Here is a quick list of some food specialities unique to Europe and its many diverse cultures. Starting with Scotland, the haggis has become famous for this country although the contents may not immediately spring to mind as a delicacy and they certainly are an acquired..

Whilst there is no law enforcing display of calorie information on restaurant menus it is widely encouraged by governments in Europe. The UK Department of Health recently listed..

Can you think of many common expressions in our language that involve food or eating? That should give you Food for Thought! this often used little phrase originates in the 19th century imagining the digestive process in the stomach and relating it as..

The long standing UK chain of Marks & Spencers, much beloved for its sensible and well priced family clothing, and particularly its underwear, is now making an unlikely success out of..

In a quest to find out which are the smelliest and most pungent cheeses around Europe, Steve White a research officer at Cranfield University decided to take a scientific approach by using an electronic sniffer to verify an expert panels opinion with some interesting..

A quick round up of some of the strangest food traditions in Europe, some sound disgusting, and others just plain wierd! Starts with: Germany - Goose Grease; bread dipped into the fat from the pan of a roasted goose, with pickled..

According to an article on Bon Appetit, they have come up with some basic rules for tipping, Warning: this does apply to the US where good sense seems to have gone out of the window when it comes to the size of waiters gratuity! Apparently a waiter/waitress there gets disappointed if..

In these times of uncertainty, it's understandable that banking institutions want to hold onto something tangible that can act as backup for loan defaulters. Tangible and edible seem to be the criteria for Italian banks as they have started accepting wine and ham as collateral and would be sellable if ever...

Important changes are afoot in the fish industry. Recently we reported on the backlash against the unethical and unsustainable farming of bluefin tuna, which has brought the voices of celebrities, artists, ministers and chefs to the forefront in the fight against the current devastating...

Organic food has once again been criticised for not living up to the health expectations and benefits it claims. The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned the world's largest study to-date on the benefits of organic food based on its nutrient content, in comparison with “conventionally”...

In France, one cookbook has remained a bestseller for three generations and that is the Je Sais Cuisiner guide to home French cooking, written in 1932 by Ginette Mathiot. This favourite book is packed with 1,400 recipes which comprise the base of traditional French cooking, from crepes to croque-monsieur and...

Nanotechnology is receiving extensive press for its innovative approach to food and the ways in which we can alter the physical attributes of food for our health, for taste and for safety reasons. The possibilities are seemingly endless when altering material at the nanometre level and food manufacturers...

July 1^st was an important day for misshaped fruit and vegetables throughout the EU, as a ridiculous 20 year old ban which prevented their sale in supermarkets was lifted. The change in the law means we will be seeing many more oddly shaped vegetables on the shelves and they could be up to 40% cheaper than...

After a decade of lobbying the government and many promises on behalf of the president, the French restaurant industry has finally been able to significantly reduce its value-added tax...

By getting larger companies from the food industry on board new projects regarding sustainability and pollution, hopefully great changes can be made. Last week, Nestlé announced it was joining a group investigating the possibilities of bioplastics – biodegradable forms of plastic which are much healthier for...

Another week and yet more pressure is put on the EU's wine regulatory body to shake things up and step into the 21st century. Winemakers in the New World vineyards of California, Australia and New Zealand have been producing wines with lower alcohol...

It has been a triumphant week for French and Italian rosé wine makers, as proposed plans to allow the mixing of red and white wines to make rosé have been scrapped by the EU Commission. Lifting the restrictions on how traditional rosé is made would have meant that other...

The website TripAdvisor has revealed a survey of its customers' opinions which give some good and some damning reports on certain European cities...

Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the saying goes, and it has never been truer in France...

Ghent, a city of around 233,000 in North East Belgium, has pledged to go vegetarian every Thursday...

Red and white mixed together? A drink for the faint-hearted? No longer!

In Paris, the culinary capital of the world, diners are now finding it harder to dine out...

The European Union is currently trying to negotiate the best conditions for workers under its proposed...

According to research done into the physiques of Europeans, it has been found that...

The European Commission yesterday released new traffic light guidelines...

The harvesting of sharks from the seas surrounding the EU is endangering a number of species of shark and due to this fact...

The end of March saw the fourth annual Bernard Loiseau Culinary Festival kick off on the beautiful Indian ocean island of Mauritius...

A Dutch advertising company has come up with a sure-fire way to reach female consumers...

This weekend many a stomach willl be fit to bursting with chocolate and there will certainly be people breaking their chocolate-fasts...

Is the Age of Innocence over once a leading ethical smoothie maker sells a chunk of its business to a multinational?...

The revolution has begun and bottled water is losing the fight against tap water in restaurants, according to a survey commissioned by the charity...

Today, the world over, the Irish and the not-so-Irish gather to celebrate the holiday of the patron saint of Ireland...

The former Police frontman and worldwide pop sensation, Sting, is planning on releasing his own brand of wine later on this year...

An ''anti-crisis'' diet has been introduced by one of Russia's principal doctors to calm the nerves of Russians who don't...

French Agency for the Sanitary Safety of Food (Afssa) issued a report last week which refutes previous evidence given...

With Europe becoming ever more a multicultural place, it is hard to believe that a government would dare to suggest a ban on

Since the 1980's the oyster trade, certainly in Britain and France, has been in dire straits as a parasite destroyed stock...

On your marks, get set....ski!!

By an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament voted in favour of some important leglislation restricting the use of 22 potentially very harmful...

For those food critics who dish out scathing reviews, hiding behind their menus and never revealing their identities allows them a necessary anonymity to do their work...

According to Germany's federal environmental agency, the German people are eating far too much meat at a time when energy and food are in increasingly short supply...

This week a journalist from the New York Times decided to get on his soap box and pronounce the food in the UK soggy, unfresh and overpriced. The backlash from commentators on Stephen J. Dubner's blog

Blessed are the cheesemakers! ...and indeed they are after the Italian government has pledged to bailout parmesan producers, a third of whom are facing bankruptcy due to a huge fall business...

A new appointment to the post of editor-in-chief of the French edition of the Guide Michelin has sent shock waves through the restaurant industry this week. The new editor is in fact a German woman by the name of Juliane Caspar...

Haggis Sales Boost
Just after Christmas, Scots all over the world will be celebrating the 249th anniversary of the birth of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. January 25th is Burns..

Starbucks was once a trendy brand that, once it touched down on European soil, was a magnet for smart young professionals and hip students. Today, you can't walk two minutes in most European cities without stumbling across dozens of rivals coffee chains...

The ubiquitous coffee house brand Starbucks had announced plans to use Fairtrade coffee for all of its espresso-based coffees in the UK and Ireland by the end of the year 2009.

Perhaps it is because Christmas is in the air that animal rights group Viva!, based the UK, have come down hard on Swedish retailer Ikea for stocking reindeer salami across its 17 stores nationwide...

This time last year, café owners would not have believed that in just 12 months, France's café culture could be completely brought to its knees, with an average of two establishments closing ...

On your marks, set, go!
Last month, the stage was set for the ultimate cooking challenge. The 22nd Food Olympics, held in Berlin from 19th - 22nd October, hosted teams from 53 nations who battled it out to win points in several categories, to see which nations..

Supplements are currently in question over their effectiveness and their ability to prevent disease and boost vitality, however new research provides proof that supplementing vitamins into the diet can be beneficial for your health..

Even in these hard times – when most of us are strapped financially and businesses are closing their doors – there are indeed those who are profiting from the economic downturn. The rising cost of food and the cost of living has meant that people are now staying..

