Lidl, what's the quality like?

antoinolachtnai

When I say 'in general terms' I mean nearly nearly always. It's not my specialized subject, but like everything else in drugs and testing, there are going to be exceptions. No doubt there are some loopholes somewhere. There are certain trace levels allowed, and I suppose you could argue over these.

I am not an expert on chicken production either, but I would think the saving is achieved by limiting opportunities for exercise, using a specific diet, and selective breeding. It is not harmful to human health, in the way hormone use might be.

(I am not saying that this is an acceptable practice, just that it doesn't necessarily involve hormones.)

cormie

Yeah it's a bit dodgy alright, but some how they've cut the growth time in half and that would scream "stay away" to me from cheap meats. With the specific mention of leg injuries in the below reports, as far as I've read, this is due to their legs not being developed enough to be able to support the extra weight/fat from them growing twice as quick. I'd just be very wary eating this kind of mass produced meat. Even without the hormones, eating chickens and the likes kept in such cramped conditions with bad pneumonia levels etc would be a bad idea in my mind.

thebman

cormie wrote: »

Once I see a page with that much text to read, I quickly close it :P but if it says hormones aren't allowed, then that's good to hear but when you say "in general terms" what do you mean?

I see in the UK, there's a lot of concern over tesco value chickens (which may be the same ones we stock here?). If you look here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7230959.stm and here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-512628/TV-chefs-fury-Tesco-sells-chickens-just-1-99.html it says:

So if it's not hormones, then what is it that's cut the production time in half over the past 30 years?

Evolution?? :pac:

dade

use aldi all the time, get bread, biscuits, chocolate, fruit and veg, salad and cold cuts and always cheaper than tesco. i tend to shop around for the meat though coz most weekends one will have some sort of deal on.

can't use their shampoo or washing power though I have poxy skin

Tawny

Grand.


Really bad cocopops though.

ejmaztec

The only complaint I have about Lidl is their bread. I imagine that eating a polystyrene ceiling tile would be about the same as eating a slice of that stuff.

antoinolachtnai

cormie wrote: »

Yeah it's a bit dodgy alright, but some how they've cut the growth time in half and that would scream "stay away" to me from cheap meats. With the specific mention of leg injuries in the below reports, as far as I've read, this is due to their legs not being developed enough to be able to support the extra weight/fat from them growing twice as quick. I'd just be very wary eating this kind of mass produced meat. Even without the hormones, eating chickens and the likes kept in such cramped conditions with bad pneumonia levels etc would be a bad idea in my mind.

Well, there are moral reasons, for sure, and there might be some nutritional or taste benefit in a differently reared chicken, but I don't think you can say that it is in and of itself a direct danger to human health. It certainly isn't a danger to the extent that hormones are, or bad handling practices. Also, it's hard to say conclusively that paying for a more expensive product will necessarily get you a less intensively broiled chicken.

BreeVdK

Lidl

Good:

Fruit/Veg/Sweets/Biscuits/Cosmetics/Cleaning Products and Detergents/Wine/cheese/toilet rolls/kitchen paper/orange juice (orange carton), coca cola (usually cheaper than Tesco/Dunnes etc), pasta/fajhita pack/corn flakes/ice cream/cod fillets.

Bad:
Bolognese sauce was absolutely rank

FearDark

Lidl lasagna... oh my god mmm

cormie

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Well, there are moral reasons, for sure, and there might be some nutritional or taste benefit in a differently reared chicken, but I don't think you can say that it is in and of itself a direct danger to human health. It certainly isn't a danger to the extent that hormones are, or bad handling practices. Also, it's hard to say conclusively that paying for a more expensive product will necessarily get you a less intensively broiled chicken.

Depends I suppose what your definition of danger to human health is. It wont (I hope) land you in hospital instantly, but will probably do more bad than good to your health over time, but so will most things people eat. Diet is a very important factor to our well being and I just don't think it's something people should be saving pennies over personally. But that's just my opinion

the groutch

jor el wrote: »

Pretty much the same as Tesco/Dunnes/etc. The only thing I didn't like from Lidl were the microwave hamburgers. Whatever ones I got were horrible.

Try 'em and see, you've not got anything to loose.

Sounds like McColgan's

Solair

Chickens have been bred to grow very fast and they are also overfed with ultra high protein diets to ensure that they do. It's nothing to do with growth hormones, it's just feeding them unnatural foods.

