There are many useful techniques for preservation of our fresh food to eat in winter or out of season, often these are forgotten or are not passed on through the generations nowadays with our tendency to rely totally on supermarket stocks. Preserving can be..

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..

Going for that all important job interview? Wondering what you could safely eat before you go in? There are certainly many foods you should not go near if you..

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..

Ever wondered exactly what an astronaut eats, or how they get to eat in zero gravity? Suprisingly they get to eat three good meals a day, but some of the contortions they..

We need food to keep us awake, but did you realise thare are certain foods we need to keep us asleep? High on carbohydrates is the rule, but please, none of those junk food versions! The key is to get the brain to calm down into..

Buying to eat in recession means trying to save those precious pennies on everything we buy, but the upside is that we can use this time positively to lose weight by eating a sensible balanced diet and staying off those..

Considering a holiday down-under ? Wondering whether you will find any tasty foods like we have at home ? Well you may be suprised, it's not all 'Bush Tucker' and there are some highly sophisticated restaurants that would put many in Europe..

Would you like to eat well, and eat more for less? We are all looking for ways to stretch our budgets a little further nowadays and so we rounded up the top ten tips on saving money when you are shopping for food. 1. Reduce meat servings by using beans or eggs, and don't forget casseroles make your meat go further. 2. Be aware and suspicious of..

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..

Strange foods come in all shapes and sizes. Recently we reported on camel's milk chocolate and another interesting food combination is one to come from the Unites States. Chocolate-covered bacon is pushing the

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...

After two years of development, the latest wacky food is on the market – camel milk chocolate. Branded as a luxury item, Al Nassma chocolate from Dubai is a unique confectionary which has just been taste tested during the Eid festival and is now on general sale internationally...

You would be forgiven for thinking that frogs legs were simply a French delicacy, reserved for Michelin-starred restaurants where they come laden with all sorts of sauces. The main market for frogs legs – and the one causing their major depletion in numbers and near-extinction – comes from Asian countries such as Indonesia, China and...

It is hardly surprising that in recession-hit Britain, more and more people are turning towards budget food brands to save money and a consumer affairs report has confirmed that low-cost items can be just as nutritious as their more expensive, nicely-packaged counterparts...

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...

Losing weight can be an expensive business at times, as swapping cheap chips for organic tofu comes at a price. However, lots of healthy food can be incredibly cheap, as locally grown vegetables and fruit are often cheap options.
One of the major changes in peoples' diets during this financial crisis has been that they stay at home...

Iron deficiency in the developing world, especially among women and children, is a serious problem which could be overcome, scientists believe, through a new breakthrough in rice technology.
Naturally, rice has a seed coat which is rich in iron, yet in hotter climates

The melted chocolate bar in the bottom of your handbag is going to make you fat anyway, so why bother eating it? Swiss Chocolatier Barry Callebaut may have found the solution to both these problems – a melt-resistant, low-calorie chocolate bar which...

France has always been known for its delectable sweet pastries, croissants and traditional biscuits, yet the French themselves are eschewing traditional products in favour of other products according to the French food agency, AFSSA...

The G8 Leaders gather in Aquila, Italy, this week to discuss further action regarding the financial crisis, climate change and nuclear power. Aquila is also home to one of the most sumptuous banquets in Italy this past week as...

Following on from yesterday's ridiculous gadgets, there are equally strange pre-prepared foodstuffs up for grabs. Since boiling an egg became terribly difficult, the kind people at The Happy Egg Company have done it all for us...

Functional foods are in high demand right now, as we are all looking for that magic potion which will give us more antioxidants, vitamins, probiotics and all the rest. One of the world's leading functional food marketing experts has put together a book on the psychology behind the consumer's choice and what...

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...

The British prison service has arguably little to shout about, where overcrowding is a serious problem. One of Her Majesty's prisons however, has added a little bit of star quality to its usual dour interior...

The folks down at the All-England Tennis Club are really no fun when it comes to food. Wimbledon Championship stars such as Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Serena Williams are not allowed to bring in any food from outside into their locker...

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...

The debate still rages regarding the overuse of plastic within the food industry and one scientist has revealed that companies have no incentive to use recycled plastic because new plastic comes cheaper...