Just when it appeared Europeans were moving away from agribusiness and towards organic and more sustainable agriculture, along comes some more shocking statistics to prove us wrong!

A recent EU report conducted by the..

The new miracle weight-loss pill is just around the corner, according to NeuroSearch, the Danish pharmaceutical company who invented tesofensine. In a study presented in medical journal, The Lancet, research involved 203 obese patients whose..

Binge drinking is no longer just the scourge of the UK, but is becoming a Europe-wide issue among teens and those in their early twenties, it has emerged..

It appears that Europeans have well and truly caught onto the US food-fashion trend, and that is eschewing their lunchbreaks in favour of, shock horror, working!

Reuter's Business Insight reported that more and more of us across Europe are taking much less time for lunch and, instead, snacking more throughout the day to make up for the food not..

A new book by Jean-Robert Pitte, the former President of the University Paris Sorbonne, has attempted to patch up the centuries-old rivalry between the two warring French wine-producing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Bordeaux vs. Burgundy
In his book, Bordeaux/Burgundy: A Vintage Rivalry, Pitte outlines the differences in production between the two regions and explains..

In a new report commissioned by the international journal Respirology, the publishers Wiley-Blackwell presented the peculiar evidence that the sale of jam is governed by far more rigorous regulations than cigarettes..

The delicacy that is the truffle has been getting gourmands hot under the collar for centuries, millenia even! Lauded by the Romans and the Greeks as a fungi with powerful therapeutic and aphrodisiac qualities, today the little black gems fetch a high price from restaurants and individuals prepared to pay over..

This week, the United States Food and Drug Administration ruled that producers are allowed to expose lettuce and spinach to high levels of radiation in order to kill harmful bacteria.

Safer produce
Irradiation is a common practice used to "clean" foods which may be..

On September 1st 2008 a new code of practice is to be introduced for all Belgian Chocolate manufacturers which will protect their claim to make 100% Belgian products. The Belgian Royal Association of the Chocolate, Praline, Biscuits and Sugar Confectionery Industry (CHOPRABISCO) announced last week that it will introduce a set of..

In a move to get France fitter and healthier, the government has decided to raise tax on fatty foods which could mean taxing traditional French delicacies such as croissants, foie gras and cheeses.

The scheme arose as the health ministers attempt to fill a large gap in the healthcare budget, and..

This week a ruling in the United Kingdom may prove to be a coup for hard-bitten waiting staff whose wages are less-than-desirable and often below the country's minimum wage limit. The High Court ruled in favour of HM Revenue & Customs to ban restaurants from using tips to top up staff's..

According to recent research, one of the most important factors in a child's educational development is what they eat up until the age of three. A study conducted by the Institute of Education at London University and the University of Bristol found that if children were fed a diet of junk food when they were three..

It appears that in recent years, the Japanese have been busy inventing new and exciting things to do with beer, including plans by the Sapporo brewery and the Russian space team to brew beer in..

This week a new website has been launched by the European Union in a bid to encourage more consumers to choose organic produce, heading up the campaign with the slogan "Organic farming. Good for nature, good for you." The initiative is one of 21 projects that were proposed in 2004 to help boost the organic agriculture business in Europe and this one is web-based, offering..

Persuading companies to give up their lucrative ad campaigns targeted at children is proving a hard task, it appears. In December 2007, a group of food companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Mars and Burger King signed an EU pledge to phase out all..

Keeping a food diary or simply thinking about the taste of your last meal can aid with weight loss and help people stay on track when dieting, according to a new study conducted at the University of..

Flavoured water is one of the latest types of product to storm onto the beverages market. They often come with the message that they are beneficial to our health, are packed with antioxidants, can help ward off old..

Many wierd and wonderful gimmicks are employed to attract more customers to restaurants and cafes, but few will have been as terrifying as the newly refurbished "terrorism-themed" restaurant Buns and Guns in Beirut.

The Lebanese capital's cafe scene has been in sharp decline since 2006 due to troubles erupting in the area, however the owner of this novel cafe - situated in a predominantly Hezbollah area of the city - says that his..

According to a new study brought out by researchers in Brazil, the ingredients used in recipes across the world have actually changed very little over the years and even over centuries. Of course, dining habits have changed considerably since the Middle Ages - for example, we no longer drink ale with..

Reports on the success of the smoking bans across the world, from countries such as Germany, Ireland, France and Hong Kong, confirm that reactions have been very mixed. Whereas people in Germany are daring enough to flout the law and jump the border to smoke in neighbouring Poland, the Irish and Italians stubbed..

Following on from previous reports of the benefits of coffee, there has been more evidence to suggest that moderate amounts of coffee per day may help increase longevity. Gone are the rumours that coffee is the dehydrating, nerve-wracking substance to be avoided at all costs, and they are now replaced with the idea that coffee wards off heart..

There are often success stories that come out of the woodwork to help publicise new diets, but one story regarding the Zone Diet masterminded by Dr Barry Sears is truly inspirational.

Zone Diet moderate amounts
The Diet itself is described more as a "way of life" rather than a fad diet and its core principle is that the body needs to calm hormonal imbalance by eating moderate amounts of all foods, in order to sustain weight..

With 50% of Europeans officially counted as overweight or obese, there is reason for the weight-loss industry to be rejoicing, and for us to be worrying. On the 25th and 26th of June the 2nd annual Slimming Ingredients 2008 conference held in Berlin, Germany analysed the latest trends and scientific evidence supporting weight loss products on the market in..

If anyone wanted confirmation that the EU's rules and regulations were confusing at times, they would have to look no further than previous legislation governing the appearance of fruit and vegetables sold in member states.

Last month the EU's agriculature minister, Marrian Fischer Boel resolved to do away with the rules regarding the sizes and shapes of "class one" fruit and vegetables as they are promoting..

For months now, strikes over rising oil prices have gripped the European continent. From fishermen in Belgium to lorry drivers in Portugal, there has been uproar over the cost of transporting goods between countries due to the hike in oil prices, and many workers have been..

Starbucks is changing the face of Europe's cafe culture and is paused and ready for domination as soon 150 more outlets will open in train stations and airports across the continent.

The major coffee chains such as Starbucks, Costa and Nero have become the scourge of independent coffee houses in the past decade, as their popularity and strong brand image has attracted..

This week it has been announced that Camembert originating from Normandy in France must be made with raw milk, which is a coup for small artisan producers but rather to the contrary for large organisations.

The Institut Nationale de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) announced that in order for Camembert de Normandie to carry the Appelation Controlée..

The alarm against the injustice of keeping battery hens and factory-farmed chickens has been sounded and particularly strongly in the UK by two celebrity chefs, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver. Late in 2007, the pair launched a televised campaign to boycott sales of cheap factory chicken and opt for free-range and organic, to pressure the..

Today in the world of haut-cuisine, the Spanish are indeed overtaking the French in terms of culinary innovation. They are being hallmarked as the vanguards of the new futuristic type of cooking, molecular gastronomy, however the Spanish government is making moves to preserve the traditional Mediterranean style cuisine that Spain is supposedly famed..

It's certainly true that many intertwining factors make the food and agriculture business work at their best, and one factor which is in the process of being systematically wiped out is the presence of bees in north America. Bees are widely needed throughout the agriculture business as a means of pollination, meaning that professional bee-keepers often..

An all new soya-alternative, vegetarian superfood is soon to be on the market and has been tested in Sweden for its outstanding nutritional qualities. Tempe is a wholegrain food made from oats and barley created by doctorate student Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson of Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

New vegetarian food
Eklund-Jonsson aimed to create a new vegetarian food which would be high in fibre but also aid with iron uptake by being high in vitamin B folate. Tempe is usually made by fermenting soybeans, however in Europe, barley and oats make the product more sustainable and cut down on food miles.

