German authorities have reported that a mix of sprouted seeds, which are used in salads and includes lentils, alfalfa seeds, fenugreek and adzuki beans, could be the cause of the E.coli outbreak.*

The potentially affected products have been distributed locally within Germany and there is no evidence that they have entered the UK. As a precaution, the German authorities have withdrawn the potentially affected produce from the market.

The sprouted seed mix has been identified as a possible cause of the outbreak because of a link between food businesses that have used the sprouted seeds and people becoming ill from E.coli. Samples of the seeds are being tested for the presence of E.coli and initial results are expected later today. We are anticipating further updates as the German authorities continue their investigations.

The Agency is reminding consumers of the importance of basic food hygiene practices when preparing food.

It is a good idea to wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them to ensure that they are clean, and to help remove germs that might be on the outside. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove these germs.

*Initial reports are that the 23 samples tested so far have been found negative for the strain of E.coli implicated in the outbreak. Other samples are being tested and we await further information from the German authorities.

This article is brought by Eating Britain

You are not just what you eat. You are what you can digest and absorb. The fundamental design of the human body is a tube – like a doughnut with a hole in the middle. We, like other animals, spend our physical lives processing organic matter for waste. How good you are at this determines your energy level, longevity and state of body and mind, as well as your digestion.

Over a lifetime, no less than 100 tons of food passes along the digestive tract and 300,000 litres of digestive juices are produced by the body to break it down. Our ‘inside skin’ – a thirty foot long tract with a surface area the size of a small football pitch – is only the thickness of a quarter of a sheet of paper. Amazingly, most of the billions of cells that make up this barrier between us and the inside world are renewed every four days. It’s also where we make many key brain neurotransmitters and hormones that change how you feel.

Read the rest of Tune up your digestion

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Product details

The affected products are:

* Country Life Spreadable
* Pack sizes: 250g and 500g
* Batch codes: 8285 and 8286
* Use by: 20 December 2008 and 21 December 2008

Dairy Crest has recalled the affected products. Product recall notices will appear in the national press today, Thursday, 13 November 2008 and point-of-sale notices will be displayed in shops where the products are sold. These notices will explain why the products have been recalled. Anyone who has bought them should not eat them and should contact the customer care team. The contact details for the customer care team are:

telephone: 0800 328 5344
email: clsrecall@dairycrest.co.uk

Write to:
Consumer Care Manager
Freepost Country Life Spreadable
Dairy Crest
SY1108
Telford
TF6 6ZA

No other Country Life products or other products made by Dairy Crest are affected.

Source

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Product details

The recalled products are:

Infused Olive Oil (in the following types of flavour):

* Rosemary
* Thyme
* Basil
* Garlic
* Lime
* Lemon
* Chilli

Best before: all date codes up to and including March 2009

Size: 250ml and oil from cask

The company has recalled the affected products. Product recall notices will be displayed in shops that sell the products, explaining why they have been recalled. Anyone who has bought any of the olive oil listed above can return it for a full refund.

Source:

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, has written a new book that claims to provide a fast, safe, and highly effective way to stop cravings and end addictions – whether they’re for chocolate, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, illicit or prescription drugs. So How to Quit Without Feeling S**T might be the answer to keeping those New Year pledges.

Patrick’s book explains that whatever the addictive substance, whether it’s sugar, caffeine or cocaine, the brain reacts in much the same way and the answer to beating the addiction and cravings is a combination of diet, specific supplements and lifestyle factors that help ‘reset’ your brain’s chemistry, depending on your addiction.

His 12-week action plan shows how you can help yourself to become addiction free – and finally able to stick to your New Year’s resolutions without constant cravings. Patrick has also set up a how2quit.co.uk website which includes a questionnaire to see if you are addicted, short extracts from the book and case studies.

Patrick will be talking about How to Quit Anything on Monday 12th January from 7pm – 8.30pm at St Jame’s Church, Picadilly, London. See www.patrickholford.com for more details.

How To Quit Without Feeling S**T (Trade Paperback Original, Piatkus, £12.99, Published 1st January 2009)

Patrick’s Ten How To Quit Tips

Quitting sugar

If you’re a sugar addict halve your sugar intake and switch to xylitol. This is a natural sugar found in cherries, berries and plums. Nine teaspoons has the same effect on your blood sugar as 1 teaspoon of sugar. Available in some supermarkets, all health food stores and on-line at www.totallynourish.com.

