tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702131807550517692024-03-16T00:26:15.577-07:00basketcaseFood, Countryside and What's behind the labelsuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-42416951443797664542015-04-08T02:44:00.001-07:002015-04-08T14:56:09.094-07:00I talk to BBC about Ireland and the end of milk quota <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The end of milk quota has come and gone. Irish farmers are finally able to sell every litre of milk they produce instead of hiding it in barrels or stuffing it into calves which was what was going on aplenty until Tuesday night last week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it's not just Ireland that's celebrating. The entire dairy farming community of the EU has now entered an unfettered period of milking cows without restrictions. Farms from Slovenia to Sligo are scaling up and anticipating increasing markets for milk. But as we know, success isn't an upwards-only journey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2009, during the early stages of global markets opening up to Irish milk, prices fell heavily. Many Irish farmers were burned, forced to sell milk below the cost of production. In the UK there are only 10,000 dairy farms left against the 18000 here with a fraction of the population. The dairy sector there has been decimated, with family farms loading their herds into lorries for the factory as cull cows who they've bred on the same land for generations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next few years are going to be interesting to say the least and price volatility is certainly going to be central to this quota-free era. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's an appraisal of this huge shift in farming which I contributed to for BBC news. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[I do love the BBC form of "Ms. Campbell". At least it's not Mrs. Philip Boucher-Hayes which I get all the time..]</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-eu-32129018"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BBC news talk Europe, Ireland and the end of milk quota</span></a></div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-49387800506527757892015-04-01T15:01:00.000-07:002015-04-01T15:05:58.691-07:00Ireland's dairy export boom, is it without consequence?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t1KvOho3GG8/VRxlAeD_83I/AAAAAAAABh0/9pbk1MJ2By4/s1600/enda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t1KvOho3GG8/VRxlAeD_83I/AAAAAAAABh0/9pbk1MJ2By4/s1600/enda.jpg" height="320" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enda Kenny feeding a baby milk formula at Glanbia launch</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">If a picture tells a thousand words what does this one say? It's enraged people. Mostly women, and mostly those women interested in how feeding formula milk is considered "normal" while breastfeeding is seen as "unnormal".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Today was the first day in 31 years that Irish and European farmers were able to produce milk without limit. As part of a series of features by Irish writers on the social and economic impacts of the end of milk quota, I wrote the following piece about baby formula for the Irish Independent.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Baby formula is a huge part of our dairy export boom but is it a product without consequence? Some people think not...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Earlier this week on a farm in Carlow I watched milk splashing into jars as 80 doe-eyed Holstein Freisan ladies took their turn in the milking parlour. The farm, in beautiful well-drained Carlow land had been farmed by its 69 year old farmer and his father before him. This was the perfect place to talk about Irish milk and a brighter, quota-free era.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">“</span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68432" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Quota was a kind of madness” said the farmer as we shared bread, butter and marmalade in his kitchen after morning milking finished. His college-going daughter, wearing her local GAA team shirt, placed a hot pot of tea and a 2 litre plastic carton of milk on the table.</span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"></span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68435">I’ve sat in many such kitchens of dairy farms in Ireland. Despite the oft-heard view of the dairy farmer swimming in money, few of these farmers want to be rich. All want to educate their children, and work hard at a relentless 365 day a year job. As I poured milk into my tea I wondered if I should ask this man if he felt what he did for a living was putting families in other parts of the world at risk.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68437">Increasingly questions are being asked about the nature of our dairy miracle and its big dependence on milk powder. Is this hugely successful industry which has helped bring Ireland out of recession selling a product to those who have the least money to spend on it - baby formula.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68459">This is relevant both to developing countries and in Ireland where the ESRI named us in a report produced in January as having the lowest breast feeding rate in the world (yes you read that correctly).</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68462">Ireland makes 10% of the infant formula fed to babies around the globe. Our food and farming industry presents this as a green, healthy foodstuff and in many ways it is. Ireland is the only country where all our dairy farms are monitored for green credentials and where waste, energy, animal feed and every last input is measured and accounted for.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68484">Yet both the World Health Organisation and HSE policy is for mothers to breastfeed rather than use formula milk in the early months, or in the case of the WHO up to two years of age.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68389" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">“I was enraged when I saw this picture” says Krisia Lynch from AIMS – the Association for Improvement in Maternity Services talking about the Enda Kenny, Phil Hogan and Jim Bergin from Glanbia feeding three babies infant formula at the launch of Glanbia’s new infant formula plant in Belview earlier this month. “It was outrageous. On one hand you have the department of health saying breast feeding babies is policy then here’s the department of agriculture encouraging and selling this baby formula message. We can guess which of the two is the stronger lobby group.”</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Glanbia’s infant formula is fed by parents in West Africa, the Middle East, Asia and central America. Their</span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68386"> new factory is the largest single infrastructure investment in Ireland by an Irish company since the construction of Ardnacrusha in 1929. When I contacted the Taoiseach’s office on the above photo their comment was that the plant is expected to contribute an estimated €400m a year to the Irish economy and provide <span class="yiv0513705409">around </span></span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">1,600 jobs as a result of the extra dairy activity. </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68489" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68488" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">This baby formula boom is hugely valuable in the multiplier effect of income spread in rural areas. To suggest to these workers that what they are making is wrong is incorrect. But are we asking all the questions around to whom and how our infant formula is being sold.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68365" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68385" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">“Our tiny little country manages to feed 10% of the children of the world with artificial milk” says Krisia Lynch. “</span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68364" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">While on the other hand professionally here the message on breast milk is being re-written. It’s not now “breast is best” but “normal”. So your baby has a normal response to immuniolgical diseases, gestational diabetes, chrones disease etc... with the underlying message is that if baby is not fed human milk it will have a sub optimal response.”<span class="yiv0513705409"></span></span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68363" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68362" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">In the 1970s infant formula companies began to see their first backlash as they began selling product in developing countries. To make up a baby’s bottle you must have a clean bottle, and a clean water supply. Many companies came in for abuse and scrutiny on how health workers and doctors were incentivised to sell baby powder to mothers where breastfeeding was clearly the safest option.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1L76zOYPHDM/VRxm8wW3dzI/AAAAAAAABiE/QXk1_WG9DgE/s1600/milk%2Bpowder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1L76zOYPHDM/VRxm8wW3dzI/AAAAAAAABiE/QXk1_WG9DgE/s1600/milk%2Bpowder.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68529" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Children died and legislation was changed. In 1981 the UN World Health Assembly ruled that baby formula companies are not allowed influence health professionals on advising mothers.</span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68361" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68360" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Unfortunately this doesn't always work. A recent report by Save the Children accused Nestlé in Pakistan, of handing out branded items to health workers and free samples of formula and bottles to maternity facilities.</span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"></span></div>
<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68359" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68358" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Ireland gives around 600 million euros to the developing world annually. We aid rural farmers and increasingly women to form micro-businesses that will earn them surplus cash to spend on health or sending their children to school. Some buy baby formula with his cash, thinking it is a better choice for their infant. Is this a double standard? Is Ireland both playing poacher and gamekeeper?</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68551" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">“The debate on breastfeeding versus infant formula will continue but there is always needs to be choice” says Cormac Healy of the Irish Dairy Industries Association. “We also have to remember that in the scale of things we produce less than 1% of the world’s milk so single handedly we’re not going to change the consumption patterns of any marketplace.”</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68356" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">20% of the milk produced on Ireland’s 18000 dairy farms goes into baby formula. Irish factories produce from milk to finished product in packaged tins but we also export base milk powder for blending in other countries. We are not in control of how this product is sold to third parties or mothers.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68354" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">“Were not a one trick pony here, infant formula is an important sector but it’s not all we do” says Cormac Healy. “It’s also produced under very strict regimes and has a very valid place in the nutrition area. In terms of the breastfeeding debate, there is the factor of choice and a lot of the time this is about information and support to mothers.”</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68572" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Closer to home global food giant Danone has</span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68352" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> plants manufacturing infant formula in Macroom and Wexford, with Macroom <span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68351">producing over 125,000 tonnes of infant formula annually. Danone sponsors the Irish “First 1000 days” baby and toddler nutrition campaign. SMA owned by Pfizer, sponsors Ireland’s Pregnancy and </span></span></div>
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<span id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68573" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Baby Fair in the RDS Dublin and Cork City Hall this April.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68575">In Irish maternity wards, understaffing and the nice lady with trolley <span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68577">of made-up baby formula bottles are also pretty good at undermining the breast is best (or breast is normal) message.</span></span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68330" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68329" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Hospitals pay for the formula and new mums get it for free once they’re admitted to the maternity ward. Like most new mothers I planned on breastfeeding my first baby. Generally it went well but within two months I was back working and baby was wholly bottle-fed from then on.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xcU4uKgw1jY/VRxnLqh4uAI/AAAAAAAABiM/dnBDaIC4fJI/s1600/dairy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xcU4uKgw1jY/VRxnLqh4uAI/AAAAAAAABiM/dnBDaIC4fJI/s1600/dairy3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68599" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68598" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">With my second child I ended up back in hospital having surgery for a C-section complication. I pumped breast milk every four hours even straight after surgery like a demented person but eventually folded and bottle fed. And the brand I chose to continue feeding to my baby once I was discharged was the brand supplied in the hospital, in this case Aptamil. Most mothers do the same thing – if they baby feeds well on what the hospital supplied why fix something if it isn’t broken? </span></div>
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<div class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68328" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue-Light', 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68327" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Women who’ve just given birth, especially with their first baby are exhausted, and if the baby doesn’t latch on and feed they will often take the option of the handily available and free formula milk. Maternity staff are over-stretched and there are not enough bodies on the wards to literally sit with women, help them and motivate them to start or to stay breastfeeding. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Some women desperately need infant formula, I needed it myself. But the WHO’s position and on wards in Ireland the reality is that most women don’t.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I put the question to twitter - How do we feel about </span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68603" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/babyformula?src=hash" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">#babyformula</span></a><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68602"> in Irish hospitals? As a mother or parent was it manna from heaven or expensive road to ruin? </span><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nutrition?src=hash" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">#nutrition</span></a><span class="yiv0513705409"></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68608" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/Smdoyle76" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68607" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68606" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><u class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68605">Siobhan @Smdoyle76</u> · </span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68611" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> <span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68610" lang="EN">@campbellsuz I think it’s a necessary evil - very little support to establish breastfeeding in hospital and the first few days at home.</span></span></a><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/Smdoyle76" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"></span></a></span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext;"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/Smdoyle76" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"> </a></span></span></span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/yummymummyby4" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext;">elizabeth macdonnell</span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext;"> @yummymummyby4</span></a> </span><span class="yiv0513705409" lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/campbellsuz" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">@campbellsuz</span></a> it's pushed as the easy option when in fact the opposite is true, the pressure to 'give a bottle/top up' begins in hospital</span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"></span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68634" style="font-size: 12pt;">Sh<a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/fingalfoodie" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68633" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yiv0513705409yui_3_16_0_1_1427791688312_68632" style="color: windowtext;">inyPrettyWant</span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427923566194_5853" style="color: windowtext;"> @fingalfoodie</span></a></span><span class="yiv0513705409" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427923566194_5852" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span class="yiv0513705409" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427923566194_5851" lang="EN"><a class="yiv0513705409" href="https://twitter.com/campbellsuz" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yiv0513705409" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">@campbellsuz</span></a> if they didn't give it to me my child would have suffered. I can't produce sufficient breast milk due to a hormonal condition.</span></span><span class="yiv0513705409" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427923566194_5849" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I found spending 15 euro on a box of formula really expensive and I’m living in a rich country. Imagine how expensive this is in real income terms in Africa or even China? But hang on – if we don’t sell this stuff to them somebody else will. Black market baby formula contaminated with melamine not only killed babies in China but has been found in milk powder sold as baby formula in East Africa. Surely Irish baby formula is the safest option. But is breast milk not the safest option?</span></div>
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<span class="yiv0513705409" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427923566194_5847" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Should we be finding other routes for high-quality Irish milk rather than baby-formula? It’s lucrative and valuable to the rural economy but it’s also controversial. The quality of this product is a world beater but Ireland could find itself the future focus of international criticism from NGO’s who work in the fields of infant and mother care.</span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-82975420172881861362015-03-05T04:15:00.002-08:002015-03-05T04:16:15.117-08:00Are you being ripped off at the Supermarket?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You walk out the door of the shop and think "Did that really cost that much?" </b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My own recent experiences of being overcharged in both mainstream supermarkets (a Tesco) and upscale food retailer (Donnybrook Fair) made me examine how many times we pay more for food than we think.</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs-nupqYrqI/VPY--jh69zI/AAAAAAAABg0/_oqD3EhxOlI/s1600/bakery%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs-nupqYrqI/VPY--jh69zI/AAAAAAAABg0/_oqD3EhxOlI/s1600/bakery%2B2.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">I shop in many different places. I never do a trolley shop in the multiples but I cruise around them now and again to check what's going on. I also shop for small items frequently in a "I need sugar for the children's flapjacks right this minute" kind of way as I'm passing a Dunnes, Tesco or Aldi. I also get lots of store cupboard foods in Aldi - chopped tomatoes, chick peas, kidney beans and their own brand yoghurt is fantastic - I know the farmer who makes it. </span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The reality is that no matter how much food writers dislike them, supermarkets are the linchpin of our food landscape. In a word, Irish food is a dichotomoy. On one hand we want quality, provenance and we champion Irish artisan produce. But the reality of how we procure food is a cheap food retail war where the German discounters have the fastest growing grocery share in the country. </span></b></div>