Charlotte says: "Tempe is designed for..

It appears that the restaurants scooping up all the best prizes and getting an awful lot of recognition are the ones associated with molecular gastronomy, and they certainly seem to be succeeding in all areas of the business. This latest development isn't necessarily to do with the eccentric style of cooking, it's giving congratulations to Europe's best sommelier who happens to work at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck in the UK.

Best Sommelier in Europe
Turkish-born Head Sommelier Isa Bal was named as Best Sommelier in Europe by the Association de la sommellerie international in Sofia, Bulgaria on 19th May, beating off competition from..

This month in Paris, the Bistro Romain on the Avenue des Champs Elysees has been host to one of the most publicised protests regarding illegal immigrants in France and the stand-off is continuing between workers, the owners and France's largest trade union.

Bistro Romain workers illegal
Illegal workers, mostly from Africa, have been staging a sit-in for nearly a week to protest the poor working and living conditions that they are subjected to at the Bistro. The protest is one of many that have been springing up in the French capital since President..

Today, westerners are so aware of the damage caused by high cholesterol levels. We know that we should lower our cholesterol levels for better heart health by eating less red meat, losing weight, giving up smoking and the rest. However, there is actually "good" cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the levels of which we should actively increase for a healthy heart. Fancy that!

Scrub those arteries
The cholesterol that's marked as "bad" is low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and is what sticks to the walls of our arteries, constricting blood flow and resulting in high blood pressure and even more seriously, heart failure. HDL is said to clean the arteries of LDL, pushing it towards the liver to be processed rather than leaving it to gather. To this end, doctors believe that the an HDL level of..

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) reports that although the production of many sought-after commodities is due to be high in 2008, it is likely that many more millions of people are still to go hungry due to huge global food shortages.

Increased production but hunger still on the rise
The FAO released a report last week stating that countries who import a large amount of food will see the annual price of import rice to $169 billion on average, which is 40% higher than in 2007. This massive hike will affect the..

Tea has been around for centuries and is the second most-consumed beverage in the world, after water, with literally thousands of varieties in existance. Nowadays we seem to be finding more reasons to drink tea every day, whether it be black, white, green, herbal, Chinese or any other type. The anti-oxidising and cleansing abilities of the tea leaf make for a healthy choice, so say the scientists, but what else is tea good for?
 
Here are 10 facts that you might not have previously known about tea.

1. The origins of tea:
Legend has it that tea originated well over 5000 years ago in ancient China. The innovative and science-curious emporer Shen Nung insisted that for hygeine purposes, all water in the palace must be boiled. When he was out visiting his kingdom one day, him and his men stopped to boil water to drink and it was said that..

When we think of getting older, one fear that perhaps comes to mind is that we don't want to end up frail with less muscle mass to hold us up. For sure, becoming prone to falling and accidents doesn't sound like a fun future. New research conducted in Boston, United States, suggests that intake of potassium by way of fruit and vegetables can help those aged 65 and over retain their muscle mass.

Three years of Nutrition research
Bess Dawson-Hughes from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Ageing at Tufts University studied the effects of plant-derived potassium on the muscle mass of nearly 400 elderly volunteers. Throughout a three year of the study, Dawson-Hughes collected..

Diabetes apparently accounts for 6% of all deaths worldwide, which is a large and growing figure for something that we have effectively created for ourselves. Type-2 diabetes which is also known as adult-onset diabetes, is primarily caused by poor lifestyle habits such as a high fat and sugar diet and a lack of exercise.

Healthy diet, a life saver
Now research has found that improvements in diet and exercise can help cut your risk of adult-onset diabetes, but only when followed over a period of many years.

Researchers in China studied 577 adults who were at high risk of contracting diabetes. Throughout a period of 20 years, the participants were either put on a..

In blind tastings it has been found that many experts cannot differentiate between wild and farmed caviar. However, this doesn't deter the uber-rich from forking out significantly more for the wild variety than they ever would for farmed caviar.

Following on from our previous report on the depletion of stocks of the ancient sturgeon fish in the Caspian Sea, news has come that a tonne of Iranian caviar has gone up for public auction in a British newspaper and is expected to fetch more than £4 millon - 5 million euros.

Secret Iranian Caviar ?
Controversially, industry experts say that Iran has doubled its annual production of beluga..

In a bid to bring consumers closer to the food they eat and to revive traditional food production practices across the world, a revolutionary scheme called Slow Food was set up in Italy in the 1980s.

In a backlash against the prevalent fast food culture that we live in today, the Italian journalist Carlo Petrini set up Slow Food in 1986. His idea was to bring producers and consumers (or, co-producers as the organisation calls them) together to save traditional foods, animal breeds and food production practices that are being lost due to..

A new dissertation written by an undergraduate student at the University of Nottingham has researched the growing carbon footprint of restaurants across the UK, in an attempt to outline their environmental impact and unsustainability.

Measuring the 'green' statistics
Science student, Will Brookes, studied the green credentials of 40 restaurants in London and carried out a public survey in his report entitled, The Environmental Sustainability of the British Restaurant Industry: A London Case Study. He placed the restaurants in..

As if the smoking ban wasn't enough for Europeans to digest, the French are now seriously looking into putting breathalysers into bars and bistros to test customers on leaving the premises.

Mandatory testing
The plan is supported by the French Ecology minister Jean-Louis Borloo and will be presented to the President Nicholas Sarkozy. Borloo wants breathalysing-on-exit to be obligatory in all bars and restaurants open until 2am.

"I can tell you that tomorrow, at the council of ministers, Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot and I will present a decree to make electronic breathalyser tests obligatory in drinking establishments open until 2:00 am, so that everyone can check their..

Long-term support for obese people was highlighted at the 16th European Congress on Obesity as being a key driver in losing and maintaining weight loss. The Congress, which runs this week in Geneva, Switzerland, provided a forum for scientists from all over Europe whose aim was to find the tools to combat the growing incidence of obesity in Europe today.

Dr Séverine Buclin from the University Hospital in Geneva presented the details of her 5-year long study into the effects of long-term patient care in the fight against obesity. Buclin worked with a group of 33 obese..

To compliment our busy lifestyles, manufacturers have been coming up with fast and easy alternative options to food and drink for years now. The latest time-saver to come out of France is the Bordeaux in a Box, wine consumed out of a carton through a straw. 'Whatever next?', you might ask.

France Drinking less Wine
The product named Tandem is produced by Cordier Mestrezat, who are attempting to revive flagging wine sales among..

Change is imminent
The EU agriculture office in Brussels denies that subsidies have had a negative effect on food prices. It argues that export subsidies were lowered from 10 billion euros a year, 15 years ago, to 1 billion by end 2008.

However, the international community doesn't seem to be buying it and the issue is high up on the agenda of the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. Also, with many EU members calling for CAP reform, we may see changes to the policy later..

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has come under scrutiny in recent months with critics blaming it for causing the food shortages and price hikes that we are seeing today in Europe and around the world.

Production wanes as environmental issues take precedence
Under the CAP, agricultural subsidies are given to farmers to the tune of $50 billion per year, which is comprised of contributions from EU member states. On a European level, the contributions have remained the same but the connection between the amount farmers are receiving and the production levels no longer add up. Farmers are now free to produce less as..

Anyone looking for a handy diet trick should pay some attention to the latest findings of the European Congress on Obesity. As well as presenting the findings of the Diogenes Project, many other scientists from governments and private companies presented findings related to the issue of obesity prevention.

