Oh, the controversy. At the end last week’s episode of Top Chef Canada, the preview for episode six featured, among other things, French-culinary-god-by-way-of-NYC Daniel Boulud as guest judge, a classic French cuisine challenge, and—how did we miss this?—horsemeat. Well, other viewers didn’t miss it, and many have been up in arms with Food Network Canada via Twitter and Facebook. They’ve even begun an online petition to boycott the network.
Our favourite commentators included @cursivenight, who tweeted, “Top Chef/Canada Food Network is airing an episode with horse meat – DISPICABLE!!!!,” and @thinkgoat who noted that the episode would air “next week, during what is known as Horse Week in Canada” (apparently Horse Week 2011 was actually cancelled, but for unrelated reasons).
In response to the uproar, Food Network Canada offered a non-apology via Facebook:
We understand there is growing concern about an upcoming episode of Top Chef Canada that is set to air Monday May 16th on Food Network Canada. Some viewers have noted their belief that the use of horse meat in a culinary challenge on the show is controversial. Please be assured it is not our intention to offend our viewers. The challenge in this episode involves having the competitors create a truly authentic, traditional French menu. One of the most traditional French foods is horsemeat…. While we understand that this content may not appeal to all viewers, Food Network Canada aims to engage a wide audience, embracing different food cultures in our programming. We thank you for expressing your concerns.
Though traditional in France, horse consumption has been a controversial issue in North America. Canada is in fact one of the only horsemeat producers in the West—it’s apparently a $60-million industry in this country. For a look at how the industry works, check out this post on former Homemakers food editor Dana McCauley’s blog, where she defends Toronto restaurants like Pangaea (she’s married to chef Martin Kouprie), La Palette and the Black Hoof.
We have to admit we’re a little surprised at the selectivity of the outrage. Where were the petitions when Todd Perrin made seal flipper in episode one? And why did all the activists skip over the foie gras that will also be featured in next week’s episode? To be honest, we were more shocked at the fact that Perrin is shown using store-bought puff pastry in the preview. Has he never watched the show?
UPDATE: The horsemeat episode has now aired. Check out our recap »
Thanks for linking to my post.
My article is a little dated now but I think that many of the same issues and arguments are still being discussed so I’m glad to hear that Food Network is going to be supporting this episode. The more people talk about an issue like horsemeat consumption, the more informed we’ll all be.
PS: Pangaea no longer uses horsemeat since learning that the industry is so poorly regulated and non-food purpose bred animals are often incorporated into our food stream. As for the other restos, my words were based on their older menus. I’m not sure who on this list is currently serving horsemeat.
May 12, 2011 at 12:30 pm | by Dana McCauleyVery interesting information Dana (in regards to Pangea no longer serving horse). I’m an avid horse rider and owner, but I’m not against the consumption of horses for food. However I’m well aware of the lack of regulation in the industry and that a large majority of horses slaughtered for food were once personal pets.
May 12, 2011 at 12:58 pm | by EricaVery true. Pets and working animals (race horses, police and carriage horses, etc) are medicated and fed very differntly than food purpose bred animals.
May 12, 2011 at 1:08 pm | by Dana McCauleySheltered, closed-minded individuals should really step outside their houses more often.
Just because you don’t get it pre-wrapped at your local Loblaws or find it routinely in your hamburger doesn’t mean that it’s not considered food somewhere else in the world.
Eating a horse, that is bred for eating is really no different than eating a cow, pig or lamb…and yet no one is threatening to boycott Food Network because Rachael Ray is making sliders again.
Shows how small-minded some people can be. I welcome Food Network to continue expanding our palettes and minds.
May 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm | by MattI’m hungry enough to eat a horse at the best of times but just try to find ONE purpose breed horse farm for selling meat to consumers in Canada. You can’t because there aren’t any. If there is no story behind the ingredient then it doesn’t deserve a place on my menu. It’s not small mindedness (I have investigated this more than most out there) it’s just a fact that there is no traceability behind what consumers are being sold.
May 12, 2011 at 3:32 pm | by Martin KouprieAs someone who used to be a huge Top Chef fan, I am one of the outraged.
This isn’t just about them using a meat not normally used. This is about supporting a cruel, unregulated industry where riding horses are bought (sometimes under false pretenses), made into meat, and sold to unsuspecting diners.
Top Chef used to pride itself on the quality and integrity of its ingredients. They really dropped the ball here. And their reluctance to admit any wrongdoing makes me question what they really stand for.
