Supermarket ready meals withdrawn after nuts used as substitute for cumin

People suffering from nut allergies are being advised to take extra precaution when buying supermarket ready meals such as curries, after it is feared that almond and peanut proteins have been used as a replacement for cumin in certain products.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a testing programme and are presently investigating cumin imports across the UK after traces of the nuts were discovered in make- your-own dinner kits, despite not being evident on the labels.

Lindsey McManus, deputy CEO of Allergy UK said: “If you want to be cautious, just avoid anything with cumin in it until we know more – ready meals, spices that you use yourself or anything that’s flavoured with cumin such as curries.

“It’s used in lots of things, but it will be in the ingredients list, so if people want to be cautious they can check the label and avoid it.”

Supermarkets including Aldi and Morrisons withdrew certain products from their shelves after being warned that the seasoning mixes may contain almond and peanut protein.

Staff at Aldi said that the safety of its customers was its ‘number one priority’.

Proffessor Chris Elliot, who led the government’s inquiry into the horse meat scandal back in 2013, said that this case was much more serious as it threatened the lives of allergy sufferers.

Read more:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/people-with-nut-allergies-told-to-temporarily-avoid-supermarket-curries-and-products-containing-cumin-10047691.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2955156/Avoid-supermarket-curries-nut-allergy-sufferers-told-Fears-almond-peanut-proteins-used-substitute-cumin-products.html#ixzz3Ru5GJzjy

 

Food Art!

Blogger Amber Locke, who turned vegan 18 months ago, has her own unique style of creating art using real fruit and vegetables.

She says she feels ‘fantastic’ after turning began and ‘loves the beauty of natural foods and how each ingredient had its own back story’.

Combining complementary shades of greens and reds and bright, vibrant hues from similar shades, chopping up fruits and tearing up lettuce leaves, Amber creates these amazingly detailed 3D pieces of art, layering the objects on top of each other and presenting them symmetrically and randomly, giving each piece a personal edge.

She said: “To me, fruit and veg are not only really good for you nutritionally they also have a wonderful aesthetic appeal too.

“It’s a joy to use beautiful ingredients and my work aims to showcase their unique qualities, reflect the changing seasons of the year and also be a celebration of healthy living.”

Her inspiration to start creating these beautiful images emerged after she dropped some vegetables onto her front doorstep. Autumn leaves blew into them and she thought it looked so appealing she herself began deconstructing pieces of food and arranging them to produce eye catching designs and I don’t think healthy food has ever looked so delicious!

Check out this video for Amber’s raw vegan Spaghetti Bolognese recipe!

Check out Amber’s blog for yourself: http://www.ambaliving.com/

Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/11347460/The-amazing-fruit-and-veg-art-of-Amber-Locke.html?frame=3165638

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2891515/Artist-creates-beautiful-works-art-REAL-fruit-vegetables.html

Healthy cocktails?!

Being a student and being enthusiastic about living a healthy lifestyle at the same time can prove difficult, especially when it comes to drinking. I love going out and having a good time but always feel guilty about consuming one drink (or five) too many when I wake up the next day. But this brand new concoction is about to wipe me of this guilt. It is the creation we have all been waiting for; healthy cocktails.

Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka‘s UK brand ambassador, has replaced coconut cream with coconut water and added kale juice with basil leaves to create delicious low-fructose and low alcohol cocktails, priced on average at only £8.50, the standard price for a cocktail in a London bar.

She has even given them twists on their names, from Pina Colada to Pina- Kale- Ada.

Smith said: “We recognise that enjoying a well-made cocktail is part of the social fabric of life, and we wanted to celebrate this by demonstrating fantastic cocktails made with a variety of alcohol levels as well as different, 100% natural flavours and sweeteners.

“Great drinks don’t just have to just be about how much alcohol they contain, but should be judged by how delicious they are. Today we are aware of the harmful effects of overindulgence not just from alcohol but from sugar and artificial flavours and Belvedere want to show that there are ways to drink ‘better’, when armed with just a little bit of knowledge.”

BoBo’s Juicery will be teaming up with Marcus Wareing’s Tredwell’s restaurant to create these new and healthy concoctions, made from a base of Bobo’s fresh juice and containing Strength-Giving Gimlet (gin, ginger, pineapple, wheatgrass) and the Hail Mary (vodka, beetroot, carrot, coriander, fennel, lime, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and celery stick).

I love you Claire.
And I love you Vodka.

To read more and view some recies for coktails you can make at home, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2903628/The-superfood-cocktails-packed-vitamins-minerals-antioxidants.html

Earthlings

Earthlings is the most powerful documentary regarding the treatment of animals I have ever watched. Directed by Shaun Monson, this multi-award winning film by Nation Earth exposes the truth about the treatment of animals all over the world.

Monson said: “I hope people can “make the connection” between all expressions of life – human, animal, tree, because we all share the same planet, and one life form is connected to another.

“One thing Earthlings shows is animals clearly experience fear and pain, as do humans. When we use them, we are causing them tremendous fear and pain, right up until their death. So we ask people to make that connection between animal products they use, how they are obtained, and so on.”

Skip to 17 minutes and 45 seconds to watch the section focusing on food, revealing what really happens in the slaughter house and how the food you are consuming has ended up on your plate. Not only is it not fair but it is not good for your body to consume this meat, after the trauma the animal has experienced, hormones they have been pumped with and disease they have suffered.

These images are extremely disturbing and unforgivable, however it is not right for us as the consumer to be blinded from the truth and this documentary is definitely worth a watch. Every living being deserves a place on this planet just as much as we do.

“The images you are about to see are not isolated cases. These are the industry standard for animals bred as pets, food, clothing, for entertainment and research. Viewer discretion is advised.”

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce4DJh-L7Y