News Bites

School kids go elsewhere at lunchtimes

At my school, it was only the cool kids that would sneak off to buy snacks from the local shops however now it seems to becoming increasingly common. At study by the School Food Trust showed that 74% of popular meals bought outside of the school yard at break times contained too much salt while some dishes contained more than twice the daily 20g limit for saturated fat. Maybe Jamie Oliver needs to start converting the local shops rather than the dinner ladies?

Shoppers short changed on size

A survey by MySupermarket.co.uk has blown the whistle on the food manufacturers showing that they have been reducing product sizes while keeping the price the same or, in some cases, inflating it. They found that popular items like potnoodles have gone up in price, from 85p to 87p, while the produce itself slimmed down, from 96g to 90g. A good a reason as any for people to start making their own rather than relying on the ready-made.

Recent Controversy

Processed cheese - love it or loathe it? Tasty treat or a plastic-y attempt at the real-thing? One commenter made me giggle with "The Laughing Cow is to Double Gloucester as Dementia is to Reminiscence".

It was no surprise to me to hear that the high street fast food retailer, Kentucky Fried Chicken, had been fined for breaching five hygiene rules. Newspapers have been gleefully outing the fact that cockroaches were found in areas that food was prepared in their Leicester Square branch in London.

Recommended Recipe & In Season

It gives me great pleasure to combine these topics as I've been aiming to buy as much British and in season produce as possible of late. Try asparagus in this delicious recipe by Yotam Ottolengthi - great as a laid back starter with friends.