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Trans Fats: A Farewell to Harm

Weekly Comment

Trans Fats: A Farewell to Harm

There's no way but out for heart-damaging trans fatty acids, and
procrastinators in the food industry will achieve nothing by
delaying reformulation other than lagging behind in the game as the
rest of the world waves goodbye.

A fair trade future

Weekly comment

A fair trade future

The world needs an independent trade watchdog to properly regulate
the international food supply chain if we as a society are to truly
create a more sustainable and ethical food market.

China: a victim of trade wars?

Weekly Comment

China: a victim of trade wars?

If the Chinese government gives in to mounting international
pressure to revalue its currency, it could spell the end of cheap
exports, a move that many anticipate would have a knock-on effect
on raw materials costs for the food industry....

When vegetables become victims

Weekly comment

When vegetables become victims

The demonisation of spinach following last week's E.coli outbreak
could give salad-dodgers the excuse they have been looking for to
skimp on their recommended five to nine portions of fruit and veg a
day. Without communication...

Some home-eating truths

Weekly Comment

Some home-eating truths

As food manufacturers inch closer to the holy grail of low-calorie,
trans-fat free flavor-fantastic products one has to ask how we
veered so far from the common sense of fresh home-cooked meals.

Food science for all

Weekly comment

Food science for all

Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things
won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young
people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.

The obesity blame game

Weekly Comment

The obesity blame game

Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food
industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is
recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing
obesity epidemic.

Organic food is selfish

Weekly comment

Organic food is selfish

The rise of organic food is a knee-jerk reaction to consumer health
fears, and threatens to unhelpfully steer us away from improving
the quality of food generally.

Cadbury's mistake

Weekly Comment

Cadbury's mistake

Chocolate has a nice feeling to it - tasty, fun, luxurious and
slightly sinful. This is comfort food, accessible to all and
epitomised in the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Chasing down obesity

Weekly comment

Chasing down obesity

It is time to admit that society is fighting a part-time battle
against the bulge, willingly lambasting soft drinks, burgers and
chocolate, while shuffling silently away from a fairly dismal
exercise rate.

Working at self-regulation

Weekly comment

Working at self-regulation

By Ahmed ElAmin

Self-regulation has become the mantra of food groups who argue that
laws are not always necessary - but can industry be trusted when it
has failed so spectacularly in the past?

The benzene trail

Weekly Comment

The benzene trail

By Chris Mercer

The gamble by US authorities 15 years ago to let the industry deal
with benzene residues in soft drinks has failed, and instead only
kept those who needed to know in the dark.

The bad research debate

Weekly Comment

The bad research debate

The dust is settling on the WHI trial. First came the news that
low-fat diets didn't reduce the risk of breast or colorectal cancer
or cardiovascular disease, then came news that vitamin D and
calcium supplements don't protect...

Time to ditch the FFQ

Weekly Comment

Time to ditch the FFQ

Little wonder consumers are confused about which foods are good for
them, and which bad, when scientists use methods with almost no
chance of meaningful results.

Some news is good news

Weekly comment

Some news is good news

I am beginning to feel like a freak among journalists. Good or bad,
my reporting is the product of hours of questions, fact-hunting and
often-times editorial debate. Yet, despite this rigour, every day
we receive emails from people...

The reach of lobbying

Weekly Comment

The reach of lobbying

The oft-said adage that there are two things people don't want to
see being made - sausage and legislation - falls apart at the doors
of the EU's parliament.

Death by food support

Weekly comment

Death by food support

If the EU keeps hiding its agriculture sector behind huge pay
cheques instead of devoting more time to food research funding, the
bloc's whimpering and wailing will only get worse.

Food safety for all

Weekly Comment

Food safety for all

After all the increased safety procedures put in place over the
past decade, one might have been lulled into thinking that
poisonings and deaths from food contamination would be rarer than
before. While it is true that the new regulatory...

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