Gas Stops Hunger
One of the studies presented was by Unilever, whose scientists have found that dieters can help themselves feel fuller by drinking gaseous drinks during meals. The researchers tested 24 people, half drank a full glass of a..

A new book released this month is challenging the way we consumers view the "superfruits" that are on the market today and exposes the realities behind making a superfruit "brand". Those fruits which are held up to be more nutritionally valuable than others, such as acai berries, blueberries and pomegranates are actually just marketed in very effective ways, according to Karl Crawford and Julian Mellentin, authors of Successful Superfruit Strategy - How to build a superfruit business.

Rather than relying on the fruits' overwhelming nutritional benefits, superfruit manufacturers are using the right combination of health, science and marketing – giving them exponential growth within a dwindling fruit market.

Superfruit market beats all the rest
While the sales of seasonal fruit such as apples and pears are actually falling, the superfruit market is experiencing growth of..

Following on from our report on the European intervention into our dietary habits - the Diogenes Project, preliminary results from the study were announced today at the European Congress of Obesity.

Search for the Ideal Diet
The Diogenes Project is a pan-European study working towards lower obesity rates in Europe. It aims to finding a diet or diet-trend that will help people keep weight off in the long term. The project was funded by the EU Commission and is currently testing people in 8 centres around Europe to see..

Last month, France made steps towards protecting the cultivation of GM produce in the wake of damage being done to crops by environmental groups. Amid discussion over the health and safety of GM crops, the lower house of parliament and the Senate have both agreed to push through a controversial bill which fixes the conditions under which GM crops can be grown in France.

Protecting GM
The bill, which was passed by the Senate in April and is due for review at the end of May, permits heavier prosecution of those caught tampering with or damaging crops, protecting what is Europe's largest cultivation of GM crops. Since 1996, the land used to grow GM crops in France has quadrupled from..

As summer draws ever nearer to British shores, the farming industry is under increasing pressure to find workers to pick their soft fruits. For the first time in a decade, a shortage of seasonal labourers means that thousands of tonnes of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are likely to be left to rot in the fields.

Harsher immigration policy
Under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS), farmers in the UK used to be able to hire temporary workers from all over Europe and they usually came in the form of students looking for work and travel during their summer holidays. Since new restrictions in immigration policy have been brought in, growers are only permitted to employ..

The hype surrounding eating disorders has been increased following last year's controversy in the fashion world for its use of size zero models on the catwalks, and now the French government are stepping in to take action against what is a growing issue among young women in Europe.

Extreme Diets Outlawed
Last month, the French lower house of parliament approved a bill to outlaw mass communication that gives readers information and tips on how to successfully become anorexic or bulimic. Around 400 sites that extol the virtues of extreme weight loss and disordered eating have sprung up in France. If the bill is passed in the Senate, anyone found publishing..

Among other frightening catastrophes that are happening in the world today, the so-called "obesity epidemic" that Europe and the US is on the brink of, is a worrying one, and it appears that governments are working towards cracking down on fat people. However, there is a growing body of scholars and scientists who discredit claims that this is a killer disease that is spreading exponentially.

BMI now Reduced
The Body Mass Index (BMI), which is the calculation of height squared divided by weight squared, is something that many take to be a truthful indication of "good" and "bad" body types. However in 1997 and 1998..

When it comes to Italian food, not many would doubt that it's one of the world's favourite cuisines. That may be the case, however Italys' residents are having to forgo their pasta dishes and fresh fruit and vegetables in the wake of the food crisis and spiralling prices of staple ingredients.

Pasta too Expensive
With wheat prices rising 130% since March 2007, the average Italians' shopping basket is looking quite different, as sales of pasta have dropped by 2.6% in the last 12 months. The Italian Farmers' Confederation (CIA) reported that basic, low-cost protein sales such as..

The "most hated man in France" is, for now, not a policitian but a small town baker from Barnsley in England. Having taken advantage of an EU legal loophole, Englishman John Foster is now the official baguette supplier for France's railways, news bringing stinging criticism from the French.

French law stipulates that a baguette cannot be made using fat, which is the very ingredient that makes them last longer, however there are no rules to govern the ingredients when they're made elsewhere in the EU. The French railway increasingly found that French..

Many dieters think that by bingeing and starving, they are doing themselves a favour by "balancing out" the effects of one on the other. Unfortunately, scientists say that this couldn't be further from the truth and that we are doing more harm to ourselves than once believed.

Stunted growth
Glasgow University conducted experiments into the effects of a binge/starve diet on the life expectancy of stickleback fish, revealing worrying results. It was found that the fish on the extreme diet had only three quarters of the same life..

Antioxidants have been touted as good for everything from skin quality to heart disease, and now research has found that fruits high in antioxidants can reduce the prevalence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Apples / Grapes reducing Cholesterol
A study conducted by the University of Montpellier and Victor Ségalen University in Bordeaux linked the consumption of apples and purple grapes with a decrease in measures of atherosclerosis and cholesterol levels in..

Big business appears to be around the corner for those farmers selling raw milk as the organic foodie brigade is craving it by the golden gallon. The popularity of "raw" or unpasteurised milk is on the up, despite governments warning of the potential health risks of being exposed to salmonella and other potentially harmful bacteria.

Vitamins in Milk
The biggest argument for drinking raw milk is that it is higher in vitamins and healthy bacteria. Also, crucially, it still contains all of milk's natural enzymes - the element that makes it digestible for humans. However, the argument that it is dangerous for our..

The glamour may have diminished somewhat from the role of the waiter or waitress, but nowadays fewer and fewer people in western Europe aspire to be part of the front of house staff. In a survey conducted by Square Meal magazine revealed that half of the complaints that they received last year were to do with poor service, a rise of 7% on 2006.

Waiting Tables not Interesting
The status of waiters and maitre d's is in sharp decline and with this, the quality of service is declining too. In recent years, western Europe has seen an influx of job-seekers from eastern Europe who are filling the many..

The feeling of having reached a weight loss goal is usually one of elation and relief. Finally you've got there after all that hard work! However, it's true that many people can lose weight initially but keeping it off is another matter altogether.

Now the EU has stepped in to offer some practical advice and support on keeping weight off in the biggest European "intervention" into our dietary habits.

Diogenes Project
The European Commission is funding the Diogenes Project, which will over 5 years, look into the effects of diet and genes on the obesity..

Sun exposure can be extremely harmful for our skin and can also increase the signs of ageing by giving us more lines and wrinkles. As well as putting on sunscreen, we can also change our diet to include tomato-based products as it has been found that tomato paste, of the cooked variety, can act as sun protection.

The tomato experiment
Research conducted at the University of Manchester, UK, aimed to investigate the effects of tomato paste in protecting human skin from the sun and premature ageing. 10 volunteers were given 5 tablespoons (55g) of tomato..

A whiff of injustice was in the air and the rumour mill began when the S.Pellegrino's Worlds 50 Best Restaurants were announced at a lavish ceremony at the beginning of this week. For three years now, the El Bulli restaurant in Spain has won first prize and many judges are wondering if others on the 600-strong judging panel are really taking the voting seriously.

Judging criteria
As a judge, one of the criteria for..

Who knew that a recipe for a son starts with cereal? Research conducted by the Universities of Oxford and Essex in the United Kingdom indicates that women can influence the sex of their baby before, during and after conception.

Eat Breakfast for a Boy
Fiona Mathews, the research leader as Essex, revealed that after studying the eating patterns of 740 women they found that women who consumed more calories were 56% more likely to give birth to boys. Also, out of the women who ate breakfast..

