Scientists have discovered that cockroach milk is four times more nutritious than cow’s milk with a protein that releases energy slowly over a long period of time.

The cockroach secretes a type of milk that contains protein crystals to feed it’s embryo’s before they are born.These crystals, in turn, contain protein and essential fats, sugars and amino acids. The protein also has other benefits, like the fact that it releases energy slowly over a long period of time. It’s time released food.

The Centre of Cellular and Molecular Platforms in India which has run the preliminary trials on this stated that ,’Once we can make them (proteins) in significant quantities than the product will be comprehensively tested for safety before deciding on the next steps.’

Market fears over the UK’s potential exit from Europe are driving up food and drink costs warns buying specialist Lynx Purchasing. Fresh produce costs have been increasing as uncertainty in the City over the outcome of the referendum on June 23rd has seen sterling fall in value against both the euro and the dollar.

The report published by Lynx said that suppliers were facing the challenge of the weakening f the sterling that has hit the price of imports both from Europe and further afield. Key commodities such as coffee and bananas are traded in dollars also pushing up the prices. The availability and cost of labour and the introduction of the National Living Wage in April have already increased labour costs the report said.

The report also found that food producers relied heavily on migrant labour from the EU for seasonal work such as picking and packing. The producers were worried about the longer term availability of these workers and the effect on their costs in the event Britain leaves.

Higher prices for fuel are also being paid by UK companies shipping from Europe, along with increased costs due to the migrant crisis. Lynx said that hauliers had significantly increased the charges per pallet year-on-year to cover increased insurance costs. The supply chain thrives on certainty and with the forthcoming referendum splitting the polls, ambiguity for food companies on the outcome of the poll is causing uncertainty.

Sugar like any food commodity should be part of any well balanced diet. It is imperative though not to be hood-winked by the different food packaging that detail ‘naturally occurring sugars only’, and for consumers to see this as a license to consume as much product as possible.

Naturally occurring sugars can be as detrimental to one’s diet as ‘added sugars’. This is an important point, when one is purchasing in food products they should check the ‘sugar level’ on the nutritional values on the label as this is the tangible metric to consider and not whether sugars are natural or added sugars in product. Any value above 20g of sugar per 100ml/g is to be wary of. This can be inclusive of the aforementioned naturally occurring sugars or added sugars (those added to food and not naturally occurring).

What we can do to combat this major issue which is seeing children grow obese and having very early tooth decay is to ensure we read all labels on purchases as above, keep sugary treats (we all have them!) to main meal times only, reduce/eliminate eating sticky/chewy confectionery with high sugar content as they will stick to ones teeth and build up acid on teeth over a longer period of time, eat fresh not dried fruit, keep smoothies to meal times and use fluoride toothpaste for both yourself and your children. These small steps will greatly reduce the chances of both yourself and your children inheriting bad habits that lead to dental decay and ill health. At the moment, food companies don’t have to tell you what is naturally occurring and what has been added so you can be forgiven for being confused.

Milk, which is considered an essential part of our daily diet, is the most adulterated food commodity. Milk is adulterated by adding water, removing cream, adding artificial colouring agents and preservatives such as formaldehyde, boric cids and other acids.

Milk adulterants can also have hazardous health effects/impact on unsuspecting consumers as some of the aforementioned detergents can cause food poisoning and other gastrointestinal complications.

Other chemicals that are used such as hydrogen peroxide and formalin to prolong shelf life in milk products can be very harmful to health too.

A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) backs a sugar tax, mandatory nutrient labelling and restrictions on marketing to children in a bid to tackle the child obesity epidemic around the world.

Produced by the WHO’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO), the report was presented to the WHO yesterday after two years in the making, during which time ECHO consulted over 100 WHO member states and reviewed nearly 180 online comments.

The 68 page report urges the food industry to play its part in ending the obesogenic environment which exposes children to cheap, readily available ‘ultra-processed, energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods’ by producing healthier food and drinks. But it also calls for government -led policy, such as taxation and marketing restrictions. The report will be put to the WHO assembly in May 2016 when member states will have the opportunity to discuss the findings and provide the support needed to go forward with implementation of the guidance. Some of the WHO’s recommendations include: Implement an effective tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, reduce the exposure of children and adolescents to, and the power of the marketing of unhealthy foods & a standardised global nutrient labelling system and interpretive front-of-pack labelling.

