't like it.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 15, 2016)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> @MAS40T0 "anything substitute" obscures what it actually is on its own... don't like it.



I don't see it that way, they still have to list all the ingredients, but it's a way of letting you know what it's intended use is.

I'd rather know that a low fat spread is intended as a substitute for butter than have no idea what it was or would be like or was intended to be like.


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## malexthekid (Jul 16, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> Was the bottle in the photo the one you had issues with? I only ask because the bottle does state that it's Cordial and that it's only 25% fruit juice!



The picture is of a cordial brand which is an institution here in Aus, and i think PieMan was using it to make a point about clear labelling.


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## PieMan (Jul 16, 2016)

Yep here's what I mistook for Orange Juice, the first ingredient (after water) was "Orange - From concentrate" which I thought was just how Orange Juice comes here.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 16, 2016)

PieMan said:


> Yep here's what I mistook for Orange Juice, the first ingredient (after water) was "Orange - From concentrate" which I thought was just how Orange Juice comes here.



Where are you from originally?

I thought you were native Scottish.

That is pretty bad, and I didn't realise that it didn't say anything on there, everyone here knows what Robinson's is.

Was it with the fresh juice or was it on a separate cordial isle (they usually are).


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## jbl (Jul 16, 2016)

I would have taken for granted that any juice found outside a refrigerated display wouldn't be fresh


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 16, 2016)

Don't EU countries have health food stores were you pay more to get quality. How about open markets with farmed goods.

I use soy & almond milk for cereal I like grapenuts & oatmeal no added sugar. Americans eat candy for breakfast.

Englishman asked the Scotsman "You eat oats that's what we feed our horses" Scots reply "yes and look at your horses"

Thought the Emperor Hadrian built the wall to keep those nasty barbarians out. Too bad it did not work for the Scots to keep the English out.


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## PieMan (Jul 17, 2016)

MAS4T0 said:


> Where are you from originally?
> 
> I thought you were native Scottish.
> 
> ...



I'm Australian, and grew up in an area with a farmers market so am not really well versed in supermarkets. Been here 8 months now.

This was in a mini convenience store so not much choice, just figured they'd carry OJ over Cordial...


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## WildBoar (Jul 17, 2016)

The 'in every drop' phrase would have likely made me take a closer look. Marketing-speak on a label usually means Beware.


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## Devon_Steven (Jul 17, 2016)

PieMan said:


> I'm Australian, and grew up in an area with a farmers market so am not really well versed in supermarkets. Been here 8 months now.
> 
> This was in a mini convenience store so not much choice, just figured they'd carry OJ over Cordial...



I grew up in Edinburgh, although I live way down in Devon now.

What part of Edinburgh are you living in?

There's many a good food buying opportunity in Edinburgh: Valvonna and Crolla's deli; Mellis's cheesemonger's; the Farmer's market at Castle Terrace; good fishmongers'; good butchers' shops; good grocery stores; good Asian stores; and so on...

I'm jealous now...

:O)


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## scotchef38 (Jul 21, 2016)

I can see how you could make the mistake,not the clearest labelling.
There is an amazing availability of very fresh and high quality produce in Scotland,might just take a bit of time to get out and find it.
I found that i really struggled to find a decent range of produce when i first arrived in Oz so i think its just adjusting to a new environment.
Mathers near the top of the walk used to be a good hang out for chefs on split shifts so might be a good spot to get some local intel.Its also close to Valvona and Crolla deli as Devon-Steven mentioned which is a cracking shop.
Enjoy Edinburgh,it is a fabulous city but I am from Leith so I might be biased:doublethumbsup:


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## PieMan (Jul 21, 2016)

You will both laugh at my lack of finding quality produce as I live smack bang in the middle of Stockbridge :rofl2:

Meat and cheese i'm sorted for anyway...


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## limpet (Jul 24, 2016)

PieMan said:


> Yep here's what I mistook for Orange Juice, the first ingredient (after water) was "Orange - From concentrate" which I thought was just how Orange Juice comes here.


"From concentrate" is the thing to avoid, although I guess it's better than purely artificial drinks lika sodas. Myself I live in Sweden and always buy Tropicana, which I think is the biggest fresh brand over here. There are smaller brands as well, but they are not always available. Almost all stores have Tropicana though.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 24, 2016)

limpet said:


> "From concentrate" is the thing to avoid, although I guess it's better than purely artificial drinks lika sodas. Myself I live in Sweden and always buy Tropicana, which I think is the biggest fresh brand over here. There are smaller brands as well, but they are not always available. Almost all stores have Tropicana though.



I think Tropicana is probably the biggest fresh brand in most of the world.


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## TurboScooter (Jul 25, 2016)

There was some big fuss a few years back about all natural not from concentrate pure orange juice containing "flavor packs" - it's not simply squished oranges as you would make at home.


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## Beau Nidle (Jul 25, 2016)

I wasn't even aware you could buy milk substitute, but maybe because I grew up here I just go straight to where I know the milk is and buy the one from the local dairy farm. For milk and juice though if it's not refrigerated, it's probably not fresh.


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## Devon_Steven (Jul 25, 2016)

PieMan said:


> You will both laugh at my lack of finding quality produce as I live smack bang in the middle of Stockbridge :rofl2:
> 
> Meat and cheese i'm sorted for anyway...



I noticed on a recent visit that George Bower's butcher shop in Stockbridge is still trading. Many years ago I used to buy wild (red deer) venison there. At the time, it was really cheap (by-product of the game hunting sector) and very high quality. The venison sausages were excellent. Big, BIG flavour... great for turing into a red wine casserole.

And I remember seeing a cheese shop (years ago, when it opened) more or less opposite Bower's. Seem to remember it was quite pricey, however.

If you like wine, check out Raeburn Fine Wines along towards the Blackhall end of Stockbridge; but don't get confused like I did on my first attempt to find that place... it is also a florist and and I walked past (back and forwards) many times not realising that the flowers outside hid the fine wines inside!

There used to be a pretty good fishmonger opposite Bower's as well. Is that still there?


Steven


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## PieMan (Jul 27, 2016)

Yep. I buy all of my meat fro George Bower, it's pretty good. I was disappointed with their chicken liver, but apart from that I made some pretty mean duck with their product! Last Friday's Salmon came from the fishmonger too. Good blokes.

There's a George Mew's(?) cheese on my street which is quite good, but man, the prices are unreal so I don't buy from there. I'm off to France now and then (Next trip, T-minus 24 hours) so bring heaps of stuff back when I can anyway. The cheese though, easy a 80% markup on French retail prices.


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