Those Locavores have it so easy nowadays! In the States, Locavores – people who eat only locally-produced food – can now pick up their iPhone and ask it what produce is in season locally and what...

The Rainbow Grocery store in San Francisco, California has been up and running since the 1970's and has been working under a radical cooperative business model since its inception...

Perhaps Britain is looking for innovative new ways to dispense with its strawberries, which are in-season and extremely yummy at this time of year. The supermarket chain Waitrose has come up with an interesting, if not weird, combination of sausages, strawberries and cream to create its Berry Banger...

Many Australians proudly call vegemite their national treasure and expats long for the taste of that bitter, salty dark spread. Vegemite has been around since 1922 and the recipe has never changed, yet now new American owners Kraft foods have seen fit to...

New research from a UK university. has found that we can all save ourselves some valuable time in the kitchen by not chopping the vegetables – well, carrots at least. Apparently, carrots that are cooked whole rather than diced retain more of their nutritional value after cooking and can better protect us from a...

Is it wholly necessary that celebrities find the need to strip off for the camera every time there's a worthy cause to get behind? Animal rights group PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) punchy “I'd rather go naked” campaign featured a nude Pamela Anderson and Naomi Campbell...

Although Starbucks is revered as a coffee heaven for that early morning fix on the way to work, customers have been of the opinion that their food offerings leave a lot to be desired...

Plans revealed this week by the UK's Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, could overhaul the way we shop. Benn's idea to reintroduce self-refilling of items such as coffee, beans, detergent powders and the like could spell an end to the disastrous mountains of packaging that each household accumulates...

At the same time as business leaders and scientists met in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on the weekend of May 24-26 to discuss global warming at the World Business Summit on Climate Change, another type of “summit” was happening elsewhere in the city to decide upon future changes to the gastronomic world...

Anyone opting to eat aeroplane food on the ground may be considered experimental, but those that are willing to pay for the privilege just raving mad?!...

Big Brother contestants in the UK version of the popular show were in for a nasty surprise this year when they entered the usually plush BB house. The 16 housemates are in fact not fully fledged housemates and...

Have you inspected your fridge at work lately to see what's lurking in the bottom? One such fridge in San Jose, California kicked up quite a stink this week as 325 employees had to evacuate the AT&T offices due to the smell of rotting food...

A chef from Montréal has come under fire from European animal rights activists after proudly serving up seal meat on his menu. The French restauranteur, Benoit Lenglet has been cooking up seal tartare and seal pepperoni for two years at his Québecois restaurant, Au 5ieme Peche...

Japanese conglomerate, Mitsubishi, have been accused of hoarding stocks of bluefin tuna to sell on in the coming years when numbers of the fish are expected to deplete.

The fish, which can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and live as long as 40 years, is in danger of becoming extinct...

Those who thought that genetic modification was the preserve of non-drip tomatoes and “golden rice”, think again! An American company has made a hybrid of the Atlantic salmon by taking elements from another variety of salmon. The result is a fish which...

In the years following the second world war, the Spanish population turned to a crop named vetch, or vicia, to sustain themselves. This plant is a type of legume and can be used to make porridge, bread, flour and cereal...

Following on from our previous article on online food-related gaming comes an intriguing and amusing offering from Playstation...

This weekend will see the foodie crowd well and truly descend on the English southcoast town of Brighton...

The British are not known for their excellence in cheese-making quite like the French...

Ever wondered why you're able to remember the most unhealthy meals?...

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

What is it that gives some people superhuman willpower and others just crumble...

For producers at ground level, these are certainly some of the hardest times that they have had to face...

New Zealand and Australia often make light-hearted fun of each others weaknesses but according to the Kiwis...

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

According to latest research from Cardiff University, our taste memories stay with us and influence greatly the types of foods...

At the beginning of the recession, it was reported that the chocolate industry was doing just fine and even that sales...

Today's vernal equinox signifies the start of the Iranian New Year, a festival named Nowruz meaning 'New Day ' in Persian...

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

A scientist from Purdue University, Indiana, has found a unique way in which to destroy harmful bacteria present on fresh food that all too often afflict humans...

In the wealthy area of California, Orange County, food banks are having a hard time catering for the poor, as donations cannot meet the rising demand due to recent job shortages...

