Published August 29, 2008
by iris_author
The Healthy Butcher are two Toronto based organic and local meat shops, one on Eglinton West and the other on Queen St. West. While, specializing in local certified organic meat they are expanding to produce as well. In light of recent issues with processed meat and the always present concern over the ecological impacts of meat consumption and industrial agriculture, the Healthy Butcher offers an alternative to becoming a vegetarian. They are fundamentally committed to healthy, organic, and most importantly local meat. They buy directly from farmers and have extensive information on what certified organic means to them. For this company, organic meat means;
- Livestock must be fed 100% organic food;
- No use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers in the growing of the animals’ feed;
- No use of genetically modified organisms;
- No use of growth hormones;
- No use of drugs (such as antibiotics);
- No use of animal by-products for feed;
- Treating animals humanely (i.e. they have outside access at all times);
- Inspections by an independent certification body occur on a regular basis;
- All certified products records are kept for 5 years;
- Strict Canadian and International standards are met.
In all they are making a commitment to healthy meat consumption, environmental and social sustainabililty by supporting local farmers. Organic meat is more humane as the animals are treated better and raised naturally without chemical hormones. The Healthy Butcher also makes the best effort to ensure that their prices are comparable to non-organic meats. Even if the prices are a little more, is it not worth it for a little piece of mind.
Posted in: Blogs | Shopping the Talk
