Q&A: "Hai Bari" Meat
"Hai Bari" Meat
Question
Hello and greetings,
Do you know (and consume?) the meat certified by Hai Bari?
(http://haibari.co.il/%D7%90%D7%95%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95/)
They claim to have supervision ensuring that the animals are raised under proper conditions, but one guarantor needs another guarantor—I don’t know the company that validates this.
(By the way, they also have glatt meat, under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate.)
Do you happen to know them?
Thank you
Answer
Hello.
Hai Bari is the supervising/certifying company, not the producer. Producers turn to them in order to receive their certification mark.
I once met with their CEO in order to promote some initiative (to produce eggs under proper conditions. It turns out to be very complicated, and meanwhile it doesn’t exist), and she seemed definitely serious to me. They do whatever they can within the framework of commercial constraints, and in my opinion one can certainly rely on them (by force of presumption; I obviously didn’t inspect things myself on the ground). Moreover, unlike veganism, they also offer a practical path that can improve raising conditions, since not consuming animal products is a solution that probably won’t be accepted by broad segments of the public. Therefore there is value in supporting them and causing the market to move toward their standards. In my view this is more helpful than veganism (which is a case of being righteous in a fur coat). “Let the humble eat and be satisfied…”
Discussion on Answer
Free-range eggs are raised almost like regular eggs. The differences are negligible, and I really don’t recommend buying them. Organic eggs are much better, because there the raising conditions are relatively proper (depending on the place. I know a place where they really raise them nicely—an organic farm in Moshav Nir Zvi). The problem is that even with organic eggs, the sources from which they take the chicks come from regular breeding, and there it involves some pretty serious abuse (such as debeaking, etc.).
Are eggs sold in grocery stores under the name “free-range eggs” (at 1.5 times the price) not produced under proper conditions? So what’s the difference between them and regular eggs?
Sorry for the naivete 🙂