We previously reported on nanotechnology which is set to revolutionise the food we eat, by hiding fats, making healthy things taste better...

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...

A while ago, we reported on the Slow Food movement...

If there were one confectionary item that could take on the world, it may just be the cupcake...

The latest food trend to sweep the uber-healthy city of Los Angeles is... hold onto your smoothies...

Today, the farming of cod has become a political subject and the restrictions surrounding the practice have been tightened due to government intervention and concern over the massive shortages...

Forget trying to rustle up the latest take on duck à l'orange – the newest trend of 2008/2009 eating is cheap comfort food, and lots of it! As restaurant profits take a plunge, people are opting to eat at home both in Europe and Stateside...

Scientists in Denmark have found that dark chocolate, as well as supposedly being heart-healthy, can also fill you up for longer, according to a study published this week...

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...

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...

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..

Thanks to new evidence that has just come out, we can now safely blame our genes once again for being overweight! Researchers at the University of Texas have found that obese people generally have fewer pleasure..

Ecotarianism might be described by some as a sort of "Greatest Hits" collection of all our favourite food fads of the last decade. The word was coined by undergraduate students at Oxford University in 2006 who wanted to combine all the major environmental and humanitarian aspects surrounding the products we buy and roll them..

Staving off hunger pangs is a tricky business and one that dieters often find the most traumatising parts of a strict diet, but now there may be a perfect formula for warding off hunger. Researchers at the University of California have found that..

This week the scientific community found more evidence to suggest that we are being exposed to harmful chemicals every day and it is not something that we have a choice over, or are even aware of. The study looked into the effects of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on human health – the chemical is found in plastics most commonly used for food and..

What happens if you can't get your chocolate fix on time? Do you go into meltdown, or just wait until your next available opportunity?

The new Chococlock allows you to grab a piece of chocolate on the hour, every hour but you only have 30 seconds in which to grab the..

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 latest buzz word around restaurants in search of the freshest, most unusual, wild ingredients, is foraging. Also available to everyone anywhere, foraging is the age-old tradition of taking what mother nature is giving out for free and finding some great new ingredients for your..

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..

The Olympic athletes aren't the only ones who have gone through a gruelling training schedule in the run up to the Games in Beijing this summer. In order to prepare the mountains of food required for the festival of sport, inspectors and manufacturers from the suburbs of Beijing have been working round the clock to ensure the quality and safety of the food to be..

If your dinner table conversation is getting a bit old, or is limited to the usual "how was your day" line of questioning, then one woman from California may have the answer for you in the form of a little box of tricks named 'Food for Talk'..

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..

Most people who have been through a few "salad" phases know that food when you're dieting isn't particularly fun, sweet or sour and generally doesn't do anything much to excite the taste buds. Now scientists have found a new way to artificially change the taste of what we..

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..

Since the backlash against food-miles began, a small yet growing movement called Locavorism has been gaining ground in Europe and the US. Locavores are people who shun imported food and choose to eat only what has been grown or produced within a 100 mile radius of their house..

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..

Have you ever wondered what a lemon would taste like if the bitter overtones went away? Now thanks to a "miracle fruit" you can completely turn your taste buds upside down, making it possible to eat bitter or sour foods as if they were..

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..

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..

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..

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 food crisis has well and truly hit, with riots springing up in Haiti, Egypt, Bangladesh and many more countries across the world feeling the pinch of a mass shortage in food.

World Bank gives a helping hand
This week, the World Bank and the UN have both stepped up with promises to help the worldwide farming community. The World Bank is offering a doubling of agricultural loans to African farmers and has pledged to give emergency aid - in the form of millions of dollars - to countries such as Haiti whose residents have descended deeper into poverty since the astronomical rises in staple..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

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..

The Thai New Year is a three day celebration that usually falls between the 10th and 18th of April. This year the New Year, known in Thai as Songkran, will be celebrated from the 13th to the 15th April, so what better time to reflect upon some of the traditions of this centuries-old national celebration. The ancestors of the Thai people originated from the Yunnan Province in China and it is here, nearly one thousand years ago, that the New Year festivities first took place. The dates correspond to the fifth full moon of the lunar calendar and the Songkran festival's original..

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..