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inflation is at its lowest for many years. While we may think this value phase of endless offers and deals suits consumers, supermarkets still frequently charge
above the listed price for goods, often without customers knowing. Are the penalties for overcharging big enough
and why do some supermarkets seem to be repeat offenders?</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Recently I went out onto the streets of Dublin to test consumers views on food value, to find out what we do when we find a supermarket has ripped us off. I reported the results on RTE Radio's Drivetime programme. </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The agency in charge of policing overpricing is the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Recently
they published their list of enforcement actions taken against t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">raders who charged more for
goods than the price displayed. These included a couple of Centras, Tescos,
Supervalues, Boots, and Spars in different locations around the country.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Utcjstr_5bo/VPY_qytDtFI/AAAAAAAABhA/TI1KNEzydEw/s1600/supermarket%2B3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Utcjstr_5bo/VPY_qytDtFI/AAAAAAAABhA/TI1KNEzydEw/s1600/supermarket%2B3.png" height="320" width="319" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The agency's information is gathered from consumers who complain directly to them. But they also carry </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">out what they call "pricing compliance blitzs". This is where mystery shoppers investigate whether supermarkets are correctly displaying prices and then charging
the price demonstrated. If the shop is found to be in breach of one of these regulations they are given a compliance notice or a fine of 300 euro to say they have been in breach of the
legislation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>All
cases are followed up and if not compliant the Commission have the option to go
to court. So it's a stepped enforcement strategy. The interesting thing is that the discounters in Ireland - German chains Aldi and Lidl don't appear in the list. </b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Simple German efficiency? It's hard to imagine that overcharging is a means by which multiples gain revenue, but if not, why haven't they sorted it out?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">I interviewed Isolde Goggin from the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Competition and Consumer Protection Commission about </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">why it
might be happening - whether overcharging is an error or a way of doing business.</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ssaDiIDJWI/VPY-Y0gYSmI/AAAAAAAABgs/B5S1cuRfIQA/s1600/supermarket%2Baisle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ssaDiIDJWI/VPY-Y0gYSmI/AAAAAAAABgs/B5S1cuRfIQA/s1600/supermarket%2Baisle.png" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>The non-statutory organisation - the Consumers Association of Ireland - think that the penalties for overcharging are simply not big enough,
despite there being scope in consumer legislation for bigger fines. So what might work to deter this practice?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>It's a debate worth having and as long as supermarkets take billions out of the economy, why should they add more revenue at the expense of unknowing consumers. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>The item is available to listen to at the link below. Happy Shopping!</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2015/0224/20150224_rteradio1-drivetime-supermarke_c20738149_20738153_232_.mp3" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425463266686_55240" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14.6666660308838px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2015/0224/20150224_rteradio1-drivetime-supermarke_c20738149_20738153_232_.mp3</a></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-57359725247454757502015-02-18T14:17:00.001-08:002015-02-18T15:46:26.144-08:00Could we be reaching Peak Craft Beer?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a food and drink area experiencing extreme heat, I recently investigated whether we're reaching the peak of a trend, or are in fact nowhere near the top. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Long championed among Ireland's craft beer makers is the 10% of the US beer market that small craft labels have captured. Personally I love craft beer. But many Irish drinkers express a "done with that" attitude to the trend. So how is it really progressing and can it be ever upwards? <br /><br />Recently I went along to a beer tasting seminar hosted by Liquid Curiosity in Dublin to meet brewers, taste beers and gauge the energy of new entrants to craft beer.</span></div>
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Firstly there were about 25 people there – from the hospitality industry, brewers already in business, people wanting to set up a craft beer company and amateur enthusiasts. Tutor Jacqueline Steadman from Australia gave a basic introduction to different types of beers – pale ales, pilsners, stouts and what they are made from - hops, malt barley etc.<br />
<br />We sampled Irish beers and ciders in the main like Galway Hooker and Cockagee Cider from Slane but also more unusual products like cherry beers and a French Geuze formed with lots of lactic acid which tasted a bit like old socks. This was so deliciously on the verge of both disgusting and incredibly good that the only reason I pushed it to one side was it's incredibly high alcohol level at 8% APV. <br /> </span></div>
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The participants tasted the beers and discussed their characteristics. On each tasting sheet provided, beers were marked on colour, taste, the head, alcohol level, integration etc. Everyone really enjoyed tasting, commenting and getting to know new beers. There was lots of craic, plus a delicious lunch by Mourne Seafood where the seminar was held.<br /><br /><br /><b>And there's not just energy and enthusiasm in the sector. The hard figures show huge growth. </b><br />From a handful of companies brewing before 2010 there are now over 80 Irish craft beer brands. Here's the question – how many more breweries can Ireland support? Craft beer here occupies between 1 and 2 percent of the beer market. In the United States their 10 percent hold has the big guns directly blaming craft beer for declining market share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Budweiser volumes have fallen in the U.S. from nearly 50-million-barrel peak sales in 1988 to 16 million barrels last year. Light beers and craft beers have been the biggest factor in this decline, with younger people in the US staying away from what seem like old fashioned brands A recent study published by WSJ found that 44% of drinkers aged between 21 and 27 have never tried Budweiser. Sorry Clydesdales. You may be cute but you're also ageing.<br /><br /><br />So on paper there is still huge space for growth in Ireland – in other words to take Budweiser, Heineken and Guinness drinkers away from those brands onto craft beer brands. However it’s not as simple as that. Many Guinness drinkers simply like Guinness. Some craft beer drinkers are occasional beer drinkers who may not switch wholesale to one brand but try many and not be loyal to any. <br />Another remaining problem is that many bars particularly outside cities or foodie areas still do not stock craft beers. In some of the best hotels in Ireland I've asked for a craft beer and been looked at askance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also know that most of the Irish companies are very small and perhaps much of the appeal of their product is in their own local area or county. How many are going to be listed with the big supermarkets for example? Denise Murphy who manages the alcohol sector for Bord Bia points out that they are now directing craft beer companies more towards export. At so small a portion of the beer market here companies are going to have to look abroad to grow their output. It's not essential for survival but essential for growth.<br /><br /><br />Some drinkers are frankly sick to death of craft beer. And it's true that some products have been talked up. At the tasting seminar tutor Jacqueline Steadman who is an Australian wine maker opened a beer and pointed out a lot of what was wrong with it. There was plenty. We must remember that just because a beer says craft in front of it does not mean it’s excellent in every way. The term Craft Beer is also under fire in some territories where massive breweries make "craft" products and it’s been put forward by some publications that the term such be ditched.<br /><br /><br />Before the last budget in Ireland if you produced under 20,000 hectolitres annually beer companies got a tax rebate but that was then extended to 30,000 hectolitres. This was directly to benefit small craft beer companies very often situated in rural areas to grow, which is a very good thing. However it doesn’t stop companies calling themselves craft beer producers who produce far above this level. <br /><br /><br />There has been controversy in particularly the US where craft beer producers are often massive companies the size of Diageo. And even some craft producers say it’s better not to have a classification at all. <br /><br /><br />Having observed craft beer grow from so little in Ireland it's been an exciting and interesting journey to report on. I've interviewed and featured beer producers from Galway, Dublin, Donegal, Cork, Leitrim and Monaghan. I would characterise the sector at this point as being in its second phase. The stage where a community regroups, reflects upon itself and competition usually gets tougher as the marketplace gets more crowded. <br /><br /><br />Bright futures aren't a given for all these companies and it's worth noting that breathlessly championing every single product is a mistake. Ultimately craft beer offers the consumer more choice as the big international brands have had a stranglehold on the beer market for decades. That's a good thing, but perhaps is also viewing craft beer as no longer the food and drink baby needing kisses and love but a juvenile with a bright future, and challenges yet to take on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">@campbellsuz on twitter</span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-77676445898301590962014-03-21T10:10:00.000-07:002014-03-21T10:10:41.616-07:00"Natural", "Artisan"? - nonsense? Get involved in the discussion on use of food marketing terms in Ireland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is something that constantly amazes me; I pick up a pack of Danish sausages in the supermarket (often distributed by big Irish brands) who neither state the country of origin or make ridiculous claims of it being a cutsey farm product rather than mass-produced factory food using the lowest acceptable standards, sold at the lowest possible prices. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBtR7egiD2Y/UyxxzKQAIfI/AAAAAAAABc8/55--sMaTTCw/s1600/imagesCAJLYDC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBtR7egiD2Y/UyxxzKQAIfI/AAAAAAAABc8/55--sMaTTCw/s1600/imagesCAJLYDC2.jpg" /></a>The Food Safety Authority of Ireland have announced a public consultation on the use of food marketing terms in Ireland. Words like "natural" "traditional" and "farmhouse" are used liberally on food labels but carry no meaning or no protection in the case where food is actually produced by hand in small quantities. Consumers are confused and many believe that like "organic" these terms carry a defined meaning.</div>
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As this has been an issue for many years Food and Drink Industry Ireland, (IBEC), the Artisan Forum and Consumers Association of Ireland have now developed the draft code of practice aimed at protecting the integrity of certain marketing terms on food and the interests of consumer and the small food industry.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot_YHymk3ug/UyxxWmtnRoI/AAAAAAAABc0/nmwF4o0-r3o/s1600/wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot_YHymk3ug/UyxxWmtnRoI/AAAAAAAABc0/nmwF4o0-r3o/s1600/wine.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">This Code of Practice outlines the general legal requirements but in addition will provide an agreed set of rules for the food industry concerning the use of the following marketing terms to describe foods placed on the Irish market:<br /><br />• Artisan/Artisanal<br />• Farmhouse<br />• Traditional<br />• Natural</span></div>
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I know that many people in both the food and consumer sector are concerned with this so now is the chance to have your say. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The consultation will run for 8 weeks and the closing date for responses is 14 May 2014. All feedback and comments will be considered in advance of the FSAI publishing a final industry Code of Practice later in the year. To let your opinion be known please check out the following link:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/National_Consultation_on_the_Use_of_Food_Marketing_Terms_Opens_19032014.html">http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/National_Consultation_on_the_Use_of_Food_Marketing_Terms_Opens_19032014.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pls share and let people know in the small food sector #Irishfood</span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-48379001314814639322014-03-16T16:05:00.000-07:002014-03-16T16:32:00.287-07:00Lovely Lamb<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuA2z0hGQIM/UyYpuyg_raI/AAAAAAAABcI/LspMAYG7tXY/s1600/wicklow+lamb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuA2z0hGQIM/UyYpuyg_raI/AAAAAAAABcI/LspMAYG7tXY/s1600/wicklow+lamb.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>In my food column this month for <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Gloss</span></strong> magazine I write about Spring lamb and a time for learning. </div>
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New born lambs are appearing in the fields around our house. This happens just as my friends and neighbours bear the weary eyes of long nights in sheds with bawling ewes, or bottle feeding the unwanted or third in a triplet set in the kitchen.<br />
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The valley I live in is mountainy marginal land and has very few cattle anymore. Most of the sheep farms have consolidated into a remaining ten to twenty farmers with their own home farm and sheds, who rent extra land from families that have left farming. Close to us the Hogans, McKees and Keegan's of @waterfallfarm shop are in the thick of the lambing season. In a fickle marketplace it's a business with price rises and crashes like everything else. <span style="color: #0b5394;">Sheep are also notoriously tricky to rear and I've witnessed myself the old adage - the first indication of illness in a sheep is mortality.</span> Yet the farmers still stay up all night, both men and women, to lamb ewes, to get the newborn started on feeding and nurse the ones not thriving. <br />
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Lambing season here is something both myself and my children delight in. The squeals of delight in response to newly born lambs bucking and skipping on their first day out on grass say it all. It's a pity that as a foodstuff in Ireland we are eating less lamb and it's now purchased by mainly older consumers.<span style="color: #0b5394;"> I love lamb. I buy half a lamb from the farm across the lane every year and for me it tastes like home.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-size: large;">This Edible Life </span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>March 2014</em></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">One of my Spring pleasures - holding a new born lamb is unfortunately contraindicated
to eating one. Not only are they too cute with their little velvet muzzles,
early lamb can have a jelly-like texture and is much better killed at about
five months old. While the garden eases into Spring I´m still cooking plenty of
dark cabbage and have successfully converted all cabbage sceptics with my
fabulous <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Gnocci with Savoy cabbage and Wicklow
Blue</span> </b>or fried off with chorizo and garlic for an easy soup with vegetable stock
and cream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTeOsZzSrd8/UyYqtwjzz7I/AAAAAAAABcQ/NQASy71zvRE/s1600/Wicklow-Blue-Cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTeOsZzSrd8/UyYqtwjzz7I/AAAAAAAABcQ/NQASy71zvRE/s1600/Wicklow-Blue-Cheese.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Around Dublin I´ve fallen in love with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The
Green Bench cafe</span></b> on Montague Street (as if those pesky Dublin 8-ers aren´t served
with enough great spots for a quick lunch). The serve lovingly-made take out
for at your desk or if you´re like me - on the run from one venue to the
next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Super moreish is their wrap of citrus
marinated feta with avocado, olive tapenade and hummus. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Not far away on Stephen´s Street</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,<span style="color: #0b5394;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">P. macs</b></span> is a more comfy
version of the cocktail zinc bars populating the South William street area.
There´s lampshades straight from your grandmothers, patchwork armchairs and if
you don´t feel like wearing towering heels it’s cosy for a quiet drink in the
snug and some decent pizza. Another dress-down hide out for early evening is
open downstairs on Dawson street. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">FAATBAAT</span></b>
serves a multitrip of cuisines – everything from Japanese ramen dishes to
Malaysian “Drunken Prawns”. Their <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Go Go
Bar</span></b> is what this place is all about though with great tunes and decent
cocktails.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lyrlxv9pLs/UyYrnGL38LI/AAAAAAAABcc/5esVwyWZ5vM/s1600/lisloughreymeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lyrlxv9pLs/UyYrnGL38LI/AAAAAAAABcc/5esVwyWZ5vM/s1600/lisloughreymeat.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Always a hot social ticket, the best food producers in the country
compete on the 12<sup>th</sup> March for a gong from my own parish – the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Irish Food Writers Guild</span></b>. The awards
will be hosted by<span style="color: #0b5394;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Derry and Sally-Ann
Clarke</b></span><span style="color: #073763;"> </span>in the wonderful<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">L´Ecrivain</span></b><span style="color: #0b5394;">.</span>
We have some stunning food and drink entries, all Irish artisan-produced but I
am sworn to secrecy. Follow the winners and recommendations from the day at
twitter @foodguild.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">No better time than Spring to sharpen cookery skills. To mark her new
book The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Extra Virgin Cookbook, Susan
Jane White</span></b> is hosting an evening of cooking and tasting at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Fallon and Byrne</span></b> on the 12<sup>th</sup>.
