The Red Meat Scandal - What are we really eating?

The world has been shocked by a number of startling red meat relevelations over the last couple of months:

Horsemeat scandal in UK, France and Sweden

It started with the horsemeat saga in Europe where it was found that Burger King in the UK were selling "100% beef" hamburgers with traces of horsemeat. It was then discovered that in certain other European countries that there were traces of horsemeat in other food products. http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/12/world/europe/horsemeat-contamination-qanda

Now, it has been dicovered that there are traces of horsemeat in beef products sold by Taco Bells.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/horsemeat-found-in-birds-eye-and-taco-bell-beef-products-29103559.html

Traces of goat, buffalo and donkey in meat products in South Africa
A study revealed that there were traces of goat, buffalo and donkey meat in certain food products like burger patties, sausages, cold meats, etc. Products had been mislabeled. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/26/buffalo-donkey-goat-south-africa

South African Biltong Scandal
South Africa's non-beef biltong like kudu labeled biltong has been found to contain horse, giraffe and kangaroo.
http://www.news24.com/Green/News/DNA-reveals-SA-biltong-scandal-20130301#.UTC6MbqF-8k.twitter

These rather startling discoveries really does make one sceptical about what we are really eating....

This seems to be only the start, what will we hear next?

Can we trust the labels on food products anymore?

It is a fact that this world has limited natural resources, so it was inevitable that something like this would happen. That and the fact that Man is greedy and will do anything to make money.

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Athol has being Vegetarian for 2 months now. He is morally against the killing of animals. I have become largely Vegetarian also since it is just easier to cook one dish, but I have had the odd piece of fish/chicken. Hearing about all these red meat scandals really does put me off meat.

Being Vegetarian hasn't been bad at all, we've actually enjoyed it. I've experimented in the kitchen and have made different vegetarian dishes. We haven't craved meat at all - let's see how long this lasts :)

To think about it, it is rather sad how we humans farm and kill animals just so that we can enjoy a meal. Sure, we as consumers don't see what actually happens since we just see the cleaned meat in nice trays at the supermarket. I've often heard from people that you will definitely become a Vegetarian once you have visited an abattoir. Chickens are farmed in masses with no freedom to roam only to have their eggs taken from them and then have the neck slit - so they we can enjoy a guiltless plate of chicken lasagna - how evil! Surely, animals have dignity, surely animals have rights too.