With the EU having opened a public consultation in January regarding the approval of cloned foods for consumption, Europe might be one step closer to cultivating and importing these "Frankenfoods".

US Approved Cloned Foods
However, with the decision still in the balance, there could be some significant trade implications between Europe and the United States, with the US having already approved the use of cloned foods.

Many think that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will approve cloning by the end of the year, even though the European Commission commented that, "According to experts, animal cloning is on the verge of..

Herewith the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants 2008 by www.theworlds50best.com, reckoned to be the 50 best places on earth to eat.. enjoy !

1. El Bulli, Spain
This is the third consecutive year that Farron Adria, chef at El Bulli on the Costa Brava in Spain, has topped the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Offering diners a unique taste experience, Adria was one of the first to delve into the world of molecular gastronomy. His most famous protegée was..

Many are now ignoring the German smoking ban in force since Jan 1st this year, affecting Berlin and 11 states. The remaining states of Saxony, Rheinland Palatinate, Saarland and Thuringia will bring in their own ban from July, although it remains to be seen how effective it will be. Recent data showed that a similar smoking ban in Hong Kong had actually increased the level of smoking as people defied the ban.

Smoking Complaints
German Police are not following up on complaints about smokers and seem to have allowed the bar and cafe proprietors their own discretion on whther they allow smoking on premises..

Some respect is definitely due for those mathematicians who have puzzled their way through algorithm after algorithm to determine the dates of the Russian Orthodox Easter. This year the festival falls on 27th April, so it would be fitting to have a glance at the traditions of an Eastern Easter.

Lent
The 40-day period of Lent which precedes Easter Weekend can be a time of strict denial. In the run up to the festival, adherents to the faith will give up all products originating from animals, such as meat, eggs and dairy products. In the past, theatres and music halls were closed during Lent, as they were thought to be a distraction for the religious public, who should have been reflecting and repenting.

Holy Week
Holy Week begins with..

When considering what we can do to promote ethical food-sourcing, the latest buzz words have been 'food miles' and the 'carbon footprint'. However, a new measure of sustainability has been dreamt up called the 'water foot print'.

Water Deficit
Driven by increasing world population and therefore water deficits in key regions, the water foot print was designed to bring into sharp relief the amounts of water consumed in basic food production..

The Passover festival is as important for the Jewish community as Christmas is to the Christians. Starting at sunset on Saturday 19th April and running until sunset on Sunday 27th, the festival is a marked reminder of the Jews' long and turbulent history. As well as being steeped in tradition and history, the presence and importance of food during Passover is great.

Passover celebrates the time in history when the Hebrew people were able to escape slavery in Egypt. The story goes that God rescued the "Children of Israel" by sending the 10 plagues to punish the Egyptian people. After the ten plagues, the pharoah..

Whilst researching for our Irish Food series we came across some interesting new information on Food Intolerance and the potato.

A Euromintor study rates The US, Italy and the Uk as the three largest markets for gluten free products, citing the fact that sales of lactose free foods have increased by 29% since 2002. This is creating a niche new market that food manufacturers are eager to service.

Fatigue and Migraines
Food Intolerance can lead to fatigue and can exhibit symptoms of migraines, eczema, and irritable bowel syndrome. Sufferers will normally follow a gluten, lactose or wheat free diet to overcome..

Potatoes, oats and dairy products have been the traditional staple diet in Ireland. Soups using seafood, and meat also are very popular. Irish soups are made to be thick, and filling; perfect with a fresh Irish soda bread, recipes below...

The potato is having its own 21st century renaissance, and guess where? Ireland of course! Thanks to the efforts of celebrity chefs and a world-famous Irish cooking school, the Emerald Isle is staging a comeback for its delicious, wholesome and hearty traditional dishes.

Glamourising tradition
It has been claimed that one woman has single-handedly brought Irish cooking back into fashion, which seems quite an achievement. In 1964, Myrtle Allen opened..

Would you believe that in the world of European Michelin stars, Germany is now second on the list to France? Amazing but true. The world of fine dining in Germany has grown, such that 9 of its restaurants now hold the sought-after 3 Michelin stars.

Unadventurous cooking
Catching up with the French, who currently have 28 3-starred restaurants, has been a long time coming for the Germans, who have always held the stereotype among other Europeans as being a little un-adventurous when it comes to their kitchens. According to Juan Amador, owner of the Amador restaurant which has recently been awarded its third star, this about-turn in German cuisine has been quite a recent event..

Alternate Day Diet
Masterminded by plastic surgeon Dr James B Johnson, the Alternate Day Diet instructs dieters to follow a feast and fast principle. This means that you can eat whatever you want one day, then the next day restricting intake to 300 to 500 calories. The idea is that on the "fast" day, dieters will be balancing out the calories consumed during their "binge" day.

How it Works
Dr Johnson explains in his book that this up-and-down diet is extremely easy to follow due to the fact that dieters always have their "no-holds barred" day just around the corner, and practically nothing is off limits.

A promising new study into the beneficial effects of probiotics has revealed that they can be used to treat patients with alcoholic cirrhosis – a disease which scars the liver and is most commonly caused by heavy drinking.

Probiotics Boost
In the early stages of contracting cirrhosis, there are few symptoms and side-effects, but in time the liver function steadily worsens and could deteriorate to leave the patient in need of a liver transplant..

Finding an alternative source of protein to our adored rump steaks and salmon fillets may be difficult in the wake of a food shortage crisis. Or will it?

Mini Livestock
"Mini-livestock"- meaning grubs and insects - are growing in popularity as a valuable new source of protein and minerals that could one day replace meat and fish at our dining tables.

It is well-documented that drinking and related health problems are on the rise in Europe. However, instead of the consumer taking the blame, drinking establishments have recently come under fire for increasingly serving only large measures of alcohol and not giving us the choice to drink responsibly. Hurrah! Someone else to blame!

Irresponsible Bars
According to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), pubs and bars are acting "irresponsibly" by deliberately increasing the size of their wine glasses and often giving double shots at standard prices..

Amazingly, Muffins, Puddings and breakfast Cereals all contain high salt content, and 97% of people interviewed did not understand this fact and the hidden risk to their childrens health. Over 80 per cent of our salt intake comes from processed foods in Europe and the USA according to CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health). Intuitively no-one expects salt to be included in sweet products but sadly this is widely practised. CASH ran a survey on the parenting website..

Germany, the "Land of Ideas" has come up with many excellent inventions in the past, including the diesel engine and the printing press. Now to add to its list of accomplishments is a fully-automated restaurant dubbed the "Robot Restaurant". 'S baggers restaurant in Nuremburg was the brainchild of local businessman Michael Mack who wanted to do away with the stuffy traditions of waiter service and create something new and exciting..

France banned smoking in all of its bars, cafes and restaurants on the 1st of January this year, this followed a wider public smoking ban introduced on 1st February 2007. It will be interesting to follow the effects of the ban, also implemented in Berlin at the same time. In another part of the world Hong Kong now reports INCREASED..

90% of the world food supply comes from just 15 crop and 8 livestock types; over-farming is a real threat to our food supply. It is now a widely held view that that we are polluting the land we live on and many of the most popular crops are now under threat from extinction. The Worldwatch Institute has just launched its State of the World Report for 2008, with one chapter's theme dedicated to the question "Can Meat and Fish Consumption Be Sustainable?" The chapter's authors, Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg, highlight growing environmental and sustainability issues surrounding meat production and fish harvesting, exposing shocking..