May 12, 2011 at 4:45 pm | by CalicoI am so upset. Not only am I a fan of the reality tv shows, I am an advocate for the humane society… Do we eat cats? Dogs? This is going so low, so unreal… Creativity does not go that far. Shame on you, I hope you loose something in your journey. We as Canadian’s do not have to resort to this, obviously you.
May 12, 2011 at 6:09 pm | by MareI understand not eating the horse meat because the lack of regulation on the horse meat industry, but attacking the consumption of this meat on a moral level is complete narrow-mindedness. It’s shameful really. Our country is the biggest melting pot of cultures in the world and for us to be so insensitive to others diets is so sad. The comment above about eating cats and dogs, in many cultures, thats completely exceptable and often needed as a source of protien. The whole attack on the seal industry as well is embarrasing. What do we expect our native notherners to eat? Vegetables? Cattle? Is that really sustainable in a barren land such as the north? Canada, please, lets try less to be like Americans and more excepting of others!
May 13, 2011 at 6:45 am | by MattI think horse meat is being singled out with myopic outrage. Horse meat has been eaten traditionally for centuries. The issue should be that we must be educated enough to cook with ingredients that have been raised responsibly. We should care to learn where our meat comes from, and that the animals were raised for that purpose in humane environments with good quality feed. Horses are intelligent, and yet so indeed are pigs. We must simply have respect for what we are consuming, and be aware of how it has come to the table. To me, getting a drive-through burger made from mass produced cattle at Mc’Ds is even more questionable.
May 13, 2011 at 6:49 am | by JThe Food Network claims that it wishes to cover cuisine from all cultures from around the Globe. If that is true, then after the French Cuisine episode that involves Horse Meat they should do an episode of authentic Chinese cuisine. They can run down to the Humane Society, adopt a few dogs and cats, slaughter them add some sauce and voilà! I wonder how well that would go over. I will never watch that show again and I am encouraging others not to as well.
May 13, 2011 at 8:16 am | by KatieOn a positive note, this issue is educating more people about the horrible practice of horse slaughter. They are bred as companions, not livestock, and only irresponsible breeders think it’s okay to slaughter horses, babies and pregnant mares.
This is nothing more than pandering. There is nothing about horse meat that is essential for being good chef, but the use of horse meat is controversial and controversy sparks publicity.
It’s a cheap trick. Regardless of using controversial (and less than healthy meat) I would never watch a show that has to depend on such obvious, cheap tricks.
May 13, 2011 at 9:43 am | by ShelleyKatie,
You cannot categorize everything as either companion or food. That label is not for you to decide. What is companion to you is food to someone else. We should know better than that in this day and age, especially in Canada where we live amongst so many different cultures and traditions.
Cows are sacred in Hindu society and yet we don’t see Indian people up in arms that someone is making a hamburger.
I remember an episode of Japanese Iron Chef when they took live turtles and butchered them on TV as the secret ingredient. No letters to Food Network back then. Yet…a lot of people have turtles as pets. Companion or food?
People raise pigs as pets. They certainly aren’t picketing anyone eating bacon.
Hypocrisy is what this supposed outrage is.
Horse meat has been eaten longer than you have been alive so get off your high horse (yes pun intended).
May 13, 2011 at 9:48 am | by MattWhat is the matter with people in this WORLD !!! It’s a horse ( livestock ) just because it is not a popular protein to eat in canada, does not meen that it is not popular in the other parts of this world….Take off the blinders people and realize that there might be a market for what YOU have choosen as a pet!Take a look at FIDO laying on the carpet beside you, were do you think he is popular at. Not everyone in this world only eat, fish, chicken, beef, pork and lamb.
May 13, 2011 at 10:34 am | by Shawn WoodActually people aren’t just focusing on the horses. I’ve been mentioning Foie Gras as often as I can even in the horse forums I am a part of. Although the treatment of those poor ducks and geese is wretched, the things horses go through for slaughter are absolutely horrifying, so even though I feel horrible, I can understand why people are focusing on the horses. My heart still breaks for those fowl.
May 13, 2011 at 12:42 pm | by KatieIt is also because horses are a companion animal and therefore bring out a stronger response in people.
But I’ve known pet ducks and geese.
All I read here is WHAAAA WHAAA WHAAA!
May 13, 2011 at 1:09 pm | by Culinerd