Quitting caffeine

Caffeine promotes adrenalin. When you quit you feel like your get up and go has got up and gone. Adrenalin is made from the amino acid tyrosine. Supplement 2,000mg of tyrosine in the morning, on an empty stomach, plus adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng and reishi. Some supplements contain these in combination. Have two cups of green tea instead. This has much less caffeine and contains theanine, a relaxing amino acid.

Quitting booze

Alcohol promotes GABA, a brain neurotransmitter that helps you relax. GABA is made from two amino acids, glutamine and taurine. Hops, passion flower and valerian also promote GABA. Find a supplement that contains these ingredients for a natural chill-out in the evening. The mineral magnesium, rich in pumpkin seeds, is also calming.

Quitting cigarettes

Don’t just quit cigarettes.  You need to get ready by balancing your blood sugar. The reason why so many people crave cigarettes on quitting and overeat instead is that nicotine upsets your blood sugar balance. You need to follow a low GL diet (explained in How to Quit Without Feeling S**t), which means eating slow-releasing carbohydrates together with protein. Oat flakes and seeds for breakfast, an apple with some almonds as a snack, or fish with brown rice for dinner, are all low GL.

Make a list of all your smoking triggers

For example, with a hot drink, when stressed, before a meal, after sex, with alcohol. Now pick one and, for a week, break this habit. For example, don’t smoke with a hot drink. Each week break another trigger.

Quitting chocolate

If you’re a chocoholic, eating chocolate every day, you need to give it a break. The addictive substance in chocolate is both caffeine and theobromine. Firstly, follow a low GL diet since blood sugar dips are what makes you crave. Secondly, take a supplement providing the amino acid tyrosine plus adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng and reishi or rhodiola. Some supplements contain these in combination. Having three squares of dark chocolate a day is OK. After all, it’s high in antioxidants. But not three bars a day!

Quitting diet cola

If you’re a diet cola addict follow the same advice as for coffee, substituting apple juice diluted with fizzy water, or something completely different.

If you crave something sweet or a caffeinated drink

First drink a glass of water, then eat a piece of fruit with some seeds or nuts. When you’ve satisfied your thirst and your hunger you may find your craving has gone.

If you’re feeling uptight, anxious or blue and feel like a drink

Go for a walk, a run or a bike ride. Get out in fresh air and do something physical that gets you out of your head and into your body. Or talk to someone.

Eating oily fish and supplementing omega 3 fish oils daily reduces craving and anxious and aggressive feelings associated with use and withdrawal from addictive substances.

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Product details

The products being recalled are:

* Asda Frozen 4 Breaded 100% Haddock Fillets
* Best before: 19 September 2009, 20 September 2009, 21 September 2009, 24 September 2009, 25 September 2009, 4 October 2009, 5 October 2009, 8 October 2009, 17 October 2009, 10 October 2009
* Barcode: 05051413368145

The company has recalled the affected batch from sale and has contacted the relevant allergy support organisations, which will inform their members of the recall. Notices are being displayed in stores explaining why the product has been recalled. Anyone who has bought the affected product can return it for a full refund.

No other Asda products are known to be affected.

Source

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Recalled products

All meat products produced by JSC ‘Samsonas’
(List of examples of potentially affected products is provided with the product recall notice)
All date codes
All sizes
EC Approval Number: LT 84-07 EB

JSC ‘Samsonas’ has undertaken a product recall of all date codes of all meat products produced by JSC ‘Samsonas’ and has issued product recall notices to all importers supplied. These notices alert customers to the recall and advise them of what actions to take if they have bought the affected product. The Agency is also contacting media in the UK that serves the Lithuanian community to alert them of this updated information. The Agency has not received a full list of products from JSC ‘Samonas’ so a list of products that could be affected is included with the product recall notice attached below.

Source

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Product details

* Lucky Dip Delicious Christmas Treat Chocolate Pop, 25g
Batch code: 228
Best before: 30 September 2009
* Lucky Dip Delicious Halloween Treat Chocolate Pop, 25g
Batch code: 358
Best before: 30 September 2009

Lucky Dip (Nottingham) Ltd has removed the affected products from sale and issued point-of-sale notices explaining why the products have been withdrawn.

If you have bought any of these sweets you should destroy them or return the products to the place where they were bought.

Images of the products can be found at this link.

The affected products are manufactured in Zhongshan, China, by Le Bang Chocolate Food Company and imported into the UK by Lucky Dip (Nottingham) Ltd. They are sold in a number of UK shops.

Melamine is an industrial chemical that should not be present in food. Milk products containing melamine have been at the centre of a major food incident in China.