The result is grossly overweight chickens.

Dispatches on Channel 4 revealed that there were really bad quality chicken products on the shelves of ALL of the UK major supermarkets, they weren't by any means an issue that was focused on discounters.

The major problem with this kind of chicken is that it is very high fat content as effectively you're eating a couch potato chicken that never gets any exercise and eats vast amounts of the wrong foods.

thebman

Solair wrote: »

Chickens have been bred to grow very fast and they are also overfed with ultra high protein diets to ensure that they do. It's nothing to do with growth hormones, it's just feeding them unnatural foods.

The result is grossly overweight chickens.

Dispatches on Channel 4 revealed that there were really bad quality chicken products on the shelves of ALL of the UK major supermarkets, they weren't by any means an issue that was focused on discounters.

The major problem with this kind of chicken is that it is very high fat content as effectively you're eating a couch potato chicken that never gets any exercise and eats vast amounts of the wrong foods.

Well you are what you eat

Very fitting saying for a lot of people who are also coach potatoes and probably chickens too :P

cormie

Solair wrote: »

Chickens have been bred to grow very fast and they are also overfed with ultra high protein diets to ensure that they do. It's nothing to do with growth hormones, it's just feeding them unnatural foods.

The result is grossly overweight chickens.

Dispatches on Channel 4 revealed that there were really bad quality chicken products on the shelves of ALL of the UK major supermarkets, they weren't by any means an issue that was focused on discounters.

The major problem with this kind of chicken is that it is very high fat content as effectively you're eating a couch potato chicken that never gets any exercise and eats vast amounts of the wrong foods.

Right so that's probably how they get around the hormones, just feed them the equivalent to a supersize McDonalds, every day, all day, for their whole lives, so much so their own legs can't support their weight and crumble under pressure. Now personally if I was a cannibal, I'd be waiting outside a health food shop for my next victim rather than McDonalds

MOH

Solair wrote: »

Chickens have been bred to grow very fast and they are also overfed with ultra high protein diets to ensure that they do. It's nothing to do with growth hormones, it's just feeding them unnatural foods.

The result is grossly overweight chickens.

Dispatches on Channel 4 revealed that there were really bad quality chicken products on the shelves of ALL of the UK major supermarkets, they weren't by any means an issue that was focused on discounters.

The major problem with this kind of chicken is that it is very high fat content as effectively you're eating a couch potato chicken that never gets any exercise and eats vast amounts of the wrong foods.

This reminds me of Alan Partridge

Alan: Well, listen, I'll tell you what the point is. You have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in, and inside these big sheds are twenty-foot high chickens. Because of all the chemicals you put in them.
[While Alan talks, Peter shakes his head, gathers his stuff together, and goes to leave.]

Alan: And these chickens are scared. They don't know why they're so big. They go 'oh why am I so massive'? And they're looking down on all the other little chickens, and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small. Do you deny that?
[Peter has left]
No. His silence, I think, speaks volumes.

Our man in Havana

FearDark wrote: »

Lidl lasagna... oh my god mmm

+1 It is excellent.

I find the fruit and veg is of variable quality. Very hit and miss.

I find the chicken breasts to be as expensive as Dunnes, Tesco etc.

Other than that the rest of the stuff is good value and good quality. The only problem is that people open packets and throw stuff everywhere.

missmatty

I'm a big fan of Lidl and Aldi, been shopping there for years. Finally I'm cool :pac:

Lidl mainly these days as it's the nearest. I like their wine, cheeses, yoghurts, sweets/biscuits (but so bold!), tissues, washing powder, coffee, breaded fish, etc. The odd thing is mank of most of it is absolutely fine.

TarfHead

missmatty wrote: »

I'm a big fan of Lidl and Aldi, been shopping there for years. Finally I'm cool :pac:

Lidl mainly these days as it's the nearest. I like their wine, cheeses, yoghurts, sweets/biscuits (but so bold!), tissues, washing powder, coffee, breaded fish, etc. The odd thing is mank of most of it is absolutely fine.

I have had a couple of bad experiences with both ALDI & LIDL with wine & beer. Can anyone recommend a label or brand for me to try ?

I prefer ALDI to LIDL for the range of cheese and antipasti-style deli products. I'm a recent convert to the 39c pack of Ginger Nut biscuits !