Countrywide, it´s great to see many people I admire in food offering their
expertise.<span style="color: #0b5394;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">JP McMahon</b>,</span> Michelin-starred
chef and owner <span style="color: #0b5394;">of </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Aniar in Galway</span> </b>has
day workshops this month in “Nose to Tail Eating” and “The Whole Hen”. Down in
Thomastown the inspiring <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mag Kirwan</span> </b>is
holding classes in smoking at her<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
G<span style="color: #0b5394;">oatsbridge Trout Farm</span></b><span style="color: #0b5394;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rlloJweLqec/UyYsKlp4OgI/AAAAAAAABck/GiwNvMJX37o/s1600/trout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rlloJweLqec/UyYsKlp4OgI/AAAAAAAABck/GiwNvMJX37o/s1600/trout.jpg" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Close to the beautiful beach at Termonfeckin in County Louth, the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Tasty Tart Tara Walker</span></b> has classes in
cooking fresh fish landed at nearby Clogherhead and Foods of the Middle East,
timely with the huge popularity of <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ottolenghi</b>.</span>
If you have a few bob ditch Ottolenghi and go to Beirut, one of my favorite
cities for food - figs, hummus fatteh, baba ghanoui… Or closer to home check
out <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Silvena Rowe´s</span> </b>cooking in at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quince</b> in London´s Mayfair Hotel and
her gorgeous book </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern
Mediterranean</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-87491529364591458952014-03-16T15:28:00.002-07:002014-03-19T04:43:30.724-07:00Always dreamed of being a food entrepreneur?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9xxSj65LfaM/UyYk-ubVVfI/AAAAAAAABbk/MkfS6zisSQ8/s1600/jams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9xxSj65LfaM/UyYk-ubVVfI/AAAAAAAABbk/MkfS6zisSQ8/s1600/jams.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><strong>So you want to start a food business? </strong>Last year the Food Safety Authority of Ireland recorded an increase of 5% in the number of food businesses established in Ireland in the past five years. So despite recession there is plenty of optimism among food entrepreneurs. Maybe it's because of the huge success of the ag and food sector in Ireland, our active and growing food economy of both small producers and multinationals now exporting as far as Shanghai and Dubai.</div>
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Of course lots of us want to be a part of that, but do we have a clue what we're doing? I cover new food stories every week either as part of my radio or print work. Most of the people I meet are already established along the often painful food business journey. They range from dairy farms making ice cream to small cafes in rural towns. <br />
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But the failure rate in food businesses is notorius. And certainly people often enter the food world not fully aware of the basic facts of setting up and registering a food business and food premises, whether it be a new restaurant or your own kitchen. I went along to the FSAI's free seminar to advise new food entrepreneurs on what's ahead of them. And there's certainly plenty of interest.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bt5eYpKYpU4/UyYlXMxvSgI/AAAAAAAABbs/-OpFwIProNo/s1600/foodacademy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bt5eYpKYpU4/UyYlXMxvSgI/AAAAAAAABbs/-OpFwIProNo/s1600/foodacademy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>With 46,000 food businesses already set up in Ireland, the FSAI received 1,278 business start-up queries received in the last 12 months. The group says the majority of these enquiries came from people looking to set up a food business from home.</div>
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The half-day seminar brought together an inquisitive audience to meet experts from the business of food. Talks covered everything from registering a new food business, food product development, food safety training requirements, setting up a food safety management system, labelling regulations, traceability, the food recall process, inspections and the information resources available from the FSAI. <br />
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It was both terrifying and satisfying, but every single person there learned a great deal and came out with their head spinning. It was fascinating how people found the information daunting but nevertheless still planned to go ahead with their food business ambitions, despite some having lets say, only the very roughest of ideas.<br />
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I reported on RTE Drivetime later with Mary Wilson and talked - with the high attrition rate, is it nuts to want to set up a food business? Here's the link -<br />
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<a href="http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20516840%3A83%3A30%2D01%2D2014%3A">http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20516840%3A83%3A30%2D01%2D2014%3A</a></div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-48186633009467172182013-12-05T16:02:00.002-08:002013-12-05T16:02:24.502-08:00Ah just throw it in the bin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Foodwaste! God how it bugs us all but yet we keep throwing out food.<br />
We don´t mean to waste money. We don´t mean to ignore food in the fridge. We don´t mean to be wasteful, We don´t mean to overshop but we do.<br />
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To varying extents, all of us waste food. I am a complete scrooge but at some stage during the week I will still throw something into the bin that should not be there. Most of the time I think I´m great on the food waste issue but actually I´m not. I´m pretty medium rate. I make the "it goes to the dogs" excuse. We have two dogs which are very good at eating anything that falls on the floor, let alone scraps from plates. Unfortunately remembering to cut the Labrador´s food after half a bowl of scraps doesn´t always occur. So we´ve one fat dog and one anorexic terrier which is pretty much the way terriers are.<br />
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Some vegetables can go to my two rescue horses but as they are in work and as one is pretty fussy carrots are about the height of it. One thing I am very good at is shopping strategically and planning meals. I just make too much each time. Yes I freeze and make large batches to have later but often serve portions which are too large, particularly to my two children. Watching them say they are full when their plates are still laden with food, it´s tempting to make them suffer it out and eat the lot. But as we now know, this method employed by our parents is a dietary no no. (oh how I suffered at the table with gerbil cheeks full of spinach) so it´s back to the dog´s bowl it goes or into the bin.<br />
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Sometimes I get it really wrong - an untouched iceberg lettuce weeping in its wrapping at the back of the fridge and even today - some pork belly I bought which I was really looking forward to roasting tonight with Roosters and beets is somehow three days past the date. How did that happen? Why didn´t I put it in the freezer?<br />
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So we know it´s a problem but why do we keep doing it? Perhaps we don´t know Exactly how much it costs. Well now em, we do.<br />
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For the past six months by other half, journalist and co-author of the original Basketcase Philip Boucher-Hayes has been filming a documentary for RTE on food waste in Ireland and examining strategies to curb it. When you tot up the figures it seems that in this country that of every three bags of groceries we bring into the house, one goes in the bin. Yep, throw it in, just like that. The other shocking figure is that according to the EPA - half a billion euros, yes, half a billion, could be saved if we got control of the problem.<br />
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As it´s such a large issue spanning everything from hospital food to high end restaurants one of the challenges in making the series was how to reach into our - the viewer´s own shopping and eating behaviour. So the series picked one town - Killorglin in County Kerry to focus on and take case studies of families in terms of what is coming into their house and what is going into the bin.<br />
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Here´s the promo for the documentary. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT00WR5hk9k">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT00WR5hk9k</a><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">It´s interesting frankly to see your own behaviour reflected back at you. Everyone has issues with food waste and it goes on in every kitchen. In a country where one in ten people suffer from food poverty its an uncomfortable situation. Philip´s documentary - Waste Watchers is on RTE 1 television is on this </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Sunday at 6.30. </span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-68266042892672396142013-12-05T15:00:00.002-08:002013-12-05T15:01:53.847-08:00Irish food´s Riverdance moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a Summer and Autumn of hard work and a lot of travel I´ve been so busy with my journalism that I´ve realised I need to post some new stuff here and let those outside Irish media to see what´s going on in Irish food and farming. Happily the big story of this year - our horsemeat scandal ended up being something postive for our food sector. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland who was first to spot the problem earned a lot of credit for lifting the lid on the murky world of "meat agents" and a European trade involving many countries and players and in some cases criminal activity in the food chain.<br />
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The truth is that aside from a very small number of rogue players, Irish beef is a fantastic food, extensively farmed, grass fed and fully traceable. In fact since the story broke Ireland has gained new markets for our beef exports and just this week we´ve seen Japan lift a ban on imports of Irish beef since the BSE scandal. Confidence is high in the food we are producing here. In many ways I´m busier than ever in a work sense because the message of our book from 2009 - that food is important, that the economic boom in Ireland ignored the farming and food sector, that the farming sector is one of this country´s selling points is now hugely recognised.<br />
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Ireland has more food festivals than ever. More food entrepreneurs than ever. But today I again visited a small food producer - a free range poultry grower whose livelihood is threatened by regulations which he feels are designed for big multinational food businesses and not the small scale individual. This is something I hear a lot on my travels around the country. But despite challenges to small or artisan producers, overall the local food culture here is growing apace. In 2009 when we penned the book there was no such pride in Irish food, and farming was a dirty word. Now there is truly a food to fork culture where many consumers, not just foodies are engaged with trying to buy local food and good quality food. Yes there are still difficulties in the sector and in these times us consumers also have less money to spend. But with less money there is also awareness of Irish food´s huge value to the local economy.<br />
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Recently the Dublin Web Summit took place in Ballsbridge Dublin - it´s a giant tech festival if you like, bringing together 10,000 tech start ups, venture capitalists, international brands and 400 international media. For the first time at the web summit not only Irish tech but Irish food was put centre stage. Good Food Ireland - an organisation of food producers and restaurants simply took over the catering. Instead of the usual mass-produced conference food, the delegates dined on venison sausage, Birgitta Curtin´s smoked salmon, relishes and Irish cheeses in a menu designed by Ballymaloe cookery school´s Rory O´Connell.<br />
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Watching the delegates taste the food in the beautiful tented setting in Herbert Park Dublin (photographed above) made me realise this really was a special event, a special moment. Finally Irish food was getting the attention it deserved. It was Irish food´s Riverdance moment - an instance where something essential to us and taken for granted is pulled into the limelight and lauded. There is no going back.<br />
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Here´s my report from the day on RTE radio´s Drivetime programme<br />
http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2013/1030/20131030_rteradio1-drivetime-thefoodsum_c20464354_20464356_232_.mp3</div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-811803396228651702013-04-09T07:09:00.003-07:002013-04-09T07:09:33.222-07:00Looking for gorgeous artisan Irish food this month?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Decent Irish grub alert: </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">my This Edible Life column </span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">for April from </span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">The Gloss magazine, </span></b><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Irish Times. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><i>enjoy!</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">As
nose-to-</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">tail</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> eating and local sourcing is where it’s at, I’m very
pleased to have already chosen my <b>Spring
Lamb</b> for slaughter from the farm next door. Once I get past the “heart-meltingly
cute” phase, I coolly assess hind ends from my kitchen window, noting which
lovely has the meatiest loins for my Easter table.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In
London the trend, driven by Fergus
Henderson of the nose-to-tail eatery </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">St
John</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> knows no bounds, with two hotels,
several restaurant and a bakery now under the St John name. If you’re really on
the food pulse, </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white;">Gram Bangla</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">
on Brick Lane is the place to be. Serious nose-to-tailers flock there for liver,
kidney and brain which on the menu almost every day.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpDY2ZpsDc8/UWQKRabrklI/AAAAAAAABZk/c39Xzxj9XH0/s1600/bakery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpDY2ZpsDc8/UWQKRabrklI/AAAAAAAABZk/c39Xzxj9XH0/s320/bakery.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Johns in London</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Named
after the old Hatch dairy in the centre of Dublin, <b>Hatch and Sons</b> offers local sourcing in a gorgeous new dining spot
in the basement kitchen of the St. Stephens Green home of <b>Trevor White’s Little Museum of Dublin</b>. With serious foodie
firepower with the involvement of Domini and Peaches Kemp and food writer Hugo
Arnold, it’s an inviting room with big wooden tables, enamel jugs straight from
my nana’s farmhouse and a relevant, well sourced menu featuring <b>Tom Durcan’s </b>spiced beef on Waterford’s
famous blaa bread . </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wine Note: The Hatch and Sons April supper club on the 18th features a talk by Gerard Maguire of 64 Wine in Glasthule
on the exploding world of biodynamic wines, with a menu of Daube of beef,
parsley and mustard mash, and St Gall
cheese from Fermoy</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQXzjn2mJ2I/UWQf2sin8QI/AAAAAAAABZ8/pLPRPU4I364/s1600/bluebell+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQXzjn2mJ2I/UWQf2sin8QI/AAAAAAAABZ8/pLPRPU4I364/s1600/bluebell+falls.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebells Falls Goats Cheese</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">You’ll
also find local sourcing and blaas on the menu at <b>Farm</b> on nearby Leeson Street, (also a branch on Dawson St) </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; padding: 0cm;">which has lovely tables on the pavement
for people watching. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I loved their gorgeous tart made with<b> </b></span><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul Keane’s </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Bluebell Falls</span></b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> organic Irish goats cheese and
butternut squash with red onion marmalade. Or try their <b>Chicks in Town</b> - marinated
breast of Irish chicken on a Blaa with beef tomatoes, crisp leaves and homemade
garlic mayonnaise.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i9qrAt5ysaU/UWQf0_xYTjI/AAAAAAAABZ0/PLxGRco2pS4/s1600/firehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i9qrAt5ysaU/UWQf0_xYTjI/AAAAAAAABZ0/PLxGRco2pS4/s1600/firehouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firehouse Bakery, Heir Island</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Close
to my neck of the woods, Emma Stone tells me the new <b>Romany Stone cafe,</b> restaurant and food store at the <b>Delgany Inn</b> will open early this month.