Sleeping is one of the vital components of getting the most out of our day, and maintaining a regular sleep pattern is just as important as maintaining a healthy and energising diet. Below are the key tips for those who want to get the most out of those precious 8 hours. BANANAS & MILK : Warm milk is an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that has a relaxing effect on the brain, and bananas are great sources of magnesium which is a muscle relaxant so have a little snack around half an hour before going to bed. However, be aware of your own digestion patterns and don't eat a whole banana if you feel it will sit in your stomach and cause discomfort during the night..

After a hard day at the office, the one word that should be on your mind is relaxation and everything you do should be towards the goal of relaxing! This is not only to benefit our bodies and relax our muscles, but to give our brains and our energy levels the best chance of waking up energized and raring-to-go the next day. If you always think in advance of the effects of what you're eating, you can't go wrong. Be aware that what you eat at dinner time has a direct effect on your sleep, so try and choose foods that naturally relax the body and mind. Tryptophan is an amino acid that our bodies cannot make, but the brain needs it in order to make serotonin – a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the brain..

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..

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..

Thanks to the declining numbers of our favourite types of fish, such as salmon and cod, a different fish is on the block and it hasn't been favoured much since the middle ages. Carp is the latest watery friend to be farmed in a bid to move our tastebuds away from traditional fayre and towards a more sustainable type of fish..

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..

In an astonishing move to promote 'dumbing down' of popular language, UK government officials reckon that food recipes need to be written in language which is easier to read and understand. A new study by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills states that recipes written by male chefs are easier to understand that those written by female chefs, and that many culinary terms will confuse readers. The literacy experts analysed five recipes..

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..

The latin name Theobroma Cacao given to chocolate in the 1700s translates as 'Food of the Gods'; but 3,000 years before that in Hondurs they were enjoying a chocolate alcohol drink from the pulp of the cacao fruit. Later came the chocolate drink made from the more bitter flavour of the cacao bean, so beloved of the Mayan and Aztec societies, specially reserved for their ceremonial occasions. The cacao beans were fermented and mixed into a lquid together with herbs, honey, and sometimes chilli..

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..

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..

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..

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..

The heat of the 'Bhut Jolokia' pepper is so hot it is almost twice as fiery as the previous title holder 'Red Savina'. Dr. P. Bosland, of Chile Pepper Institute, aptly situated in New Mexico, stumbled across the red hot chile in India back in 2001. He collected some seeds and has nurtured the plants for several..

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..

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..

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..

Women crave chocolate more than Men, and if you are feeling irritable, or even rejected, then you are much more likely to reach for that chocolate bar to soothe the nerves and improve your mood. Out of 3,000 subjects tested, more than 1,500 had food cravings..

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..

National Geographic have an interesting new site: www.thegreenguide.com with some thought provoking articles based around the green issues we all face. An organic food quiz caught my attention as fun, although i got only half of the answers correct !

Milk deteriorates quickly in plastic containers under supermarket flourescent lights, leading to bad taste and killing off the nourishing effects of B2 and Vitamin C..

Food additives are again being blamed for temper tantrums, poor concentration and hyperactivity in children. New findings by Southampton University in the UK again link EU approved additives to behavioural problems..

27 year old Marcel Vigneron finalist in US TV's 'Top Chef" show used Molecular Gastronomy to amaze his audience, producing the wierd looking Cyber Egg, and other delights like Coffee Caviar and Potatoes cooked using Nitrous Oxide!
His space age ingredients included..

The fashionable practice of Molecular Gastronomy where chefs can explore and combine novel flavours such as caviar with chocolate has recently come under fire as "the biggest lie out there.."

Superfoods, the new buzzword in health and nutrition nowadays has us re-discovering and eating naturally healthy foods. Well, I thought the idea was to eat them, but the Japanese have invented a whole new way of using foods to boost energy

With the logo of a snail, the 'Slow Food Movement' certainly has not been slow to gather worldwide support. Already with more than 83,000 members the Movement started from humble beginnings in Italy 1986 when a certain Carlo Petrini successfully demonstrated against the opening of yet another McDonalds branch in the city of Rome

The Italians drink the most, followed by the Germans and then the French. What is it, Wine ? Champagne ? no its plain ordinary water, bottled that is. Sales of bottled water in Europe are huge, but are stagnating in a highly competitive and oversupplied market