The role of food education was also emphasised in the report, which recommended nutrition literacy be a core part of the curriculum as well as bans on the sale of foods in salt, sugar and fat in schools.’Strong commitments must be accompanied by strong implementation systems and well-defined accountability mechanisms.’

A daily intake of sugary drinks can lead to high levels of visceral belly fat, according to a recent study from the British Heart Association.

The study said that there is a direct correlation between regular sugary beverage intake and a change in visceral adipose tissue in middle age adults. In contrast, the study observed no such association for sugar-free beverages.’ The present study supports current dietary recommendations that limiting sugar-sweetened beverage consumption may be helpful to prevent cardio-metabolic diseases’ the British Heart Association was quoted as saying.

Abdominal adipose tissue, especially visceral adipose tissue (VAT), commonly referred to as belly fat, has been linked to type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other health problems. The study said both the quantity and quality of the belly fat are associated with cardio-metabolic health risks.

A survey conducted in 2015 known as the ‘Future of Food’ showed that up to 33% of the average family’s grocery shopping ends up in the bin. We need to be more conscious of what we eat and to try and be more diligent on the likes of portion size, bulk purchasing at reduced rates, etc so as to negate this worrying trend seen in the more wealthier parts of the globe.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2016.

Elite Food Solutions.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statement last month on processed meats and it’s propensity to accelerate the chances of colorectal cancer left many people Worldwide anxious and many farmers & meat processing plants that contribute to a three billion euro meat industry in Ireland, understandably vexed with this ultra negative viewpoint.

Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for WHO, has now claimed that the original message from the report was ‘misinterpreted’. WHO released the statement in response to last month’s cancer review which has tobacco, processed meats and arsenic in the same classification group. Hartl explained that this was a ‘shortcoming’.

According to estimates cited by the IARC (International Agency of Research on Cancer), there are 34,000 cancer deaths per annum Worldwide that can be directly attributed to diets high in processed meat. There are approximately one million cancer deaths per annum attributable to tobacco smoking.

As  a rebuttal, I believe WHO should get their proverbial facts right before this unnecessary scaremongering. With any ‘balanced diet’ that incorporates processed meats in moderation, there is no discernible reason for trepidation. The ripple effect has been felt by the meat industry following the original ‘exposé’  with many businesses losing as much as 20% business coming up to the Christmas festivities and I think it is only right that unassailable facts are solely reported with no ambiguity and not mere speculation.

White bread is one of the most common staple foods, but it’s something that you really should avoid if you want to eat healthily.

Here are five reasons why you should skip white bread, and instead eat bread with whole grain as it’s first ingredient.

(1) It has zero nutritional value.

White bread is made primarily with enriched white flour which has had all its nutrients stripped away and replaced with only token amounts of vitamins (hence the word ‘enriched’).

(2) It won’t keep you satisfied.

White bread because it spikes your blood sugar levels gives you a carb rush followed by a crash. Thanks to the fibre in whole-grain bread, energy is released more slowly.

(3) It will make you gain weight.

Studies have shown a correlation between eating large quantities of white bread and gaining weight.

(4) It’s full of additives & preservatives. Your average loaf of white bread is full of conditioners and preservatives, including mono and diglycerides, ammonium sulphate,etc. These ingredients are completely devoid of nutrition and only help make the bread softer and preserve its shelf life.

(5) It doesn’t taste like anything!

The flavour of processed white bread leaves a lot to be desired. We may find it palatable because we’re used to it, but toast a piece of whole grain bread and you’ll be glad you’re eating something rich and nutty that actually tastes like real food.

Irish & British food and drink manufacturers could find themselves ‘priced out of Eurozone markets’, after the Greek people voted decisively to reject an international bailout in the referendum held yesterday, 05/07/’15. The result of the vote has sparked fears that the country will quit not just the monetary union but the EU.

Should Greece exit the Eurozone, Irish & UK food and drink exporters can expect more market volatility. In the case of euro weakness, food and drink exporters could find themselves ‘priced out’ of Eurozone markets.

‘Exporters can protect themselves by looking at different currency strategies to mitigate risk and minimise losses from unfavourable currency fluctuations,’ said Carl Hasty of Smartcurrencybusiness.com