Check out www.lidltreats.com for recommendations and recipes using product sourced in LIDL/ALDI.

Alun

Bond-007 wrote: »

I find the fruit and veg is of variable quality. Very hit and miss.

I've found quite the opposite in fact. Veg that I've bought in Lidl has far outlasted anything I've bought in any of the other supermarkets.

cormie

Alun wrote: »

I've found quite the opposite in fact. Veg that I've bought in Lidl has far outlasted anything I've bought in any of the other supermarkets.

Is that a good or bad thing though I've always wandered. Sure it's convenient, but how is it lasting so long? Without any knowledge on it, my first guess would be more chemicals sprayed onto them?

coup1917

olaola wrote: »

I usually buy fruit & veg, cured meats (parma ham etc) and parmesan in Lidl/Aldi. The toiletries and toilet roll aren't great. Esp the washing up liquid.
I would pop over to Tesco once a month and get my brand household items there. Try to get to a butcher for meat - am not too pushed on Lidl/Aldi or even Tesco for meat & poultry.

I'd love to know what it is you look for in a toilet roll that Lidl or Aldi cannot give.....!!!??????????
the washing up liquid also works well when you add a drop of elbow grease in........:):)

If it wasn't for for these two shops, we might still be hoping for a price war between Dunnes and Tesco and who would be the next to drop a penny of the price of bread or milk....how lucky we were.......:cool::cool::cool:

cormie

Can't fault their specials either. Heavy duty securing straps for my van, €11 a pop or something like that, great price for what others charge a LOT more. Also heavy duty hand truck from Aldi, €35 compared to some places charging about €200. Lidl's veg finger slicer broke on first go with a potato trying to make some home made chips though

gerrycollins

Just looking at the posts and there are a lot about the origins and make up of their fresh meat.

let me point out that any meat packaged in ireland can be labelled as irish no matter where it comes from.the labelling laws in ireland are one of the worst in the world for accuracy and truth.

I doubt very much there are growth hormones of the illegal kind in any of their meats however you have to be careful about the water content.

get some chicken,dice it and fry on a pan with v. v. little oil(none if you can)if you can put a glass lid on top and watch the steam. it all around not just lidl and aldi but some are worse than others. real chicken should relaease little to no steam when cooked in no oil.

Viva_La_Vida

I think it's good for everything except meat -- but I've never been a fan of over-processed meat (from any supermarket).

Viva_La_Vida

gerrycollins wrote: »

let me point out that any meat packaged in ireland can be labelled as irish no matter where it comes from.the labelling laws in ireland are one of the worst in the world for accuracy and truth.

That's true. I used to work for a sweet manufacturer and we were able to label all our products "made in Ireland" even though all the indegrients were made in China and Pakistan.

cormie

That's some dodgy stuff alright and very true about the meat shrinking too. I haven't bought meat in a long time from a supermarket but do remember it pretty much evaporating once it hit the heat! Pretty mad about the labelling too!

taram

cormie wrote: »

Is that a good or bad thing though I've always wandered. Sure it's convenient, but how is it lasting so long? Without any knowledge on it, my first guess would be more chemicals sprayed onto them?

I'd say half the stuff I buy in aldi is organic, the rest seem to decay normally. No nasty coating on the apples like in Tesco either, and for 89 cent for 3 perfect, big peppers compared to 80 cent for one crap one from Tesco, I never buy fruit/veg in Tesco. It's not even a price thing for most of it, it's definitly a quality issue.

cormie

Yeah, I'd only buy the organic stuff there too. I just wish they had more of a selction and could keep the stock levels up in my local one!

foggy_lad

cormie wrote: »

Lidl's veg finger slicer broke on first go with a potato trying to make some home made chips though

bring it back and have it replaced without fuss or get a no hassle refund!

cormie wrote: »

Yeah, I'd only buy the organic stuff there too. I just wish they had more of a selction and could keep the stock levels up in my local one!

could you try shopping at different times? i used to go to my local lidl on a saturday aftrernoon but found a lot of the veg and fruit was gone and found if i left my shopping until sunday or even monday stock levels were much better and the store was not as busy.

antoinolachtnai

The problem seems ti basically be that Lidl and Aldi don't have enough stores and floorspace. They can't replenish shelves quick enough.