I’m very fond of the original Romany Stone restaurant in Kilbride Wicklow,
which morphed from an interiors shop into a swanky but comfy stop-off for
anyone heading South on the N11. I frequently made excuses to drive there for
their Brie and Hazelnut sandwich alone. The new venture also features a
patisserie from <b><span style="background: white;">The Firehouse </span></b><span style="background-color: white;">gang who run the
gorgeous bakery and bread school using wood-fired clay ovens on<b> Heir Island in West Cork </b>and will sell
fresh foods from <b>The Grocer Foodstore</b>.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d; line-height: 150%;"><b>At the
e</b></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>nd of the month I’ll be holding forth at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine with a gathering of
some of the world’s best food writers and chefs - Joanna Blythman, Thomasina Miers, Stevie Parle, Darina Allen and <span style="background: white;">Alice Waters,</span></b></span><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>
owner of the home of modern America food - Chez
Panisse in California. Can’t wait for the gossip over dinner and lunch. I
just may not come home. </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-13601416586404387092013-03-19T06:11:00.001-07:002013-03-19T06:11:42.707-07:00Basketcase on trial - what I really feed my family <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This piece appeared in The Irish Independent last week. The editor and I felt it was important in the wake of the horsemeat crisis to talk about the ins and outs of buying meat products and</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> a quick guide from the horses mouth so to speak (bahahaha) on what's healthy and risky in terms of processed food is what consumers want right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">I feel that telling people only to buy organic or local food is not where its at, or something that most peoples income allows for. My grocery shop for my family of four is a mixture of the two - buying both local and supermarket products, and cooking really simple dishes that don't break the bank. All of us have been rattled by the horsemeat story and are shopping more carefully. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">A Which? survey in the UK shows substantial loss of confidence in the safety of processed meats. While 9 out of 10 customers felt supermarket food was very safe to eat before the crisis, the number has now dropped to 7 out of 10.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Have a look and let me know if your food strategy has changed in the wake of the horsemeat crisis. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Irish Independent 9th March 2013</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Food Writer Suzanne Campbell - "What I really feed my family"</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Are chicken goujons safe to give the kids?” These are
the sort of questions mothers ask me, especially since the horsemeat crisis
began in January. As a food writer the story didn’t take me by surprise. I live
in the countryside and keep horses; one which was destined for a meat plant
before I gave it a home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EQJM5pVJA4/UUheZ9jLosI/AAAAAAAABYs/a3_gpcTZ1HA/s1600/me+and+truck+indo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EQJM5pVJA4/UUheZ9jLosI/AAAAAAAABYs/a3_gpcTZ1HA/s320/me+and+truck+indo.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the past weeks I’ve done countless interviews for
Irish and European media on the issue and in a bizarre twist, conducted a live
radio piece on horse burgers while exercising my own horse. For me, horsemeat
was the perfect storm; the under-regulated horse trade exploding into a
Pandora’s Box of horrors for consumers. In 2009 I had spelled out these fears
in the book “<i>Basketcase: what’s happening
to Irish food</i>?” co-authored with my husband – journalist Philip
Boucher-Hayes. Then as now, our warnings about the real cost of cheap food fell
on deaf ears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m a journalist and the mother of two young children so
I also put a family meal on the table every day. Living in the Wicklow hills may
be the foodie dream and I go to a lot of swanky food events but our home menu
is far from Masterchef. I don’t spend a lot of money on food, I just keep
things simple. When people ask me is something safe to eat, I’m honest. There
are some foods I just wouldn’t eat and some surprises that I would. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lCQjRGvWeo/UUhfwsYvu_I/AAAAAAAABZE/PTzr8T5hvbA/s1600/potatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lCQjRGvWeo/UUhfwsYvu_I/AAAAAAAABZE/PTzr8T5hvbA/s320/potatoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spuds, lamb, summer salad, wild garlic pesto. Fairly uncomplicated</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You
will never see a ready meal in my kitchen. O</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">ne spaghetti bolognese I examined recently contains
just 16% meat. Food “extenders” and “fillers” often make up the rest, adding
volume and taste to sausages, burgers, ready meals and any amount of things in
our trolleys. The reason? They reduce food manufacturing costs by 10-30%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
understand why many consumers buy ready meals. As a working mum I often finish
my day with cooking the last thing on my mind. I get round this by always having
meals in the freezer. When I cook a chilli beef, ratatouille, curry, Irish stew
etc I make twice the amount and freeze a complete meal. This is the key to
avoiding take-away on the way home from work or dropping into the supermarket
in a flap and coming out with a huge bill and still nothing for dinner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDDkFeNIOE4/UUhdbthIO2I/AAAAAAAABYc/u_rQosmRm-s/s1600/chicken+goujons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDDkFeNIOE4/UUhdbthIO2I/AAAAAAAABYc/u_rQosmRm-s/s1600/chicken+goujons.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goujons - do they have a texture like jelly?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The aforementioned
chicken goujons I simply don’t buy or eat. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">I peeled open a chicken goujon last week that
looked like MRM (</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mechanically
Recovered Meat). MRM </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">has a
texture like sponge. I</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">t
is not allowed at present in European food manufacturing but businesses get
around the law by using the “Bader process” to make virtually the same thing –
meat recovered from sinews and scraps from carcasses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The safety issue for
me is what’s used to congeal these bits of meat back into a palatable
foodstuff. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">I don’t
eat anything “re-constituted” that doesn’t have muscle texture, including
turkeys or chickens at carvery counters that look like footballs. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After our RTE
documentary “<i>What’s Ireland Eating</i>”
aired many people approached myself and Philip with fears about ham. We showed
a process where ham joints were boosted to a huge size by hundreds of needles
pushing water and nitrates into the flesh. Processed meats, including hams and
salamis have been linked to colonic cancer. Imported rashers and ham has higher
nitrite levels (up to 20%) than are allowed in Ireland so I always buy ham with
Bord Bia quality assured label. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBcjMXbnLz4/UUhde7GcWAI/AAAAAAAABYk/YssX6rMKieM/s1600/billy+roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBcjMXbnLz4/UUhde7GcWAI/AAAAAAAABYk/YssX6rMKieM/s1600/billy+roll.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Roll - I don't go near it<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Look for ham (even packed slices of ham) cut from the bone
where you can see muscle grain. Likewise, jelly-textured cubed chicken found in
sandwich bars, and deli counters. Even if it’s covered in a heavy “Cajun” or
“Tikka” dressing; most of this chicken comes already processed from Thailand or
Brazil and rarely made from fresh Irish chicken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ireland imports 2.5 million chicken breasts a week. Many
of these have been found by the FSAI to be gas-flushed with CO2 to preserve
them, on sale with incorrect use-by dates and could be up to ten days old from
as far away as the Ukraine. Butchers are my first choice for buying beef but I
don’t buy chicken in some butchers as many imported chicken fillets are sold
loose on their counters. At the very least this chicken is stale. I only buy
chicken fillets if they are Bord Bia certified (in supermarkets), free-range or
if I’m flush, organic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6CQP1WEA5n8/UUhfv_rKXQI/AAAAAAAABY8/IWqaYcnVDu0/s1600/carrot+soup+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6CQP1WEA5n8/UUhfv_rKXQI/AAAAAAAABY8/IWqaYcnVDu0/s1600/carrot+soup+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This carrot and parsley soup takes about 20 mins to make<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
our house meat is not a central part in every meal. I make a soup (curried
carrot and parsnip, leek and potato) about twice a week, and yes, I add cream.
This could be a dinner in my house. As is also scrambled eggs with tomato and
basil, simple spaghetti with Irish mushrooms and pesto, cous cous or quinoa
salad with mixed leaves, chopped peppers, cumin, olives and salami. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We’ve
one child who is a great eater, the other one is more tricky. I adopt the
French approach with children; mealtime choice is - menu A or menu A. Research
show some foods like lettuce have to be offered up to 21 times before they are
eaten; I put it in lunchtime sandwiches, it gets picked out. Then one day it
isn’t picked out and eaten from then on. So don’t give up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For my food shop I buy meat and vegetables from shops in my
local village, spending about thirty euro a week in each. I buy store cupboard
foods in one big shop about every three weeks in either Superquinn or Aldi. I
know many Irish farmers who produce own brand product for Aldi. I also buy a
lot of their imported foods like kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, chick peas, chillies,
herbs and spices. Choose what has the least added ingredients and cooks well. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Remember, the
more players involved in a single food product, the more likely it is to go
wrong. Yearly I buy half a lamb from my neighbour butchered into joints ready
to cook or freeze. At the weekend I buy sourdough bread, Kilbeggan porridge
oats, Ed Hick’s rashers and eggs from the local farm shop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
family food spend is under 150 euro a week, not counting wine or craft beer
which I splurge on now and again. If I wasn’t partial to French wines and Irish
cheese I would probably be the most healthy person on the planet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So what can we do to eat safely and not pay out a fortune?
Keep your food chain short and keep things simple. It takes work but shouldn’t
break the bank. I dislike patronising advice to consumers to only buy organic
or local. Find a place on the food and cooking scale you are comfortable with.
Ditch Masterchef, take the pressure off yourself and cook with freshness to get
taste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Six
foods I wouldn’t eat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chicken goujons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Billy roll or any ham with a clowns face on it <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Huge glossy chicken fillets in independent retailers or
butchers often sold at discount <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chicken in a restaurant or sandwich bar – unless stated
on the menu it is imported <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Breaded fish including salmon, I stay away from farmed
salmon and buy wild smoked salmon as an occasional treat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brightly coloured snacks or crisps. McDonnell’s and
Keoghs are pretty additive free. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My
unexpected favourites</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aldi’s Duneen natural yoghurt; I use it with everything;
blitz with fruit for summer smoothies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Burgers – cook your own from mince or buy Aldi’s Aberdeen
Angus 100% Irish beef; red meat is the best way to get iron into your system<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beans (without sugar) – unglamorous but a nutritious two
minute meal heated on crusty bread <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Smoked mackerel or herring costs about three euro a pack.
Smashed up with crème fraiche and rocket makes a gorgeous topping on toast.
Goatsbridge trout is so good eat it on its own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sodastream – invest in one. I drink two litres of
sparkling water a day. Saved me a huge amount of cash and recycling of water
bottles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-9031972659381307802013-03-13T09:29:00.000-07:002013-03-13T09:29:45.972-07:00My food and drink picks for March - try Brad and Angelina's wine, La Rouge and Mount Juliet for starters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LaezClubv4/UUCmn_RFElI/AAAAAAAABX4/tl8DPtu1uJA/s1600/la+rouge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LaezClubv4/UUCmn_RFElI/AAAAAAAABX4/tl8DPtu1uJA/s1600/la+rouge.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Rouge in Cabinteely</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week is all about horses for me with the Irish dominating so much of the running over at Cheltenham. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in the food world, seasons roll on and new restaurants open. We have seen some great Dublin and Galway restaurants close in recent months but happily other food businesses also open, become firm favourites with the public and new trends begin. Here is my <b>This Edible Life </b>column for March from The Gloss magazine - my monthly pick of food news from producers and restaurants. If I had to recommend one outstanding thing from this month its Sam Neill's Two Paddocks pinto noir - so gorgeous you'll want to take a bath in it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This Edible Life </span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">As reviewers in New York wrestle to describe “New American” as
opposed to “American” cooking, one of the restaurateurs behind “new Irish
cooking” is finding great success with her Cabinteely venture </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">La Rouge</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. Anne Marie Nohl of the well-loved
</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Expresso Bar </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">on St.Mary’s Road in
Ballsbridge (dressed down celebs) joins a gathering of places slowly making the
village a foodie nook.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvGx0ScdlAg/UUCl0kMrAII/AAAAAAAABXw/u--yhj5_hPM/s1600/bacon+Jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvGx0ScdlAg/UUCl0kMrAII/AAAAAAAABXw/u--yhj5_hPM/s320/bacon+Jam.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Hick's Bacon Jam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Alongside <b>Urban café,</b>
South African influenced <b>Pielow’s</b>
restaurant and the Spanish <b>Las Tapas, La
Rouge </b>is easy-going but relevant with plenty of Irish dishes<b>. </b>As with Expresso Bar, Sunday brunch
is a big attraction featuring Eggs Florentine, seared kidneys and brioche. The
“La Rouge Big Breakfast” boasts sausages by Proper Butcher and food obsessive <b>Ed Hick</b>. For more Man Food, try</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> Ed’s<b> Bacon Jam </b>made with honey, coffee and
baco from Hick’s Butchers in Dun
Laoghaire and many delis. My husband is obsessed. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIc8iNEDcXw/UUCmpsMWbiI/AAAAAAAABYA/0G94jnoxW1g/s1600/mount+juliet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIc8iNEDcXw/UUCmpsMWbiI/AAAAAAAABYA/0G94jnoxW1g/s1600/mount+juliet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Juliet estate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Talking of butchers good and bad, amid covering #horseburger
I grabbed a few days at <b>Mount Juliet </b>in
Thomastown (doing two radio interviews in the car en route). Binning the
phones, the thick Georgian walls give rest and quiet like no other, and the
food at <b>The Lady Helen</b> gets better
and better. These are stunning plates with great sourcing; I’m sure I saw the
pheasant I ate giving me a wink earlier on the avenue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">In the wine world actress<b>
Drew Barrymore</b> tells us she is so in love with Pinot Grigio she’s decided
to produce her own, Whether it will beat Brad and Angelina’s <b>Chateaux Miramar</b> Cotes des Provence is
yet to be seen. Unlike most Pinot Grigios, I found Brangelina’s white Cote des Provence had a