In 1983 it was revealed that leaded petrol could seriously stunt children's growth and intelligence, and thankfully it was phased out by the year 2000. Now there is a new nemesis for our children's health which may be just as lethal, and those are E-numbers. Since research conducted in the 1970's highlighted a link between artificial food colourings and behavioural problems in..

The illegal trade in wild caviar is worth $250m globally, so it is little wonder that worldwide stocks of the black fish eggs are in drastic decline, and that governments are now trying to crack down on the roaring blackmarket trade. The current market price of caviar in Europe is 1,270 Euros for 100g, but the European blackmarket in caviar is worth five times more than the legal trade. With these figures in mind, profiteers looking to made quick money are going after the last reserves available in order to gain substantial returns. Most of Europe's "black gold" comes from..

Courting controversy is what the food-retail industry does very well: from genetically modified food to cloning we are constantly faced with new technologies which may benefit the industry but will stretch our morals. Now there is a new technology on the horizon which is set to revolutionise the journey our food makes from farm to fork. It is called nanotechnology – the science involved in changing the core molecular structure of substances or objects – in short, it can alter almost anything. When applied to food, this technology could render what we eat more healthy, less chemically toxic, and provide a range of other benefits to the consumer and producer alike..

More than 4% of Europeans, 19 million to be exact, suffer from diabetes. A new study suggests that if they had been encouraged to eat more beans and peanuts there is a 40% chance they would not have been at risk. In Europe alone the figure is predicted to rise to 26 million..

In the world of haute-cuisine, it is a grand achievement for a chef to receive one or two Michelin Stars, and the absolute epitome of culinary excellence to achieve three. This week, however top chef Marco Pierre White launched an attack on the Guide claiming that it is "outdated" and has "varying standards" from country to country. He said, "I've dined in Michelin-starred places in New York and I'm confused. There are at least fifty restaurants in England as good as the two-star restaurants over there, rather than the paltry ten that currently hold..

If you go to any restaurant in Europe it's likely that you'll be asked to choose from still or sparkling water. So why are we not given the choice of bottled or tap? The bottled water industry has attracted growing criticism in recent years over its detrimental impact on the environment, so why have we stopped using our clean, safe tap water in favour of the stuff in plastic bottles?

It is no secret that the world is on the brink of major upheaval as global warming is heating up our planet, raising water levels, and is set to render our favourite holiday destinations barren deserts. Among having numerous other effects, global warming is also set to change the way we farm our crops, because if we don't change our methods nothing will prosper in the coming years. The wine grape has traditionally been harvested all over the mediterranean region to great effect, producing luscious whites and full-bodied reds for the world to enjoy. However, if vintners continue to maintain their vineyards as they have done for centuries we may be left high and dry in the search for a decent..

Our series on maximising energy would not be complete without mentioning exercise. Many of us fit in visits to the gym at various times of the day, but are we really getting the most out of our efforts ? EXERCISE IN THE EVENING: Cardiovascular exercise and strength training is important for the body's functioning, and by being fitter you will be boosting your overall waking evergy levels. Lots of research has been done into what the best time to exercise is, and it has been found that in the evening at around 6pm we are at our strongest during the day, meaning we will burn more calories and work harder. A study presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Association's annual meeting in Las Vegas looked at the effects of training at different times of the day on muscle mass, body fat and strength. A group of 16 men trained for 10 weeks either before 10.00am (AM group) or after 6.00pm (PM group). Their workouts consisted of 45 minutes of..

Lunch is the time when many people will either stock up on heavy carbs such as potatoes or pasta because their energy has been flagging all morning, or when people simply skip lunch altogether because there is no time to fit it in between meetings. Either way, the body isn't receiving the treatment it needs and in order to properly refuel, lunch has to be manoeuvred with extreme care. Eating things that can boost your brain functioning and mental agility is a great idea at midday, as this will aid in combatting any afternoon energy slump and keep you revived til closing time..

The mid-morning and mid-afternoon "limbo" times are when people at work are susceptible to inevitable slumps. Inevitable, that is, unless you eat properly and sustainably! Mid-Afternoon is a time when most of us feel at our lowest because after eating lunch we feel tired from digestion and home time is just within reach, but not quite! Below are a few pointers to help you avoid the morning and afternoon energy crash. STAY HYDRATED: A key to staying alert and on form is to increase your fluid intake. However, by fluid we mean water - not soft drinks, tea or coffee as these have a dehydrating effect on the body, making that sluggish feeling even worse. The daily recommended amount of water varies, but it is generally accepted that 2 litres per day is a good amount to maintain healthy body and brain functioning. Indeed, the brain is comprised of 75% water, so when you're dehydrated, your brain will start giving warning signals, such as dizziness, tiredness and lack of concentration. By this time it is too late and you are already dehydrated, so try not to wait until you're thirsty..

Many of us are acutely aware of the minefield that is the working day, and how difficult it can be at times to eat healthily and consciously so as to stay alert and perform at our best at work. How can we possibly give ourselves the best chance of climbing the corporate ladder if we're lacking in energy? Well, it has been found by the International Labour Office in Geneva that many company bosses have got to where they are because they ate their way to the top - health consciously. Breakfast literally means "breaking the fast" where we eat for the first time after 6 to 10 hours of fasting, and it is one meal where we can really make a difference and give ourselves a positive energy boost for the entire day. To this end it is so important that this vital meal is not..

Forget everything you've ever heard about alcohol being bad for you – it's not, at least in moderation, scientists have now actually proven that alcohol can be beneficial for your heart. In a study conducted at the University of Carolina, it was found that middle-aged non-drinkers were likely to benefit from protection against heart disease if they took to drinking something once a day. The research was conducted over a four-year period and involved 7,500 people, all of whom were tee-total to begin with. Scientists were looking to find a connection between drinking in moderation and the reduction of artherosclerosis, the hardening of..

Raw foodies beware! New research coming out of Italy claims that cooked vegetables can actually be good for you and in some cases, nutritionally better, than eating them raw. It is a common misconception that cooking vegetables can destroy their nutritional qualities and this new study set out to disprove this theory. Nicoletta Pellegrini and her colleagues at the University of Parma tested the effects of boiling, steaming and frying on three types of vegetable – broccoli, carrots and courgette – to see if their antioxidant and other qualities were reduced. They found that after boiling and steaming, all three vegetables maintained their original antioxidant content, but frying caused a significant loss in antioxidants. Meanwhile, steaming the broccoli actually increased..

Obesity is definitely the hot topic of the moment, with people adding on the pounds all over the world and governments struggling to come up with new ideas about how to encourage people to keep their weight down. Well, now it has been proven that simply by eating breakfast you can do just that. Teenagers who often worry about their weight tend to be the worst culprits of skipping breakfast, thereby denying themselves the nutrition and energy they require in the mornings. In a study of over 2,000 young people conducted by the University of Minnesota it was found that those who did not eat anything in the mornings weighed an average of 5lbs (2.3kg) more than those who had breakfast. Mark Pereira, who led the team of researchers, said. "They skip breakfast because they worry about..

It appears that more and more Europeans are putting "healthy chocolate" high on their shopping list- or at least their shopping lists- but can there be such a thing? According to data collated by the Zurich-based chocolate company Barry Callebaut, 27% of people in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany and the UK buy some sort of "functional" chocolate each month- meaning chocolate that claims to contain a health benefit of some sort. The market research company Euromonitor reports that the market for "functional foods" has grown by an average of 15% each year over the past four years, and over a quarter of us want the "bad" food we eat to be good for us in some way. Types of so-called "healthy chocolate" include those which are pumped full of..

e market in organic produce is now, officially, huge. The organic industry in Europe is currently worth 66m euros and is expected to grow by 10 to 50 % in the coming years. So why is there doubt about it's true quality? To date, no substantial or rigorous evidence has been supplied to prove that organic produce is nutritionally more..

