Caterers Law Unto Themselves

Natural Products Magazine

Cheese with everything

We spied this rant from the heavily legislated health food industry and it struck a real cord with me. I'm sick to death of food in restaurants baring no resemblance at all to pictures and discriptions on menus. The poor Trading Standards officers just don't have the manpower to police it so the catering trade do (potentially) get away with murder by failing to declare key allergens in food.

I recently ordered a roast vegetable and butternut squash filo tart sprinkled with Rosemary and got served a cheddar cheese and spinach tart sprinkled with walnuts. Why is it that chefs feel the dish isn't complete until they drown it in lashings of saturated animal fat?

Natural Products Magazine reported

Whilst the FSA tightens the regulations on food labelling and Ofcom clamps down on advertisers promoting junk food to kids, one area of the food industry — the restaurant trade — still remains a nutritional law unto itself. That’s the finding of a new report from the Food Commission.

In the latest issue of Food Magazine the campaign group says that consumers often have no real idea about the nutritional content of meals they eat out, as the catering trade is “largely exempt from food labeling requirements”. Other than including information on a few factors, such as irradiation, GMOs and the presence of nuts, restaurants and caterers are free to keep their customers in the dark about sugar, salt, fat levels and calorific values.

Talking to Food Magazine Claire Wilman, senior officer at Surrey Trading Standards, said: “The customers have no idea what they are actually eating apart from descriptions on the menu. What may be perceived as a healthier option, may in fact be seasoned in salt and full of hidden fats”.

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Meat, dairy nutrient may raise cancer risk, says study

Meat, dairy nutrient may raise cancer risk, says study

At last we seem to be getting closer to finding out why eating animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs is linked to cancer and a reason why vegans are so much healthier than the average despite typically having little concern for their health. (typically driven by ethical issues not motivated by better health, diet and nutrition)

Choline, a nutrient found in meat, eggs and dairy products, has been linked to a possible increase in the risk of colorectal cancer in women, reveals a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

See also Cancer - discussion on BBC 1 The One show with London Nutritionist

More about → Meat, dairy nutrient may raise cancer risk, says study

UK Cancer Rates Increase

Scotsman.com News - Cancer rates soar as people fail to heed warnings

More reasons to see a nutritionist and optimise your immune system!

Sounds like the medical profession are finally getting it!....The Scotsman Reports Doctors now believe around half of all cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes.


DRINK AND TOBACCO TAKE TOLL
ALMOST 4,700 cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, with 630 people diagnosed in Scotland.

The disease causes more than 1,700 deaths every year, including 220 in Scotland.

The most important factors linked to mouth cancer are tobacco use and excessive consumption of alcohol.

In developed countries like the UK, the risk of oral cancer linked to smoking and alcohol is estimated to be more than 80 per cent.

A lack of key vitamins in the diet, such as vitamin C, is also linked to the disease.

KIDNEY TUMOUR SMOKING LINK
ALMOST 6,700 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year in the UK, including more than 600 cases in Scotland.

Around 3,600 deaths are linked to the disease including 360 in Scotland.

The major risk factors for kidney cancer include obesity and smoking.

About 25 per cent of cases in men and 24 per cent in women in Europe are linked to being overweight.

Smoking can increase the risk of kidney cancer by up to three-fold.

Approximately 24 per cent of cases in men and 9 per cent in women can be attributed to smoking.

WEIGHT AFFECTS WOMB DISEASE
MORE than 6,400 cases of cancer of the uterus, or womb, are diagnosed in the UK each year, including 500 in Scotland.

The disease causes around 1,650 deaths in the UK each year - more than 130 of them in Scotland.

Evidence suggests that the risk of womb cancer is two to three times higher in the overweight and obese.

It is estimated that around 36 per cent of cases of the cancer in the UK are caused by excess bodyweight.

It is thought a diet rich in foods such as soya, dried fruit and whole grains could reduce womb cancer risks.

SCOURGE FROM THE SUN
RATES of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, have jumped by 40 per cent in a decade.

Sun exposure is the main and most preventable risk. The sun gives off UV (ultraviolet) rays which can cause skin damage which can eventually lead to skin cancer. Research suggests people who have had sunburn or intense sun exposure in childhood are at an increased risk of developing melanoma. Dermatologists say it is important to protect children's skin from the sun.

Melanoma accounts for almost 3 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers.

Only weeks ago, a report claimed women who stayed out of the sun increased their risk of developing breast cancer because they lacked vitamin D, which comes from sunlight. Critics said the study was misleading and that the risks of sunbathing outweighed the benefits.

It's not rocket science - the human body is one of the most complex on the planet and has an amazing capacity to survive most things that are thrown at it. But you have to give it the right fuel.

This is harder than ever before as much of the food we eat has far less nutrients (essential fats, minerals and vitamins) in it than even 40 years ago.

The sun once the perfect source of Vitamin D to protect our immune system now provides a cocktail of dangerous rays due to massive holes in the protective filter of the ozone layer.

However, it's suspected by many experts that the rise in skin cancer is as much to do with the dubious chemicals in many brands of sun cream as it is to do with holes in the ozone layer and lack of antioxidents in the diet.

The Nutritionists advice?

Use Organic Sunscreen - Eat more Essential Fats - see a Nutritionist - test your immune system and levels of essential nutrients.

More about → UK Cancer Rates Increase