surprisingly full-bodied spank, and a good story for the dining table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53GTcFAQA90/UUCluUkLnCI/AAAAAAAABXo/RWOl3D7OTB4/s1600/barrymore-wine-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53GTcFAQA90/UUCluUkLnCI/AAAAAAAABXo/RWOl3D7OTB4/s320/barrymore-wine-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drew Barrymore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Their wine is stocked by Garry Gubbins at <b>Red Nose Wine</b> in Clonmel, who supplies
the horsey set with finds from hobnobbing around fancy-pants estates. He also
sells the actor <b>Sam Neill’</b>s gorgeous
<b>Two Paddocks</b> pinot noir. Another
independent wine treasure is <b>The Parting
Glass</b> in Enniskerry owned by the lovely <b>Dom Price, </b>with sweets and goodies on the</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> counter (he knows my
type). Others are </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Gabriel Cooney’s <b>On the Grapevine </b>in Dalkey, <b>Curious
Wines</b> in Cork and <b>Cases</b> in
Galway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">If you’d like to know more on food and wine pairings, <b>Mary Gaynor</b> in Thomastown Kilkenny runs
a lovely wine course open to trade and the public </span><a href="http://www.wineacademy.ie/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">http://www.wineacademy.ie</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. In Dublin,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Ely’s <b>Big Tasting</b> is on the 22<sup>nd</sup> of this month with wine, Irish
beers and ciders, <b>Sheridan’s</b> cheeses
and organic beef from the Ely farm (yes there is such a thing). Basically, if
you don’t want to drink you can just eat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pCC6Rl0kz7o/UUCnRubefFI/AAAAAAAABYI/EeA8lkZJ3QU/s1600/kilruddery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pCC6Rl0kz7o/UUCnRubefFI/AAAAAAAABYI/EeA8lkZJ3QU/s1600/kilruddery.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kilruddery House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">For a Spring shot of the outdoors, <b>Kilruddery</b> Farm Markets start again on 31<sup>st</sup> March and
every Saturday thereafter; foods for the larder, fresh coffees and great for
letting children let off steam. It was here I first began buying <b>Corleggy Cheese </b>from Cavan. Despite
being one of the earliest cheesemakers in the country, Silke Cropp’s cheeses
from the edge of Lough Erne were new to me. Crackers, chutney, grapes, <b>Corleggy, Two Paddocks</b>… nothing better<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-2091752219012856202013-03-11T14:11:00.001-07:002013-03-11T14:13:02.449-07:00I left my wallet at Cheltenham<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9DDfFHlL0g/UT5GdRWrQXI/AAAAAAAABXQ/XqV135KTBUY/s1600/bogwarrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9DDfFHlL0g/UT5GdRWrQXI/AAAAAAAABXQ/XqV135KTBUY/s320/bogwarrior.jpg" width="320" /></a>On the eve of the Cheltenham Festival here's a podcast broadcast on RTE Countrywide last week of my visit to trainer Tony Martin at his yard in Summerhill County Meath.<br />
<br />
Like all good trainers Tony really treats horses as individuals and gives a good appraisal of one of his best chasers Bog Warrior and what qualities have made him into special horse, despite going through difficult times. Tony has seven horses bound for Cheltenham but Bog Warrior will only run if the ground is soft or deep.This is because some horses have action (type of movement of their lower leg) which suits different type of terrain. So the snow this week and very cold temperatures may not suit him.<br />
<br />
I also met another of his Cheltenham stars, Beneficient - a bright chestnut gelding who nibbled my hand throughout our chat outside his stable. He was so sweet I wanted to put him in the back of the car and take him home. I also asked Tony about Michael O'Leary, head of Ryanair and one of the biggest owners of National Hunt horses in Ireland. Always surrounded by controversy O'Leary is very much liked in the racing sector. As Tony says, "he's a paying client like anybody else". He has seven horses with Tony, including Bog Warrior. Whatever you may think of him, it's deep pockets like O'Leary's which keep many yards going.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yyBs9xHmkAQ/UT5HAHUFcDI/AAAAAAAABXY/OEX4-ribyQE/s1600/tony+martin+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yyBs9xHmkAQ/UT5HAHUFcDI/AAAAAAAABXY/OEX4-ribyQE/s1600/tony+martin+jpeg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Martin trainer (right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Cheltenham is a very special festival for Irish horses and many Irish rural people. National hunt horses are often bred by small farmers and breeders whose dream is to for the animal to make it to the Cheltenham festival. The hugs and joy and whooping that take place when an Irish horse comes in is something that everyone who loves horses should experience once in a lifetime. It really is a special place. There's not many like it where it's common to see grown men cry. Both joy and pain are in plentiful supply around horses and especially in racing, When I can afford it I'll be back to Cheltenham like a shot believe me.<br />
<br />
Have a listen to the piece below which is followed by Leo Powell - editor of The Irish Field with his top tips for the festival. And if you have any long priced "sure things" please send them my way!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20168216%3A1523%3A09%2D03%2D2013%3A">http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20168216%3A1523%3A09%2D03%2D2013%3A</a>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-72002640220100775412013-03-06T14:05:00.002-08:002013-03-06T14:05:22.424-08:00The Placenta Smoothie. Yes, you read that correctly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was facinated by this television piece produced by a friend of mine Richard Stearn for TV3. Yes eating placentas is in vogue and US celebs are leading the way on the placenta smoothie trend. But isn't this simply the same as cutting off your own thumb and putting it in a smoothie?<br />
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We all know the arguments - placentas are enriched with nutrients valuable to an iron depleted mother who has just given birth. But couldn't a mother just eat a burger instead? The "but animals in the wild eat their placentas" line doesn't hold water either. They do so to avoid the strong smell of blood attracting predators in the crucial period when their young are barely on their feet and able to flee.<br />
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But what I love most about this video is the "placenta expert" washing the placenta under the tap then putting bottled water into the food processor. As we know, washing chickens etc is not advised as it spreads germs further around your kitchen which are not then happily cremated in the oven. Does the FSAI have a view on placenta eating?<br />
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Personally I never gave my two placentas a second thought. Seared on sourdough toast with creme fraiche? Anyone?<br />
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-77864189782329365322013-03-04T05:04:00.000-08:002013-03-04T05:07:00.476-08:00"Don't jeopardise the Irish agricultural industry"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While the European horsemeat crisis has been a nightmare for food producers, think about the farmers at the bottom of the chain. In order to produce beef they jump through regulatory hoops, multiple farm inspections and face loss of income if their product isn't up to scratch.<br />
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In the past weeks we've seen some beef processors and traders in Ireland, the UK and across Europe show two fingers to both consumers and farmers. In this short video from RTE News, farmer Donal Murphy speaks out against the damage the horsemeat scandal has done to farmers and Ireland's food producing reputation.<br />
<br />
Donal farms suckler cows in Dunhill County Waterford; a small business where his herd of heifers and cows produce young stock every year that end up on consumer's plates. His affection and love for his stock and for farming is remarkable. It underlines again how upside-down the system is. The operator closest to the consumer - the retailers earn the most money from beef. They divvy up the price between them and the big processors in ways that are transparent to nobody. At the bottom of the pile is the person that spends up to two years with the animal itself - the farmer. Please view and share, it's rare and regrettable to see such passion for farming, and tears. </div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-77861685190618453072013-02-25T03:48:00.000-08:002013-02-25T03:48:01.592-08:00The American burger is unsafe to eat. Unless we get our food system in Europe under control we're heading the same direction <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">[This post is based on an Opinion piece I wrote in the Irish Independent on Saturday, it has been updated to include the latest updates on horsemeat] </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">As Irish horse slaughterer B&F Meats was announced on Friday to be re-packaging horsemeat for export as beef, it seems the crisis is back on our doorstep here in Ireland. What we feared might be the case - Irish equines going illegally into the food chain has proved to be true, and there will be further resulting ramifications for the food sector, let alone legal and perhaps criminal fallout. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Foods sold in Ikea and Birds Eye are the latest big name brands to find horsemeat in their products.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> As we are drip fed more information about the scale of the horsemeat problem, Irish consumers feel unsure about what other
nasties may lurk in our shopping trolleys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">At the
heart the horsemeat issue is the real cost of cheap food. Much of the comment
has centred around “if you eat cheap food, well what do you expect?” But </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">research
shows <span style="background: white;">value ranges and cheap food are not just
purchased by the 10% of Irish people living in food poverty (Dept of Social
Protection). They are bought by ordinary families whose pattern of shopping is
based on value</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> and are now worth</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> 46% of our €8.9 billion<span style="background: white;"> grocer</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">y market.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Food
itself has become cheap, and Irish consumers across many income brackets buy
own brand or discounted value ranges<span class="apple-converted-space">. This
scandal has revealed that it’s becoming harder to pin the problem on simply cheap
burgers and consumers are listening to contradictory advice. In between
refuting the FSAI’s claims that his burgers tested positive for horsemeat, </span><span style="background: white;">Malcolm Walker head of retail chain Iceland told BBC this
week that he wouldn’t eat other UK supermarket’s value lines as “there’d be
other things in there”. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rTuSf3awwow/UStMgLH1bpI/AAAAAAAABWc/ea4bNnMECnU/s1600/recall+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rTuSf3awwow/UStMgLH1bpI/AAAAAAAABWc/ea4bNnMECnU/s1600/recall+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumped meat products</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
pressure on food to be cheap across the board and moves towards less regulation
and testing are at the heart of the problem. As we’re drip fed more brands
containing horsemeat, farm ministers in Brussels were wrangling with the CAP budget
which pays farmers to produce for retailers at knockdown prices. The EU’s cheap
food policy has worked to a fashion – to deliver affordable food to consumers,
but how can we say it’s a success when the player closest to the consumer – the
supermarkets, are the ones taking the most margin? Subsidising farmers and paying for proper
regulation at least ensures good food quality at farm level. Farmers and farming
programmes currently get 42% of the EU budget. It will be less this year and by
2020 set to be reduced to 33%. So as we reduce subsidy, and food gets more
expensive to produce, how on earth do we think quality or food safety is going
to improve? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As has been
asked many times “Why have CAP? Why pay farmers for producing food whatsoever?”
Well let’s look at the US, where subsidy exist only for particular foodstuffs
like fructose corn syrup which strangely dominates snack foods, food
manufacturing and is blamed for America’s obesity epidemic. US is the free
market unregulated end of the model. It is also the model with the most
problems for those who eat its food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNuNOgml7kk/UStLxu6deMI/AAAAAAAABWU/xFeKj2IgZcI/s1600/Tyson+foods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNuNOgml7kk/UStLxu6deMI/AAAAAAAABWU/xFeKj2IgZcI/s1600/Tyson+foods.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyson Foods</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
involvement of American beef giant JBS in the horsemeat crisis is hardly a
surprise. Last year one of their biggest beef processors Tyson Foods was found
guilty of using false books and bribing meat plant inspectors. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">US beef
contains antibiotics and steroids, and in the opinion of most American food
writers the iconic American burger is unsafe to eat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Massive recalls of beef for
ecoli and chicken and salmonella tainted eggs characterise a regular year in
the US food chain. Recent research by the<span style="background: white;">
University of Minnesota found<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">evidence </span>of fecal contamination in 69% of the pork and beef
and 92% of the poultry samples in retail outlets.</span> Factory farming is
blamed for large scale antibiotic resistance in the human population while the
use of “</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">pink
slime" in burgers - mechanically recovered meat treated with ammonia was
recently dropped by MacDonald’s in the US after public outcry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C9ERA1wgupc/UStLu2sXkUI/AAAAAAAABWM/QHpWf-qS3G0/s1600/tyson+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C9ERA1wgupc/UStLu2sXkUI/AAAAAAAABWM/QHpWf-qS3G0/s1600/tyson+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pink slime filler<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Liberalisation
of farming and food manufacture has been a disaster for US consumers. Americans get sicker and die younger than
people in any other wealthy nation. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even the
best-off Americans – those who have health insurance, a college education, a
high income and healthy behaviour are sicker than their peers in comparable
countries, says a report by the US National Research Council and the Institute
of Medicine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQFTa56P1no/UStMoXIM1lI/AAAAAAAABWs/hzn95hBjzfU/s1600/meat+process+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQFTa56P1no/UStMoXIM1lI/AAAAAAAABWs/hzn95hBjzfU/s1600/meat+process+1.jpg" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Light touch
regulation doesn’t work in food. Under the Tory Government the UK’s Food
Standards Agency’s budget has been slashed and food testing fallen in some
areas by up to a third. In Ireland we have maintained rigorous tests on farms by
the FSAI and EHOs. As food companies become more vertically integrated and
dominant, it’s crucial that budget for food regulation and standards in
production and manufacture are not only maintained but scaled up in Ireland and
the EU. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In recent
years the Department of Agriculture insisted in there was plenty of legislation
in place for the identification of horses going into the food chain. In the
wake of the present crisis I asked if they have plans or budget for more checks
at factories and putting vets back on ports? The answer was no. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Regulation
and upholding standards on farms, subsidising farmers properly to produce food
above the cost of production are essential to maintain a food chain that’s
safe. We may not like where we’ve got in our food picture but by further
letting go of the reins we will pay for it, in the realm of our own health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-8811486049269002452013-02-21T13:55:00.002-08:002013-02-21T15:50:13.491-08:00Hate to say I told you so #horsemeat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uatDL6sDA7o/USaTH1_Tu6I/AAAAAAAABVk/Y3qSAegG-n4/s1600/Thin-horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uatDL6sDA7o/USaTH1_Tu6I/AAAAAAAABVk/Y3qSAegG-n4/s1600/Thin-horses.jpg" /></a>One of the frustrating things about Europe's current horsemeat crisis is that welfare groups in Ireland warned the Department of Agriculture many times about the problems of horses being transported live to Europe. These animals were known not to have passports and dealers openly admitted (also documented in the UCD report of 2010) that forging passports to get horses into factories wasn't an issue.<br />
