After a Trip to IKEA, Bad News Follows
This week I had some organizing projects that I was working on, so I took a trip up to the Elizabeth IKEA with my husband and my 2 lil girls. There is so much to look at, I thought it would keep them entertained. Ha, not really; they are 2 and 6.
All and all the shopping went well, I got 90% of what I went there for and you can't beat the prices on a lot of their inventory. I always shop during the week because it is just insane on the weekends. Not a good idea with small children, too hectic and crowded.
After our upstairs showroom tour, we stopped and decided to grab a bite to eat. Kids Meals for the girls (chicken and fries) and my husband settled on a Greek Salad and wrap. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted. I mean, it is IKEA and food is not what I think of when I think IKEA.
In the end I decided on meatballs (no gravy, yuck), steamed veggies, and these fabulous little broccoli and potato discs.
The fun part was sitting by the window so the girls could watch the airplanes land every 5 minutes or so. The food was good, we continued some shopping and had some frozen yogurt cones before heading back home to Woodbridge.
The next day I hear on the news that IKEA has not admitted that their food also has traces of horsemeat! Really???? As if I wasn't having a hard time as it was, deciding on what to eat, but then what I did pick was the item that has horsemeat, and I fed it to my 2 yr old as well.
I definitely will shop IKEA again, but hold the horsemeat please! No lunch on my agenda next time.
Melanie Joseph - lifestyle blogger, event planner & mom of five - is the owner of Lucky 7 Design, specializing in Vintage Prop Rentals for Wedding & Events, custom vintage and recycled handmade pieces.
Editor's Note: IKEA has said that only pork and beef are used in meat products sold for consumption in the United States and Canada.
I have spoken
6:49 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
But the meatballs are DELICIOUS.....YUM YUM YUM!!!!!!
Melanie Joseph
9:40 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
They were very good!
Jean
7:06 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Check the news reports on the IKEA meatballs. You most likely did not ingest horsemeat in your meatballs. I believe the recall does not include meatballs in US stores. I laughed when I read your comment about having lunch and watching the planes with your children. We spent many Saturday mornings sitting by those windows watching the planes. My family is grown now, and I can't wait to take grandchildren someday soon!
Melanie Joseph
9:42 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Jean
It does make for a pleasant lunch, the kids just love waiting for the next plane. I will definitely go again but Im always wearing about how much companies fess up to in the begin stages.
Al McDorman
8:52 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Having read the linked article, I'd be surprised if the food at the port's IKEA was tainted as so feared. The possibly tainted food found in another country was possibly tainted to the degree that cashews might be tainted by a machine that previously processed peanuts. DNA analysis is very exacting. Prior to the advent of DNA analysis, the results of any such investigation would've been negative. More disconcerting might be the number of insect parts the FDA considers normal in grain food products like cereal and bread.
Deborah Bell
9:05 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
And don't forget jellies and jam. They allow a certain number of insect 'parts' per a measure in those items.
Deborah Bell
9:05 am on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Think of it as free protein. :)
Joe R
12:58 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Eating Babe (the pig) is A-OK but eating Mr. Ed is a no no. It's a cultural thingie.
Tugwalla
1:08 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Yea...like tha NY cop that wanted to cook and eat some women! Purely cultural!
Ted Dana
3:17 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Woodbridge Patch editor needs to do a better job of reviewing the articles posted on this site. The Melanie Joseph article leaves the impression the Meatballs at Ikea USA might be tainted with horsemeat. The company has already made it clear the beef at the stores in the U.S. comes from this country and Canada. THAT should have been indicated in the body of the article or as an editor's footnote. Aside from that, the writer seems to be a big fan of Ikea!
John
6:25 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Ted- the "journalists" on the Patch consistenly use slang, run- on sentences and comment on their own stories (read Deborah Bell's "stories" for many examples). Now bloggers are different- the sole purpose of a blog is to self- promote how important they are and how their opinion MUST be heard.
The Patch, though a local news source, shouldn't have community college dropouts (or writer wanna- be's) writing for it.
Deborah Bell
10:49 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
My, John, you sound like you've been saving up that outburst for months! I'm glad you got it all off your chest.
You might notice that editors and writers interact with commenters. That's one of the advantages of the Internet. One thing we don't do - and we don't let you do - is to be gratuitously rude.
I'm sure you can formulate what it is you mean to say without the insults. I suggest you try it.
Deborah Bell
11:01 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Ted, the article is the writer's opinion, to which she is entitled. Your point is well taken, though. Some folks might not know that a simple Internet search would calm their fears, or at least show that IKEA says they only use beef and pork in meatballs sold in the U.S. and Canada.
I'm not sure how much that will change the average person's initial reaction, though. I mean, I really doubt IKEA was advertising that they used horse meat in meat products they sold in Europe.
Melanie Joseph
9:38 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
John,
I'm sorry if my writing offends you. Im not a wanna-be writer nor am I a college dropout. I didn't go to college, I went to live in Italy instead. I enjoyed my time and experiences there very much.
I am blogging on the Patch to share posts on DIY projects, entertaining, shopping and flea market spots. Life is sometimes too short, we shouldn't be so serious. I write here in the same style as I do on my lifestyle blog. That is because I want the reader to feel like they are listening to a conversation or me telling the story.
Just for the record, bloggers typically do comment on their posts to interact with their followers/readers. Otherwise it would be just like reading a newspaper. I welcome all feedback negative or positive. I'm not running for office, just sharing some ideas for fun people looking to give them a try.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend John.
Sara
12:23 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
One problem I had with this is that it was put in the feature spot on the homepage that I always associate with - you know - actual news. I started reading it and thought, WTF? It was alarmist but obviously not a news story.
I also agree with Ted.
"...but then what I did pick was the item that has horse meat, and I fed it to my 2 yr old as well." Seems a bit libelous to me to not add that it was only in Europe but instead made it appear that US Ikeas have a horse meat problem, too.
I know most media thinks alarming the public brings more views but this was a tad ridiculous.