Since 15 October 2008, under European Commission regulations, any products from China containing milk or milk products have been analysed in a laboratory to make sure that any levels of melamine present do not exceed 2.5mg/kg. If the level is higher than this the product is destroyed.

The levels of melamine in the Christmas and Halloween Chocolate Pop products were 28.9mg/kg and 46.2mg/kg respectively. However, these products are not considered to be a risk to health.

On 22 October, another UK import company, Spencer and Fleetwood, withdrew certain varieties of chocolate novelty products also made by Le Bang Chocolate Food Company that had been tested in the UK and found to be contaminated with melamine. The affected products were certain batches of Fifi’s Boobies, Lollipop Boobs, and Cheeky Chocolate Milk Chocolate Bottoms.

On 17 October, Scobie (Llarn) Ltd withdraw some of its imported chocolate novelty problems, also manufactured in Zhongshan by Le Bang, which the importer sold to a number of Ann Summers shops in the UK. They included a chocolate flavoured willy spread and chocolate flavoured nipple spread.

Source

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

Lituanica UK Ltd has recalled all date codes of the ‘Samsono’ brand Ears and Tongue Roll because of contamination with high levels of Listeria monocytogenes. The levels of listeria that were detected are some of the highest seen by the Agency in a ready to eat food.

Listeria is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease. Pregnant women, people over 60 and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to listeria. If you have eaten this product and become unwell you should consult a doctor or contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Product details

Ears and Tongue Roll, all sizes
Product brand: ‘Samsono’
Best before: all best before dates
EC approval number: LT 84-07 EB

The product has been recalled from sale and Lituanica UK Ltd is displaying point-of-sale notices in all the stores they supply. These notices alert customers to the recall and advise them of what actions to take if they have bought the affected product.

The Food Standards Agency advises people who have bought the product labelled ‘Samsono Ears and Tongue Roll’ not to eat any of it. The Agency is also contacting media in the UK that serves the Lithuanian community to alert them of this updated information.

Source

Food Standards Agency

This article is brought by Eating Britain

The research also shows that despite health experts agreeing that a fried breakfast every day is bad for your health, two thirds of us don’t see it that way. And a third still think that healthy foods are more expensive than unhealthy ones.

And while nine out of ten Brits agree that our tastes are becoming more adventurous, a third of us are still more likely to prepare a traditional ‘meat, veg and gravy’ meal than any other kind. At the same time, 64% of people profess a love for international cuisine

Here are two delicious avocado based recipes from Thomasina Miers

Tomatoes are certainly not the only fruit when it comes to making an authentic guacamole.  Especially not if you live in Britain and are used to getting the under-ripe, tasteless ones we get in the winter.  Gladly in Mexico, other fruits can be used just as well in place of tomatoes and, in the case of pomegranate seeds, much more dramatically.  This is a guacamole full of anti-oxidants so great for a healthy pack lunch and beautiful enough to serve for a dinner-party.  Try it whilst sipping a glass of good tequila.

Winter guacamole

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped (serranos if you can get them)
The pulp of 5-6 Hass avocados
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and finely diced
A handful of black seedless grapes, halved
The juice of a lime

The easiest way to make guacamole is in a large, heavy pestle and mortar or, in Mexico, a molcajete.  Put the chillies and onion into the bottom of the pestle and crush to a paste with a couple of teaspoons of salt.  Stir in the avocado pulp, mangoes and half the grapes.  Season to taste with the lime juice and more salt, if necessary.  Serve at room temperature decorated with the remaining grapes, with tortilla chips or pork scratchings.

Roast winter vegetables with avocado dressing

I love this recipe with roast butternut squash as a side dish but when you try the combination of roast celeriac, parsnips and carrots, drizzled in this avocado dressing, you won’t ever want to change.  It makes a wonderful warm winter salad for lunch or even as an unusual starter for supper.  Just put a little pile of the vegetables on small plates of rocket and drizzle over the dressing.  It is not only incredibly good for you, but delicious to boot.

For the vegetables:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into fingers
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into fingers
1 medium celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 red onions, peeled and cut into rough chunks
100g pumpkin seeds
The seeds of a pomegranate

For the dressing:
½ clove of garlic
The flesh of half a small avocado
80ml light olive oil or sunflower oil
The juice of a lime
1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven 220C

Toss all the vegetables in a tablespoon of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes until turning a lovely golden colour.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan for about five minutes until golden and starting to pop.  To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz to combine.  You should have a fairly thick dressing, a little like a mayonnaise.

Serve the vegetables with dollops of the avocado dressing and the toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seed scattered over.

For more information visit  www.hassavocado.com

This article is brought by Eating Britain