<br />
For many years I have helped the Irish Horse Welfare Trust to try and heighten awareness of the neglect of horses and the issue of live transport. For cattle and sheep transported to Europe or elsewhere there are strict regulations on travel times and welfare, none of which exist for horses. Horses are not checked at Irish ports before they travel for health or individual identification. This free movement of horses under the tripartite agreement between England, Ireland and France was identified in the UCD report as detrimental to bio-hazard controls - laughable now we have proof that many of these horses were going for human consumption. Authorities here denied that Irish horses could be going into the food chain until a Dutch processor in Nijnegan was revealed last week to be selling Irish and Dutch horsemeat as beef. This piece of news closed the circle in effect, though it's still not clear whether this meat came from carcasses killed in Irish abattoirs or from the live trade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9r0zoRhXEGY/USaTYRHWKvI/AAAAAAAABVs/ayyFi65cTNM/s1600/IHWT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9r0zoRhXEGY/USaTYRHWKvI/AAAAAAAABVs/ayyFi65cTNM/s1600/IHWT.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.IHWT.ie</td></tr>
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What we also know is that of the five Irish plants who were granted licenses to slaughter horses to cope with the surplus of horses after our boom years, only two are operating horse slaughtering at present. Why? Because there are much larger numbers (the department estimates around 16,000 horses) going out live on lorries to Europe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dEgC0V9Me-Y/USaKcCYNKyI/AAAAAAAABVM/I76EnLn9U1E/s1600/horses_on_truck_270x224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dEgC0V9Me-Y/USaKcCYNKyI/AAAAAAAABVM/I76EnLn9U1E/s1600/horses_on_truck_270x224.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">horse transport</td></tr>
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<br />
If 12500 equines were killed in licensed slaughterhouses (excluding the knackery system) here in 2011, why the larger number of animals going for live transport with its additional costs? Think about it. You have to have a passport (albeit very easy to obtain) to bring a horse to a factory here. Not so if it is killed abroad, even in the UK. The USPCA have identified false passports and forged veterinary signatures used on passports of animals going on the live trade, some which have been dosed with bute or other drugs. So of course the numbers are bigger - it's far easier to get them into a factory in Poland or Italy than in Ireland, as loose as the system here is.<br />
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I have two horses, both of whom I could apply for a passport for tomorrow from the 12 agencies allowed to issue them and get both into a factory next week. That's no reflection on B and F Meats et al. It is an illustration of how the passport and identification scheme doesn't work. This situation has been pointed out to the department many times - by myself, the IHWT, the USPCA and the SPCAs involved with horse welfare and rescue. The lack of regulation has been boiling under the surface for so long that it comes to no surprise to anyone involved in horse welfare or movement that there is horsemeat in the food chain. Horses are sold in Ireland for as little as 10 euro. Last year I loaded up a horse with an IHWT officer outside Bray that had been stabbed in the shoulder and was living on a piece of scrap land with no feed or water. It had been sold to a 10 year old child for 30 euro. Doubtless, its destiny was a lorry to Europe before we got hold of it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3sc0itqJwA/USaSCoJcwJI/AAAAAAAABVU/posFxZr_nMk/s1600/irishHorseWelfareTrustLimerickProject2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3sc0itqJwA/USaSCoJcwJI/AAAAAAAABVU/posFxZr_nMk/s320/irishHorseWelfareTrustLimerickProject2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An IHWT project on urban horse welfare in Limerick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What has been of little mention throughout this debate is the welfare issues involved here. Horses are put on lorries that are injured, about to foal or dying. Can you imagine the hellish journey these animals go through without food or water to be slaughtered in hellish conditions like those filmed by hidden cameras at the UK abattoir.<br />
<br />
What the horsemeat scandal has revealed is there is overwhelming problems with the equine identification and movement system. Vets need to go back into ports, and the passport system enforced. Having a scheme in place is nonsense without enforcement.<br />
<br />
These points were put to the Department of Agriculture's chief veterinary office Martin Blake on Primetime by broadcaster Claire Byrne and myself in a segment on the horsemeat issue. It seems there is little admission of the scale of the problem or how long it has been going on for. All I can hope is that recent events will speed up the will to look again at the tripartite agreement. Something radical needs to happen about the welfare and slaughter issues at the heart of this trade, let alone the dangers for us humans the consumers. You can view the segment at the link below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rte.ie/news/player/prime-time/2013/0218/">http://www.rte.ie/news/player/prime-time/2013/0218/</a></div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-87430836074342985362013-02-20T12:23:00.002-08:002013-02-21T14:17:05.130-08:00Irish food culture is a game of two halves, where those at the bottom will suffer the most<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CFWk_LEGXDg/USUtjhHyvCI/AAAAAAAABT4/LRELwCVLlks/s1600/horse+tied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CFWk_LEGXDg/USUtjhHyvCI/AAAAAAAABT4/LRELwCVLlks/s320/horse+tied.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish horses destined for the food chain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the horsemeat scandal widens to include giant food labels like Nestle and the worlds biggest beef processor JBS, again we see food fraud not happening at farm level but at secondary processing level and the trade of "beef" in a snakes and ladders game encompassing a global set of players.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">In short, the DNA tests carried out in Ireland by the FSAI opened a Pandora's Box of food chain nightmares. As the crisis sucks in more countries, it</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> may seem like vindication for the Irish beef sector but is of little value to us consumers, especially those who shop at the lower end of food budgets, relying on processed foods and ready meals as family staples.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">What the horsemeat scandal reveals is that Ireland's food culture is a tale of two halves. At one end of the scale, 'Artisan' meats like Aberdeen Angus Rib Eye and wild Irish game star on restaurant menus. Irish food has never been more vogueish. It is gushed over, photographed and blogged about on the 400-plus food blogs dedicated to Irish food alone.</span><br />
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uwUOyWX-rdk/USUux76EycI/AAAAAAAABUU/zVcLGPXxhS8/s1600/meat+process+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uwUOyWX-rdk/USUux76EycI/AAAAAAAABUU/zVcLGPXxhS8/s1600/meat+process+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boning hall at a processor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On the other side of the Irish eating experience are the €1 fast food hamburger. The rashers that are retailing this week at €1 a pack. The Tesco Everyday Value burgers that sold for €1.41 (17 cent for a burger) until the FSAI revealed that at least one of them contained as much as 29pc equine DNA.</div>
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As family income crashed in recent years, so did our grocery spend. While foodies shopped at classy delicatessens, award-winning butchers and farm gates, on the poor side of town, consumers flocked to the discounters and got their grocery spend down from €200 a week to €60.</div>
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In a depressed marketplace, the Irish supermarkets engaged each other in aggressive price wars. Since 2005, food prices in the UK have increased by as much as 35pc. By comparison, prices in Ireland rose by only 3 to 4pc, despite the fact that prices in the euro area as a whole increased by 15pc. Consumers benefited and we trusted the food chain not to let us down. That trust was not to prove well-founded.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8sJtqh-pAvM/USUuymqVElI/AAAAAAAABUc/bUKsO5t0K28/s1600/findus+lasange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8sJtqh-pAvM/USUuymqVElI/AAAAAAAABUc/bUKsO5t0K28/s1600/findus+lasange.jpg" /></a>The FSAI's initial DNA tests were conducted on 'value' frozen burgers and supermarkets' own-brand ready meals. Did they know something that we didn't?</div>
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What became evident was that the system broke down, not on Irish farms but at the secondary processing phase – where meat is ground for burgers, and mixed with beef trim, fillers and a wide range of ingredients for ready meals.</div>
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<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Silvercrest Foods had a chain of at least three different suppliers involved in providing one single ingredient for the product. Exactly how many suppliers are involved in the production of one burger?</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Is the price point simply too low to supply safe food? If not, is somebody creaming off the fat and who exactly are they?</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Irish farmers get between 30pc and 40pc of the retail price of primary cuts of meat. They claim that there are three big operators in beef in Ireland – ABP, Kepak and Dawn Meats pay roughly the same prices for cattle despite allegedly being in competition.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PbxOcJMhPis/USUu3CMn9mI/AAAAAAAABUs/cx0T6vnJ0r4/s1600/horsemeat+map+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PbxOcJMhPis/USUu3CMn9mI/AAAAAAAABUs/cx0T6vnJ0r4/s1600/horsemeat+map+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Europe's horsemeat trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
In late 2012, just as the price of beef in Ireland was hitting a healthy €4 a kilo, it suddenly tailed off despite low supplies in the UK. This gave a 50 cent per kilo advantage on animals killed there. As our biggest export market is the UK, why were factories here paying around two hundred euro less on finished animals?</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
The lid needs to be lifted on the precise relationship between beef processors and supermarkets. Ironically, just as the horse-burger story broke, the UK government, on the recommendation of the Competition Commission, appointed their grocery ombudsman to monitor the behaviour of supermarkets.</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said this week that similar Irish legislation is expected this term. The same promise was made at an Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture four years ago, where I gave evidence on the need to bring in a body to police the unfair balance of power in the system. It wasn't news then, like it isn't now.</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tvuxDL6uB-Y/USUu1dmln_I/AAAAAAAABUk/noMwmBTLgB8/s1600/product+recall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tvuxDL6uB-Y/USUu1dmln_I/AAAAAAAABUk/noMwmBTLgB8/s1600/product+recall.jpg" /></a>It is worrying that what began with cheap food has made its way up the ladder. Horse DNA was found in burgers made by ABP at Silvercrest/ABP for the Co-Operative supermarket in the UK, known for its attention to provenance. Does risky sourcing become a money-making trick as we move further up the chain?</div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
The majority of Irish consumers are caught at the cheap end of the grocery business. It's urgently clear that consumers need protection in the form of a supermarkets' ombudsman. If this is not the time to introduce one, then when is?</div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-6540781124380513152013-01-21T15:22:00.002-08:002013-01-21T15:30:15.962-08:00The horsemeat in burgers scandal. Are we consumers partly to blame?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ELd53cwKEE/UP3KX7MUVlI/AAAAAAAABSg/c1YemtL0ffk/s1600/aldi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ELd53cwKEE/UP3KX7MUVlI/AAAAAAAABSg/c1YemtL0ffk/s1600/aldi.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We consumers. We love cheap food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Oh
how we love cheap food, but then gasp in amazement that it might contain
something unpleasant. This week’s shock discovery of horse DNA in Irish burgers
grabbed headlines around the world. But are we, the consumers also to blame for
this debacle?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our
lust for a bargain has been mirrored in the advancing market share captured by Lidl
and Aldi in Ireland – we’ve fallen in love with the low-cost German model. At a
recent dinner party several well heeled guests boasted how they’ve halved their
grocery bill by going to discounters. I replied that Aldi is a great buyer of
Irish food – purchasing everything from Aberdeen Angus beef, sparkling water,
artisan cheese and yoghurts for its own brand range. Food producers whisper to
me that Aldi pay on time with “no messing around”. They’re only too glad to
board the German steamroller. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJZHMh3X238/UP3KEzMRaqI/AAAAAAAABSY/QYNioy2FFSw/s1600/burger+piece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJZHMh3X238/UP3KEzMRaqI/AAAAAAAABSY/QYNioy2FFSw/s1600/burger+piece.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat processing for burgers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Yet our
desire for cheap food and the lengths the food chain will go to supply it are
central to how horse DNA got into our burgers. Supermarkets want profits up,
share price up and they do this by driving prices down. Their goal is to pay
suppliers as little as possible including those who process beef. But like any
product, food has a bottom line from where it can be produced or not. Below
that line cost-cutting can put consumers at risk. For this very reason I’ve
campaigned at Oireachtas Committee level for a supermarket ombudsman to ensure
farmers and food producers can produce our food cleanly and safely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0OanH3Wmxw/UP3MOj80YdI/AAAAAAAABTI/-MahEwdjB90/s1600/irish+beef+cattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0OanH3Wmxw/UP3MOj80YdI/AAAAAAAABTI/-MahEwdjB90/s320/irish+beef+cattle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish beef at its best; grass fed and highly traceable</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Last year Monaghan
chicken farmer Alo Mohan told me they made 56 cent on every chicken. These same chickens
are then retailed as low as 2.99 by the supermarket. How can a living breathing
animal which has been nurtured, fed and cared for from birth to cost less than
a cup of coffee?. And if the farmer is getting 56 cent out of a 2.99 – who is taking
the largest cut? The supermarket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJnBjeiHsyE/UP3K8th9T_I/AAAAAAAABSo/mJOe-YfDMYE/s1600/alo+mohan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJnBjeiHsyE/UP3K8th9T_I/AAAAAAAABSo/mJOe-YfDMYE/s1600/alo+mohan.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken farmer Alo Mohan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
who’s driving this? Us the consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It may come as a surprise that food
prices in Ireland are in fact artificially low and far lower relative to the UK.
Since 2005 <span style="background: white;">food prices in the UK have increased by as much as
35%. By comparison, Irish prices are just 3 to 4 per cent above their level of
seven years ago despite the euro area as a whole increasing by 15%. </span>In
this same period, the price of oil and grain has made the cost of producing
food explode. In Ireland, recession and weak consumer demand has kept the
supermarkets in razor sharp competition, trying to keep the price of food low
despite production costs rising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWp7997j2f8/UP3K_xA-1kI/AAAAAAAABSw/FJFbjNxivG0/s1600/chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWp7997j2f8/UP3K_xA-1kI/AAAAAAAABSw/FJFbjNxivG0/s1600/chickens.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As
our incomes shrink and bills dropping onto the hall floor are ignored for days
no one wants to go out and pay a whopping amount on groceries. But in our
desire for value we can end up with products like the supermarket spaghetti bolognese
I examined containing just 16% meat. What on earth is in the rest? Most likely
what are called food “extenders” and “fillers”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Extenders
and fillers are used to add volume and taste to sausages, burgers, ready meals
and any amount of things in our trolleys. They arose
from the need to produce<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>lower cost food
and can reduce costs by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>10-30%.