Fisherman all over the world have until now relied on a stock of a particular type of fishmeal used to to feed farmed fish such as salmon and trout. However this resource is proving to be finite and fishermen are currently racing to catch the remaining wild-caught marine food, an example of which is anchovy. To stay on top form salmon need to ingest..

Given the choice, would you eat dairy or meat produce from an animal that had been cloned? It's an ethical question that we consumers will face in the coming years, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has now approved the production of food derived from cloned animals. Under the new ruling, meat and other produce from..

From the 25th February to the 9th March, the Fairtrade scheme is celebrating its efforts to provide consumers and producers with ethical trading conditions. In London there will be ongoing promotional events, complete with a fairground, and later during the fortnight a few lucky farmers from far-flung corners of the globe will tour the UK to visit consumers and raise awareness of Fairtrades'..

The alcohol industry thrives, year after year on everyone's weakness for their favourite tipple and it is always trying to invent new ways to lure us in to buy their products and get us hooked. For some time, women have been the target for the alcoholic beverage industry, as merchants have begun to realise that the demand for alcohol among females is now huge..

The laws surrounding the labelling of wine are perhaps some of the most complicated created in France, so perhaps this is the reason why hundreds of vineyards across the country have recently been forced to withdraw their wines amid claims that the labelling is incorrect and misleading..

Porridge oats again hit the headlines this month, this time for the enduring quality of reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Since 50% of Europeans die every year from cardio vascular diseases, this is a timely reminder of this simple foods' health benefits. The authors of the review conclude that "given the numerous positive evidence-based reviews of oats and cholesterol reduction, the consumption of oats..

Not so long ago porridge was viewed as a healthy but boring start to the day and was associated with the sort of watery gruel fed to prisoners or the sick. Now it has been decided by a huge growth in sales, that porridge is now not only excellent for your health, but also very fashionable. In Europe, oat sales grew by 81% between 2000 and 2005 and in the UK alone 47 million gallons of porridge..

In Switzerland, fears are mounting over the uncertain future of their national sausage, the Cervelat. The sausage made from beef, bacon and pork rind is encased in the intestines of a certain type of Brazilian cow, and under EU import regulations this intestine can no longer be imported into Switzerland due to the risk of consumers contracting..

Scientists in the US have now created carrots enriched with calcium to help consumers more easily consume their recommended daily dose of calcium without having to gulp down litres of dairy products that are often high in fat. For years now there has been much debate on the ethics and the need for what are known to some as "Frankenstein foods"- foods that have been genetically modified. One could argue that in many cases of the genetic modification of crops or..

Ever feel like you're being watched? One "self-service" restaurant at a university in the Netherlands is doing exactly that; watching its diners to measure their reactions to subtle changes in the environment and how this affects their eating habits. Many simple choices that we make are unconscious and this new interactive study at the University of Wageningen aims to track how details such as lighting, wall colour, the layout and the attitude of staff affect what we choose to eat and how much we throw away..

When choosing a leg of pork in the local butcher or at the supermarket, how do we know that it's going to be the best quality meat ? A new discovery by scientists in the US will help farmers determine which pig will yield the best meat for consumers and hopefully make our choice a little easier. Scientists have recently discovered four "gene markers" which indicate how fast a pig will grow, how lean it will be, and whether it will produce quality, tender meat..

Eating the typical Mediterranean diet of fish, olive oil, cereals, wine, fruits, nuts, and legumes is now credited with reducing hay fever by 66% and a 39% reduction in asthma symptoms. The research which was conducted by the Unversity of Crete with assistance from Royal Brompton Hospital, London, and the Centre for Epidemiology in Barcelona, looked at children living in Crete..

In a similar move to the French, authorities in Germany have banned smoking in cafes bars and restaurants effective from today. The Germans however have been more lenient than the French in its enforcement. Berlin has decreed that a grace period should be allowed, and the ban will not be enforced for the first..

Christmas is the make or break time for chocolate manufacturers, none more so than Switzerland based Lindt who report a big increase in sales this year. Dark chocolate is doing particularly well in an overall up trend in 2007. Another famous manufacturer is Teuscher of Zurich who specialise in top end gift type chocolates such as Champagne Truffles, Marrons Glacés and the delightful cherry..

Recent research has discovered a link between overcooking food and rises in rates of certain types of cancer among women. The EU has now advised people to avoid burnt toast or browned chips because they contain higher levels of the substance acrylamide..

It would seem that today, the words "fresh" and "locally sourced" are buzz words used by restaurants and supermarkets in a bid to appear healthier. However, claims that fresh vegetables are nutritionally superior to frozen veg are being contested by top chefs such as Marco Pierre White, who cites frozen as the way forward..

Dinner is served after sunset on Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic; traditionally it should not be served until after the first star has come out, and consists of carp and potato salad, sometimes preceded by mushroom, sauerkraut or fish soup. Carp can be prepared a hundred different ways. Christmas carp is specially raised in ponds and then sold from large tubs placed on the streets..

If you want to relieve your childs persistent coughing and get a good nights sleep at the same time, then there's nothing better than giving them honey. Dr Paul concludes that the syrupy quality of the natural honey may be soothing to the throat, combined with a high antioxidant effect is the probable key to its success..

The vast majority of European citizens and consumers are opposed to genetically engineered plants in agriculture and for food," writes Jorgo Riss, Greenpeace director in a letter to José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. GM corn can harm butterflies, modify food chains and disturb life in rivers..

San Francisco recently announced a ban on the cities departments using money to buy bottled water, while New York is recommending their citizens use tap water to reduce the high levels of plastic waste. The city has to foot the bill for recycling this junk plastic, and ultimately that bill ends up with us the consumers..

Over 80 per cent of our salt intake comes from eating processed foods. But if we could reduce our intake by only 15% through some simple dietary changes, then many lives could be saved according to research published in the Lancet. Many experts now believe that eating too much salt increases blood pressure leading to cardiovascular problems responsible for almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe..

Should garlic be classified as a medicine ? That simple question apparently could not be answered without the full weight of the European Court of Justice, who ruled on 15th November. The garlic case was heard because Germany had previously announced that garlic should be called a medicinal product and therefore, under that classification, they would be able to refuse any imports of the product from..

Amador of Frankfurt famous for its Molecular Cuisine wins a 3 star endorsement in the latest Michelin guide. The Spanish restaurateur Juan Amador is particularly commended for developing his own style of MC, including Müritz lamb with coconut and curry says Jean-Luc Naret of Michelin. "Everything we make is basic on classical cuisine," says Chef Juan. "Even when we cook with modern..

Three new studies lend convincing support to the Omega 3 bandwagon. All claim that eating Omega 3 rich fish can improve your brain functions. Whilst much past research has focussed on the heart health benefits, the emerging consensus is that this particular fatty acid is also good for the thought processes..

ke sure you eat only well ripened fruit if you want the full antioxidant effect. Antioxidants become unlocked the more the fruit ripens, and more stilll as the fruit eventually turns towards going bad, claim researchers at the Uni of Innsbruck in Austria. Looking closely at Pear and Apple fruits, the research team found that as the skin changed colour during the ripening process as they underwent a decomposition similar to..

