Acupuncture used to improve flavour of tuna for sushi

[Celebration]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article4393369.ece

Their prized terriers are given samba-dancing lessons, their choicest beef herds are treated to daily massages and now, in an effort to produce the most delicious sushi in the world, Japanese tuna are to be given acupuncture.

The company in Osaka that patented the technique claimed that calm tuna thrashed about less in their death throes. Once the fish have received the brief treatment the blood becomes purer and the flesh has a better flavour, Toshiro Urabe, the president of the Osakana Planning Company, said.

...........................

The treatment was exhibited at the International Japan Seafood Show but where the needles are inserted remains a secret.

[beam me up scottie]

1. "calm tuna thrashed about less in their death throes"

Oh yeah, that makes me want to start eating meat again.

[TomInTib]

2. Same with any animal

Head-shot venison tastes far better than does venison killed by a shot in the torso.

Walk-up slaughtered beef is much better than slaughterhouse beef.

It's all about fear and adrenaline.

[beam me up scottie]

3. I keep telling my bf, it's not so much the killing, it's the suffering.

There are more humane ways to slaughter food animals but we can't even pass legislation to stop them from being tortured while they're still alive.

[TomInTib]

4. If your bf ever spent any time around a commercial charnel house..

he would be horrified.

And if he wasn't, get rid of him.

You can smell the fear of those poor animals. And the sound will never leave your head.

[beam me up scottie]

6. He's learning. He gets upset and insists he doesn't want to know, but he's learning.

The still pictures and images on film will never leave my head.

[silverweb]

5. Interesting that this comes up now.

My son, who is definitely a carnivore, was telling me last week about wanting to get away from factory farmed meat because of "neuropeptides" that are altered by the animal's suffering and may have negative effects on whoever eats that meat.

The Google search page for neuropeptides is saved on my desktop to research further when I get a chance, but I haven't done anything with it yet. I'm very glad he's looking for alternatives, whatever his reasons -- also that my daughter and I are already vegetarians, now hoping he'll come all the way to join us sooner rather than later.

As for the Japanese, acupuncture to calm a creature before slaughter is a small step in the right direction, even if it's for selfish reasons. Let's hope they progress to lab-grown flesh or vegetarian options in the very near future.

[applegrove]

7. Tenderising the fish before its death. That doesn't sound very nice.