This week our Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney described the ingredient
that carried horse DNA into the Irish burgers as <em><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">powdered beef</span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">-<em>protein</em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>additive – a filler used to bulk up
cheaply produced<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em><span style="font-style: normal;">burgers.</span></em><em> <o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></em></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XH5LXdZa99k/UP3J60YxE4I/AAAAAAAABSQ/FHHbqnnBSJo/s1600/pink+slime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XH5LXdZa99k/UP3J60YxE4I/AAAAAAAABSQ/FHHbqnnBSJo/s1600/pink+slime.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pink slime" was commonly used in US fast food chains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Also common is mechanically separated material from animal carcasses
known as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>mechanically deboned meats (MDM) where meat
on bones is ground and processed into a product that then goes into other
foods. You might remember the unpleasant “pink slime” story which broke in
America recently. This MDM (resembling pink ice cream) was found in many fast
food chain burgers. But once it was exposed that ammonia treated to “clean” the
slime, fast food chains boycotted it in a desperate bid to calm consumers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Most of this intense manufacturing takes place in Europe and looks
to like the source of our imported horse DNA problem. It’s frustrating that
Ireland has the best food ingredients in the world with demanding standards on
food safety and traceability. Yet somewhere an ingredient manufacturer has cut
costs, or deliberately defrauded other manufacturers and consumers. You won’t
find many other countries doing the type of DNA tests the FSAI carried out on
meats because frankly they would be too scared about what it might reveal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What needs
to happen quickly is identifying and punishing the supplier who sold this tainted
ingredient into Irish burgers. In </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1999 the Belgian dioxin crisis cost Belgium 625
million euro and the prime minister his job. Yet the Belgian father and son who
knowingly sold machinery oil into animal feed causing widespread PCB poisoning received
ridiculous suspended sentences of two years. The penalty for messing up the
food chain should be an enormous headline-grabbing event to match the damage
done by the event itself. Horse DNA in Irish beef burgers is not acceptable. Who is going to take up the tab for the damage done
to our own food sector and jobs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jsO2RvxRDGo/UP3MPx7G_7I/AAAAAAAABTU/e-En4pAdQGU/s1600/horse+factory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jsO2RvxRDGo/UP3MPx7G_7I/AAAAAAAABTU/e-En4pAdQGU/s1600/horse+factory.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So what
can we do to eat safely and not pay out a fortune? The answer is keep your food
chain short and keep things simple. And let’s be honest, this takes work. But
putting a small bit of thought into what I buy makes me feel safer about what I
feed my children in particular. I buy my meat and vegetables from local shops
in the village. I buy store cupboard foods in one big shop about every three
weeks in either Superquinn or Aldi picking brands and suppliers I know and
trust. Kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, butter beans, chick peas, chilli flakes
and herbs are all imported products, my trick here is to buy what has the least
added ingredients and cooks well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
you only want to shop in the supermarket always buy Bord Bia approved beef,
pork, chicken and sliced meats for kids lunches. I’ve been on these farms, seen
the processing and this is the highest level of auditing in food you’re going
to find. I never eat ready meals but cook my own – cottage pies, ratatouilles,
warming chillis and soups, freezing half for another day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Preaching
only to buy local and artisan goes over most consumers heads and budget. But
buying less complicated foods and ingredients is one way to bypass the extremes
of food manufacturing. Remember horsemeat is also present in many snack foods
and crisps sold on European supermarket shelves. The more processed something
this, the more surprising the ingredients are on the label. Keep things simple
is the key, buy Irish and above all enjoy your food. Our food sector employs 200,000
Irish people, let’s hope it can weather this storm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-10970785833030118692013-01-19T10:27:00.001-08:002013-01-19T10:27:48.423-08:00Inhumane, poorly regulated and bad for human health. How did horsemeat end up in Irish burgers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhFtCC3bk0U/UPrlTiwnBhI/AAAAAAAABRw/NIlZM6Ba_7A/s1600/horsemeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhFtCC3bk0U/UPrlTiwnBhI/AAAAAAAABRw/NIlZM6Ba_7A/s320/horsemeat.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
Irish agriculture hit the news worldwide this week with the discovery of horse DNA in supermarket burgers. The affair began on Tuesday when the Food Safety Authority here released results on tests for porcine and equine DNA in 27 Irish supermarket burgers. 13 tested positive for horse DNA. The product with the highest level (29 per cent) of equine DNA was Tesco Everyday Value burgers. They cost 1.41 for eight burgers but have now been removed from the marketplace. </div>
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These particular burgers contained 17 ingredients: meat content (63 per cent), onion (10 per cent),wheat flour, water, beef fat, soya protein isolate, salt, onion powder, yeast, sugar, barley malt extract, garlic powder, white pepper extract, celery extract and onion extract. One of these ingredients contained horse DNA via what is now identified as a supply chain in the Netherlands or Spain. It was most likely some kind of protein powder filler which are common in burger manufacture. This things go largely under our food radar. All week I've been writing and researching this topic with the discovery that horse meat could in fact be endemic in the European food chain.</div>
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Not only that but horsemeat itself may not be safe to eat. Irish farmers have to jump through hoops to ensure the traceability of their cattle, but the horse trade is subject to little or no regulation and forged documents and passports are common, especially with horses coming from North America and killed in Canadian or Mexican slaughter plants. In Ireland horses are stolen and shipped live as far as Italy where they go into the European food chain, some having been treated with bute or other drugs which are banned substances. </div>
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Ingredient suppliers who may be buying this meat are not subject to the same safeguards as farmers, especially when it comes to low-grade animal protein. That's how horse DNA ended up in Irish burgers. What else it is an ingredient of we will have to wait and see. </div>
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Today I published an analysis of this mess in The Irish Times. You can read it at the link below. In the meantime remember buy local where you can, keep your supply chain short and keep away from processed food. My feeling is that the FSAI's tests on burger meat is only the beginning and authorities must investigate the horsemeat and ingredient trade at large to get to the bottom of what could potentially be an enormous case of food fraud. </div>
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<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2013/0119/1224329033672.html">http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2013/0119/1224329033672.html</a>
</div>
</div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-84686322733780833542013-01-09T03:32:00.000-08:002013-01-09T12:20:54.756-08:00New Irish whiskeys, cheese and gorgeous sourdough breads: my January food picks from The Gloss magazine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSvUHSFMkuc/UOw6qYvdguI/AAAAAAAABQg/K_l9WlPuwpw/s1600/Montbelliard+dairy+cows+on+David+Tiernans+farm+in+County+Louth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSvUHSFMkuc/UOw6qYvdguI/AAAAAAAABQg/K_l9WlPuwpw/s1600/Montbelliard+dairy+cows+on+David+Tiernans+farm+in+County+Louth.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Tiernans Montbeliarde herd</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">After a couple of busy months attending and presenting food awards it’s good to be at
home and looking at what's new in Irish food and drink for the year ahead. For starters, cold Januarys are the perfect excuse to take Rihanna and Jay Z’s lead and
drink Irish whiskey. </span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><b>Jack Teeling,</b>
who sold Cooley for </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">€73m</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> last year has hit the stills again with a new blend of Scotch and Irish
single malt. <b>Teelings Hybrid</b> certainly
causes a hurricane in the back of your throat, but it’s also a really warm and complex whiskey. With a hard cheese like <b>David Tiernan</b>’s
Glebe Brehan made from his herd of Montbeliarde cows in County Louth, it's a combination that makes for a grown up, contemporary treat. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4PayRhU9WSg/UOw4ie0MVJI/AAAAAAAABPw/bfTdOAfU_m4/s1600/DBKB_DUBLIN+KOMBUCHA+HI+RES.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4PayRhU9WSg/UOw4ie0MVJI/AAAAAAAABPw/bfTdOAfU_m4/s320/DBKB_DUBLIN+KOMBUCHA+HI+RES.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kombucha made in Stoneybatter Dublin</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The following day you may need my new find,<b> Dublin Kombucha</b> – a Japanese cleansing tea full of antioxidants
and good bacteria brewed by <b>Laura Murphy</b>
in Stoneybatter. Suspiciously healthy sounding but gorgeous – a cross between
sparkling apple juice and miso soup. DBKB
deliver, with a four-pack costing </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">€10. The </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Joe Macken empire stock it, and <b>Cake Café </b>just off Camden street. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Bakes and breads are perfect warming January foods. New York is having a French baking moment as
renouned Frenchman <b>Eric Kayser</b> wows
the well heeled with his sour dough breads. Sour doughs require fermentation
and you’ll only find them made by craft bakers such as Dublin-based <b>Thibault Peigne</b> </span><a href="http://www.tartine.ie/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">www.tartine.ie</span></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> whose breads (which take 48 hours to make) can be found in Listons,
Mortons in Ranelagh. Try his French rustic sour dough grilled with some goats
cheese, torn basil and prepare an addiction plan. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aJeofRNAeNI/UOw4Mr_NJpI/AAAAAAAABPo/lr2ZPEgYOTA/s1600/eric+Kayser's+Pain+aux+Marrons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aJeofRNAeNI/UOw4Mr_NJpI/AAAAAAAABPo/lr2ZPEgYOTA/s320/eric+Kayser's+Pain+aux+Marrons.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Kayser's sourdough aux marrons</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">French baking is also the name of the game at <b>Armelle’s Kitchen</b> in Kilcullen, Kildare. Armelle turns out the
mouthwatering cakes while her partner Kenny makes classic French <i>macarons</i>. Their rum frangipane lasted
all of three minutes in our house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">For low key French I love<b> La
Cocotte</b> café upstairs in L’academie Francais on Kildare Street. Quiet, with
a gorgeous view over Trinity’s cricket grounds, </span><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Arnaud
Bucher</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> presides over a choice
of fabulous</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> pastries, pain garnis (with proper baguette) </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">and plat du jour. I
order the <i>charcuteries francaises</i> and
pretend to read my battered Proust. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U-6MoGXMkYY/UOw9WeICohI/AAAAAAAABRQ/hUT2phTOwhA/s1600/Brown+Hound+bakery+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U-6MoGXMkYY/UOw9WeICohI/AAAAAAAABRQ/hUT2phTOwhA/s1600/Brown+Hound+bakery+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Hound Bakery</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">For really good baking outside Dublin check out <b>The Gallery Café</b> in Gort where fringed lampshades take you straight
back to <i>Abigail's Party</i>,<b> Brown Hound Bakery</b> in Drogheda for the
prettiest of treats under delicate glass cloches and <b>Laura Kilkenny</b>’s outstanding <b>The
Wooden Spoon</b> in Killaloe which can’t stop collecting awards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqi4gXWoz_g/UOw8MGEs1DI/AAAAAAAABRA/bFXGIa7J7Gc/s1600/andrew_rudd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqi4gXWoz_g/UOw8MGEs1DI/AAAAAAAABRA/bFXGIa7J7Gc/s1600/andrew_rudd.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Rudd</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">January is also <i>plein</i> with
chefs going their own pop-ups. Andrew Rudd tells me he’s busy at his new
venture<b> Medley</b> – cookery school and dining
in an airy Fade Street loft. <b>Ian Marconi</b>,
(ex Moro and St John’s of London) is moonlighting from the moorish meatballs of
<b>The Paella Guys</b> to do some cool
private dining in the parlour of his Portobello house. www.parlourgames.ie</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In my own parlour I’m planning a wintery feast of roast lamb as outside
the kitchen window the rams graze in their raddles – a paint pack on their
chest which marks the rump of the ewes they get up on. How clever would it be
if prolific Irish males wore a similar apparatus – no more awkward moments in </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Guilbauds</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-82977389472069752102013-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:002013-01-08T07:21:06.029-08:00Women's Christmas, cakes and the Jeremy Kyle show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVipaZZ-cyk/UOwuUxlitnI/AAAAAAAABPA/IzLdQalUypM/s1600/new+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVipaZZ-cyk/UOwuUxlitnI/AAAAAAAABPA/IzLdQalUypM/s1600/new+year.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Years Eve</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I was glad to read in Psychology Today that a quarter of people fail in their new year resolutions in the first week. Phew, at least I'm not on </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">my own.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
In fact, that's a complete lie. I didn't make any.<br />
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<div>
You could say this arises from fear of failure but it's probably more a healthy case of can't be bothered. New year resolutions are great, and setting ludicrous goals even better, but for the month that's in it, January doesn't signify anything too dramatic for me other than using up half a tonne of frozen turkey, baking a Galette des Rois, and getting back on top of work deadlines..</div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj49PVsjBl8/UOw5INHp2wI/AAAAAAAABQA/6XSJZMr6W0w/s1600/drink+champagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj49PVsjBl8/UOw5INHp2wI/AAAAAAAABQA/6XSJZMr6W0w/s1600/drink+champagne.jpg" /></a>I cheated at my Galette this year. Traditionally it's a cake for the feast of the Epiphany which is the 6th January. This date is also known as Little Christmas or Women's Christmas, which is just as well as I had two girls nights out in a row - one with old schoolfriends and the second with women from my village who have a traditional meet up in the pub for Nollaig na mBan. We had wine, laughs, gossip and in a rural area like ours a night like this forms important bonds. I am lucky enough to have wonderful neighbours on whom I can call at a moments notice for rescue and respite (and regularly do). A day before Christmas our thoroughbred broke out of his stable and ran wild down a public road chased by a motorbike. </div>
<div>
*Ring Ring* </div>
<div>
"Hey, can I drop the kids in? Having a bit of a problem here...."</div>
<div>
Seriously, there's never a dull moment with thoroughbreds. They are the runway models of the horse world; beautiful, possibly anorexic (ours is) and with insanely tricky personalities. I am going to end up a crying wreak on the Jeremy Kyle show with all my kids taken into care if he doesn't start behaving himself soon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pyTdqEYWG6g/UOwuaU5NJNI/AAAAAAAABPI/AgaIalW9u2g/s1600/gallette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pyTdqEYWG6g/UOwuaU5NJNI/AAAAAAAABPI/AgaIalW9u2g/s320/gallette.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gallette des Rois</td></tr>
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Back to cakes. In Catholic France the gorgeous Galette des Rois almond pastry celebrated the arrival of the three wise men. This was possibly because under the Julian calendar, Christmas Day fell on that day whereas under the Gregorian Calendar, (the present day system) it's the 25th.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
As we're not great Christmas cake, pudding or mince-pie eaters in this house, the Galette is a Christmas staple, and devoured long before the Epiphany. It's a simple recipe, and if you are pressed for time as I usually am, you can use pre-made puff pastry and the result will still be pretty delicious. After you roll out the pastry it literally takes about five minutes to prepare. It's simple, mouthwatering and for me, the most perfect of French pastry treats.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
May you all have a happy and healthy 2013; may cooking and food provide you with pleasure, comfort and fun in these strange and often unsettling times that we are living in. Basketcase will still be here; keeping you company in your travails; supplying scandal, food news, the wild, obscure and occasionally profane.</div>
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<div>
<br />
But in the meantime have a slice of Galette, and let me know how you get on. Happy Eating.</div>
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<div>
<b>Galette des Rois</b></div>
<div>
<br />
100 grams ground almonds</div>
<div>
100 grams caster sugar</div>
<div>
100 grams butter</div>
<div>
one egg, lightly beaten</div>
<div>
400 grams home made or ready made puff pastry</div>
<div>
three drops almond essence</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mix the butter and caster sugar into a paste then add the ground almonds and the almond essence. Bind together with the beaten egg.</div>
<div>
Roll out the pastry into two 10 inch rounds. Spread the almond paste on the first round, spreading it out to within an inch of the edge. Place the second round of pastry on top of the first, press the edges together, and score the top in semi-circular lines. Brush with a beaten egg and bake at 180 for 25 minutes.</div>
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You better be hungry x</div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-66711869489463654332012-12-16T07:25:00.000-08:002012-12-17T02:17:22.112-08:00Want gorgeous food this Christmas? Here's my December This Edible Life column from The Gloss magazine. Foodie heaven awaits...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white;">A</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">s the C word gets nearer by the minute I’m taking cooking inspiration from
the great and the good. Over at the </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Fat Duck </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">in Berkshire,</span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Heston
Blumenthal is serving Christmas tree on the menu alongside partridge, snail
porridge, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Phew, nothing to live up to there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll
be cooking for eight and have sourced my turkey from two fields away where he
is currently pecking about under the trees oblivious to the Victorian delph
platter that awaits. Jamie Oliver’s Dublin eatery may be so so, but his
delicious Brussels sprouts recipe never fails – roasted with garlic, bacon
lardons and cream. To start I’m serving Mag Kirwan’s smoked <b>Goatsbridge Trout</b> with wasabi and for
sparkle, a scattering of her <b>Trout
Caviar</b>. Pudding will be the traditional French <b>Galette des Rois</b> – more strictly for the epiphany but we love it at
Christmas – puff pastry, almonds, cream and a secret hidden jewel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0so_eE38qrQ/UMsTKHxolNI/AAAAAAAABNc/fHe5rE5dDwI/s1600/Burren+Smokehouse+-+salmon+smoking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0so_eE38qrQ/UMsTKHxolNI/AAAAAAAABNc/fHe5rE5dDwI/s1600/Burren+Smokehouse+-+salmon+smoking.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
are gorgeous gifts for Foodies this year including hand made serving boards for
cheese and antipasti from <b>Terry Cullen</b>
who makes Fallon & Byrne’s beautiful examples. The effervescent Birgitta
Curtin’s <b>Burren Smokehouse</b> offers
online ordering for her award-winning smoked salmon, cheeses and chutneys.</span><a href="http://www.burrensmokehouse.ie/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.burrensmokehouse.ie</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> For decandent foodies, <b>white truffles from Alba </b>have outstandingly deep flavour and can be
bought from </span><a href="http://www.buywhitetruffles.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.buywhitetruffles.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Foodie
books this Christmas are all about bandwagons and jumping on them.<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>50
Shades of Chicken</b><i> </i>features
recipes for Dripping Thighs and Mustard Spanked Chicken. And in case you thought vegetables weren’t
sexy, its rival <b>50 Shades of Kale</b>
promises “Fifty new pleasing ways to partner kale, including Thai’d up
Roughage”. Oh yes, yes, YES!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you’re on a tight budgets check out Aldi’s Christmas offerings. Their Christmas
pudding just beat Fortnum and Mason’s in a taste competition and I happen to
know some great Irish cheeses sold there under private label. Keep a secret?