When is a German wine not a wine ? When its made from apples, says the European Commission. Angry German prime minister Roland Koch is "outraged" by the EU "regulatory madness" to bring German wines into line with the International Wine Organisation definition of a true wine. The IWO rules state that a wine can only be a "product from grapes", specifically excluding..

Yet more research has come out in favour of red wine as a powerful anti-oxidant supporting the 'French Paradox' theory that found locals can eat large amounts of saturated fatty acids with little effect on their long term health, providing they also consume regular amounts of red wine with their food. Ah, such hardship ! Michelle Micallef of University of Newcastle, Australia is the author of a detailed research paper (below) describing red wine as containing a naturally rich source of antioxidants..

Men who try not to think about chocolate end up eating more of it, Women however have more self control, according to latest research into thought control. “For example .. trying not to think about having another drink makes it more likely.." says Dr Erskine of Hertfordshire Uni. He decided to research into how your thoughts can affect your actions..

It's no wonder kids don't like what parents dictate. Regardless of being told from an early age what diet we must eat, apparently we all have pre-programmed likes and dislikes written into our genes which override our upbringing. Working with 3,000 twins, Prof. Tim Spector of Kings College set out to see if our food preferences are influenced mainly by our environment or are already pre-determined in our genetic makeup. Previously it was thought our food preferences were formed by our environment whilst growing up, he says: "This (research) has blown that theory out of the water..

At this time of year Swiss families can be seen out in force hunting for their elusive mushrooms. The mysterious fungi can be hard to identify, the colours changing quickly, and some years inexpicably they don't grow at all. Thousands spend the weeks before the first winter frosts roaming the forests with baskets on their arms, kicking over dead autumn leaves, fresh tree roots..

Hyperactivity in children is still being aggravated by mixtures of artificial colours and sodium benzoate found in many snacks and childrens foods. Richard Watts, of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "Parents have said for some time that this is what is happening to their children, but it is disappointing that it has taken so long for an official body to recognise that"..

Prices of staple food items in Germany are jumping by over 50% this year, including bread, cheese, milk and butter. The middlemen in the industry are bein blamed for the price hikes with retailers seeing little of the increase in cash, and the farmers receiving only a pittance per litre of milk. Cheese prices per kilo are set to increase by another..

Passers by near a supermarket in Stuttgart alerted police last sunday when they stumbled over a pack of lobsters running down the street making good their escape. The enterprising crustaceans had clawed their way out of storage crates in the early hours of a sunday morning, ran across..

"..this survey shows that the salt levels in some of these meals are staggeringly high" says Prof. Graham MacGregor of Consensus Action on Salt and Health. Worst offenders were found to be Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Excess salt in our meals has been found to increase blood pressure which can lead to more serious conditions..

Research shows that eating garlic regularly can reduce blood pressure and allow the blood to carry more oxygen to vital organs says Dr Kraus of University of Alabama. "Certainly in areas where garlic consumption is high, such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease..

Nirvana for Switzerlands' Nestle Research centre would be to find out the reason why some people crave chocolate and why some do not. Their recent study which showed a link between what bacteria type we have in our stomach, and the chocolate we crave has got everyone excited. Mr S. Kochar writing the study found that 'glycine', an amino acid, was more prevalent in chocolate eaters, but taurine was higher in those who claim not to eat chocolate..

A study completed by University College London has made a connection between certain centres of the brain and our appetite, suggesting that it is now a simple matter of developing the right chemical and we can all control our weight, through modified eating habits, at will..

Finland alone is claiming 269 foods as healthy under new EU regulations which has seen a flood of thousands of claims across the European continent. If a company wishes to advertise its products as having either a nutritional or health benefit to consumers they must submit a dossier of information to their country regulator, which is then supposed to pass it on to the European Food Standards Authority. Unfortunately EFSA has not issued any guidelines on exactly what scientific support is need for the claims. Aiming at producing a definitive EU wide list..

We could inceasingly see big brother taxes on food to persuade us what to eat. Applying a so called 'Fat Tax' to unhealthy foods changes peoples buying habits and persuades them to buy more healthy options, so says a study lead by Buffalo Uni in New York. UK academics have also suggested that 3,000 deaths could be avoided if the government were to apply a targetted Fat Tax..

The Beaujolais Nouveau, or more correctly the Beaujolais Primeur, launches at just past midnight on the third thursday of November, and 2007 is reported as being a vintage year. April brought with it an early burst of hot sunshine and dry weather, ripening the grape early promising a top quality wine..

Deep in the Lavaux region of western Switzerland the Brothers Dubois quietly go about their family business of producing a little known gourmet wine from the Challelas white grape. The first harvest made in 1947 delivered only 1,000 bottles, but recently due to the care and attention of three generations has grown to 200,000 bottles of their own label. Despite the unpredictable weather this year which has seen many ruined harvests across Europe..

42 cities and towns in Italy are now officially 'Slow' thanks to the efforts of Stefano Cimicchi founder of the 'Slow Cities' Movement. To qualify a town has to have less than 50,000 inhabitants, be prepared to ban cars from the city centre, use sustainable energy and encourage residents to eat only locally grown and raised produce..

Only 32% of children are taking vitamin supplements and these are normally from non-smoking families that have good income and spend less time watching TV. Vitamin D and Calcium are typically under supplied in a normal diet for a child says the National Institute of Health in the US. Suprisingly 41% kids aged 4 to 8 were reported as taking a supplement making them the most active age group..

Bottled water is under attack again, this time in the States where the mayors of New York and San Francisco are urging people to use tapwater to help save the huge amounts of energy on bottle production. Paradoxically it is oil at the centre of this issue rather than water..

Where in the world are 102 roasted steers, 144,000 pairs of sausages, almost half a million roast chickens, and 43,000 knuckles of pork eaten in 11 days ? Yep, Munichs' Oktoberfest is upon us once more. The great German beer and sausage institution running since the year 1810 should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. Throw away all thoughts of diets..

Advertising which encourages drinking four cups of tea a day as part of a healthy diet is a step too far according to the British Advertising Standards Authority. The Dietetic Association (UK) also warned that drinking excessive amounts of tea should be done with care as tea is a diuretic and contains caffeine. The offending UK Tea Council posters read: "Four cups a day can contribute to a diet rich in antioxidants..

Pepsi has decided to openly declare its bottled water branded 'Aquafina' is made from a 'Public Water Source'. The water was never claimed to be from natural Spring Water, but consumers could have had that impression. The Bottled Water industry is increasingly coming under pressure on two fronts; first that it undermines confidence in normal tap water supplies, secondly..

How can food claim to be produced as 'Organic' if it then burns large amounts of carbon via expensive air freight transport ? That is the question the UK Soil Association, which certifies most of the countrys' organic produce, is considering. It may recommend that produce that has been air freighted goes against the green principles of organic food production and cannot be certified as organic..

New money it seems gets everywhere, wine collectors report that they cannot compete with the prices paid by a new breed of buyer out of Asia and Eastern Europe. Château Lafite Rothschild is now a fantastic $14,300 per case, up 65% in the last 6 months..

I recently noticed a great article highlighting the cultural differences between Americans and Europeans. Some of which related to food and dining out habits. Americans apparently value the art of work, whereas Europeans value the art of living

A big suprise for most of us waking up in the EU on January 1st was the discovery that we had just been joined by almost 30 million new neighbours. With all the recent focus on Turkey, the media seem to have missed out on this story at the end of 2006, and so, unbeknown to most, both Bulgaria and Romania were happily celebrating their new year with accession to the Union.
In fact if you were lucky enough to be in the Romanian capital Bucharest...