Me? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4-axTO33xM/UMsV5Dc-bdI/AAAAAAAABN0/G23Hn7lE7WI/s1600/waterfall+farm+shop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4-axTO33xM/UMsV5Dc-bdI/AAAAAAAABN0/G23Hn7lE7WI/s320/waterfall+farm+shop.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall farm shop</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you fancy a free range turkey they can be ordered at <b>Waterfall Farm Shop</b> outside Enniskerry. I’ll be at their Christmas
Food and Crafts Fair and will try to not to leave this
time with a baby goat. If we don’t stop borrowing things from the neighbours
(last week it was a gigantic John Deere), we’re going to get a reputation to
add to the one we already have. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTL-W2eURIA/UMsTTlfOvYI/AAAAAAAABNk/Qf8xiUZrOSU/s1600/cropped+cellar+bar+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTL-W2eURIA/UMsTTlfOvYI/AAAAAAAABNk/Qf8xiUZrOSU/s320/cropped+cellar+bar+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cellar Bar in the Merrion Hotel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
my pre-Christmas eating plans are <b>The
Good Food Ireland</b> dinner at the Shelbourne and lunch at <b>The Cellar Bar</b> at The Merrion Hotel for
<b>Jane Russell’s organic pork sausage</b>
and their doesn’t-</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">taste-skinny </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">skinny
soup. </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Churpy Strahan’s </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lolly and
Cooks</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> makes a hip pit stop at Georges Arcade for a warming chorizo and
lentil stew and if you’re rushing in Dublin’s Southside try </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Urban </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">in Cabinteely for decent coffee
in New York inspired surroundings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
#dudefood a la the US I’ll be visiting just-opened <b>Asador</b> on Haddington Road from Eric Mooney (ex One Pico) and Shane
Mitchell (Peploes). On their massive grill are meats from artisan producers and
if you’re planning bodice ripping high jinx later, there’s Irish lobster, and
Champagne of course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-49883241741535080732012-12-13T04:41:00.002-08:002012-12-13T05:04:08.903-08:00What exactly is a Christmas ham and what's the best way to cook it? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wet sloppy nightmare or artisan luxury bliss. If you plan to buy a Christmas ham this year here's a few pointers</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firstly what exactly is a ham?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A ham is hind leg of a pig from the femur to the hock. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>gammon</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>derives from the Old Northern French
word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>jambe</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for hind-leg,<sup> </sup>and gammon may also be used to refer to a ham or bacon. The depth of meat to the bone is greatest
at the top of the hind limb; cutting this piece away from the bone and curing it
separately does the job thoroughly and easily. This cut is the
original and to this extent authentic form of gammon,<sup> </sup>though the
name is often applied to any round ham<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>steak.
Gammon is usually smoked.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
is a free range ham?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Organic ham implies that the pigs are reared in a free range way but there are also many free range
producers who don’t feed organic feed and therefore just sell “Free range”
pork. New guidelines have been drawn up between the Irish free range producers
pig group and Bord Bia and a mark will soon be available to consumers. The prices for free range will generally be higher but believe me, it does taste more flavoursome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
you’re out rushing around for your Christmas food shop. Why is it important to
look at where the ham is from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HDpiM1ppRrM/UMnJcg7Wn3I/AAAAAAAABMo/l0t9IlkYQic/s1600/christmas+ham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HDpiM1ppRrM/UMnJcg7Wn3I/AAAAAAAABMo/l0t9IlkYQic/s1600/christmas+ham.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finely sliced ham</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Imported European hams have more water and nitrite content
allowed. Dutch processors can put up to 17% brine into their meat but only
about 10% is allowable here. So an imported ham or packet of rashers that cook
down to half their size mightn’t be worth the cheaper price on the supermarket shelf.
In the USA a new study in the US found 69 percent of raw pork samples tested
positive for yersina a lesser known but serious foodborne pathogen. Countries
with less strict food regimes than ours are not worth buying cheap meat
from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
goes into a ham?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wet-cured bacon is prepared by
immersing sides of bacon in brine or by injecting brine into the meat. It’s
popular with manufacturers as it’s a faster and cheaper way to cure, but it has
downsides for flavour. The final product is allowed to have up to 10% brine by
weight, leading to shrinking on the pan. When you see a white liquid come from
your rashers, that’s the brine and is a sign they have been wet cured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2-pFlss6QI/UMnJehIKvrI/AAAAAAAABMw/gdQS1_Vt7VI/s1600/christmas+ham+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2-pFlss6QI/UMnJehIKvrI/AAAAAAAABMw/gdQS1_Vt7VI/s200/christmas+ham+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You should be able see the grain of the muscle </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By contrast, <b>dry-cured</b> bacon is rubbed
with a mixture of salt and sugar in various proportions and they are given time
to cure the meat, taking about 7 days. Some producers will say there really is
no such thing as nitrate free ham has pork can only be cured with nitrate.
(Some use dried celery extract which has high concentrations of nitrate).
It’s a slower and more labour intensive process but it results in a drier
finish and fuller, more pronounced flavour. This is the way meat was cured
prior to it becoming an industrial process. You’ll benefit not just from a much
better taste, but because there will be less shrinkage during cooking and
it is easier to get a nice crisp result.<b>
<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What’s
the best way to cook it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Choose the right sized ham e.g. a 4kg fillet of ham will feed 10 people
and allows a little extra if your family like to help themselves to more on
Christmas night. Never!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Cook the ham on Christmas eve – it takes the pressure off the next day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Weigh the ham and put in a pot with half water and pure apple juice if
you have it or a bay leaf, bouquet garni, orange peel or cider<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes per pound. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some people change this water or soak the ham then fully
roast it. If its dry cured it doesn’t need soaking.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NevEfW6GyE/UMnKtKTao3I/AAAAAAAABNA/zeBSZmzta3I/s1600/ham+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NevEfW6GyE/UMnKtKTao3I/AAAAAAAABNA/zeBSZmzta3I/s1600/ham+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey and spice glazed ham</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next day, remove skin and score the meat crossways with a
sharp knife. Apply your preferred glaze. Honey, mixed spices with cinnamon and
cardamon is one of my favourites. A lot of people will put cloves in the ham, a
jerk or Caribbean glaze is gorgeous but seriously hot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You can warm the ham before putting on the glaze. Apply
the glaze and put it back in the oven for another 20/30 minutes. (This can all
be done while your turkey is resting.)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do not throw the cooking water out. It can be used to keep the ham moist
when roasting in the oven.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All important - what
price should you pay?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Supermarkets </span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">– <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lidl have hams from 4.99 a kilo to 7.99 a kilo a gammon
and a loin, Irish produced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dunnes stores cooked ham 4 kilos Bord Bia 50 euro (12.50
a kilo)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dunnes Stores Dry cured Irish gammon joint 1.9 kilos
19.99 euro</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Free range/small producers<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><a href="http://www.crowesfarm.ie/">www.crowesfarm.ie</a> - outdoor reared dry cure
hams and organic dry cure hams, both boneless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Their
Outdoor Reared hams are €9 per kg and the organic are €12.99 per Kg. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Can
courier direct to your door, final courier delivery day for Christmas is Dec
22nd and courier is free for orders over €100, below that it's €10..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.Termonfeckindelicious.ie (I so love that name) – dry cured 13lb (nearly 6
kilos) boneless ham 45 euro. Whole ham on the bone 40 euro</span><span style="display: none; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hide: all;">Bottom of Form<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.Jack McCarthy.ie award winning Kanturk butcher 4
kilos free range boned –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">34 euro<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><a href="http://www.oldfarm.ie/">www.oldfarm.ie</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">€14.50 per kg, free-range, gmo free, natural brine
cure. Delivered to your door!<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Here's a link to a radio piece I did with Pat Kenny this week on ham (its an hour and 6 mins into the show) and whatever you do, eat plenty of ham this Christmas. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.rte.ie/radio1/todaywithpatkenny/2012-12-06.html">http://www.rte.ie/radio1/todaywithpatkenny/2012-12-06.html</a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-770213180755051769.post-41037856630824674522012-12-04T14:21:00.003-08:002012-12-05T05:02:52.299-08:00Wild goat. Euthanise, rehome or shoot?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WkKPIOLoNpc/UL5qb80liwI/AAAAAAAABL4/NhnM9EhtLgk/s1600/goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WkKPIOLoNpc/UL5qb80liwI/AAAAAAAABL4/NhnM9EhtLgk/s1600/goat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat, Wicklow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here up in the mountains sometimes even domestic animals pose a problem. We live within five minutes by car to the Sally Gap - a wild Wicklow upland known for its wandering sheep and possible store of dead bodies which appear from time to time buried in deep bog. It's also a place of outstanding beauty but a site near enough to Dublin for people to think that driving up there with unwanted animals is a good idea. How wrong they are.<br />
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Less than three miles away from the main cross roads of tiny bog roads in the Sally Gap is our place. At the moment we are paying the price for again living in an environment where people sometimes feel a loose or unwanted pet doesn't cause a problem. This week it's a (probably once domesticated) billy goat with full horns. He is stressed, confused, and making our life pretty much hell. On the lane outside our house he is now challenging cars, chasing sheep belonging to our next door farmer into wire fences and freaking the crap out of all animals in the area including "rescue and rehab" - our two re-homed horses and ponies, one of which nearly landed me in hospital today by knocking me over on the road in front of a car. He's 600 kilos. I'm not.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CzY8loyzsBg/UL5qeMt6ISI/AAAAAAAABMA/aEp6vjK0iiY/s1600/the+sally+gap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CzY8loyzsBg/UL5qeMt6ISI/AAAAAAAABMA/aEp6vjK0iiY/s1600/the+sally+gap.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sally Gap Wicklow, Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ringing the Gardai isn't an option. I've done so and they've said "not our job love". As anyone knows living in an environment like this there are few people or agencies around to help you out. In the past I've collected loose and abandoned horses on roads in my own trailer and on my own time. One of them resulted in me getting personal threats and night time visitors at home. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust is brilliant at rescuing equines on limited resources and pursuing prosecutions for neglect and welfare abuses. But with animals that come between the livestock and pet categories it's much more difficult. Often the code is in the country - don't call anyone, shoot it and say nothing.<br />
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If loose animals are quiet, the SPCAs might collect if the animal is already penned but again in this area of Wicklow it's tricky .Wicklow SPCA due to dwindling funds cant afford to collect and look after animals like goats. The DSPCA, they sometimes pick up animals outside Dublin but it depends on the nature of the job. A loose dog or injured swan is one thing. An injured cow or dumped goat is another.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv9Zx8d3Y98/UL5rrUml0DI/AAAAAAAABMI/LbDuYBdXaNk/s1600/sheep+images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="129" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cv9Zx8d3Y98/UL5rrUml0DI/AAAAAAAABMI/LbDuYBdXaNk/s320/sheep+images.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep in the Wicklow uplands</td></tr>
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In the meantime my neighbour wants to shoot the goat. With 400 pregnant ewes out on grass it isn't a good time to have them harassed or running loops round a 20 acre field as they were doing yesterday and possibly early aborting.<br />
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Lesson here is folks... and I know I don't have to stress this to anyone who reads this blog - do not buy animals you can't cope with once they are fully grown. That cute kid goat at a country fair will grow into a 60 pound guy that is full of territorial and sexually aggressive behaviour with full horns to boot. Unless he's in an environment with plenty of space and is free to behave in his herding and domineering way, this animal is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. It's sad to reminisce, but at the last house we lived in near Kilcroney in Enniskerry, the dumped animal of choice was pot-bellied Vietnamese pigs (killed) and decapitated deer; presumably shot for trophies. There was such a pile of rotting animals on the lane at one point that I rang up the council and they replied "Yeah, that's what people are doing. Get used to it."<br />
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This evening I found said goat now in the field next to our kitchen. Tomorrow I will have to make a call on it. My local farmer will shoot it if I tell him, or else I can leave the animal to take its chances. As you can imagine these kind of issues come on top of real life trundling on. I'm trying to finish up my food column for a deadline this week, I'm writing script for a piece with Pat Kenny (RTE radio one) on Thursday and a lecture for an Taisce for Saturday on genetically modified foods. We've small children sick with the flu and one of the horses suffering near fatal colic. Fantastic!<br />
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I'll let you know how it goes, and in the meantime, gather together your Christmas ham recipes for a piece I'm doing. Glazes; honey, mixed spice, marmalade, jerk Caribbean? I need the best and most tastiest of suggestions! x</div>
suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688359157849015354noreply@blogger.com0