organic beef prospects for 2008

John Brennan is better positioned than most to conjecture on the main organic meat sectors� prospects for 2008. Along with being a farmer himself, he is also manager of Leitrim Organic Farmers� Co-operative. The Co-op has 185 farmer members. It also has a certified organic abattoir in Bawnboy, Cavan, run by Kevin Heeary. The Co-op sells its meat through its own mobile butcher�s unit and to Marks and Spencers.

According to John: �the price of conventional beef has gone up. In order for us to retain our premium, we need our prices to rise with the conventional prices. Most of the plants are talking �3.08 to �3.13 for conventional, whereas we�re at �3.93 a kilo. We need to retain a 25% differential, which we have at present.�

However there are issues for the sector: �there are a lot of cattle over 30 months of age in the system. At the moment, only the Good Herdsman is taking them. With the current cost of feed, farmers are maybe feeding cattle less and finishing them later�.

However, �this may lead to a tight supply in the next few months, which may lead to a price increase� according to John.

On feed, there are a number of issues, but there is also some positive news: �the good news is that we are seeing a substantial increase in the amount of suitable winter crops in Ireland. Crops such as soya and maize don�t grow well here, so we�re relying on imports from places like France. Other protein options would be peas or beans.�

The relevance of winter feed depends upon the stage you have the animals at, with winter finishers hardest hit:

�Most farmers in the west of Ireland feed very little grain anyway, whereas winter finishers in the rest of Ireland will feel it quite a bit.�

The price increase in feed has been sharp: �the typical beef ration, the 17% beef ration cost, this time last year �480 a tonne. Now it�s �550-600 a tonne. That�s a whopping great jump for farmers to have to cope with. And that�s with no great increase in price coming. That will certainly affect farmers going forward.�

Another issue is regulatory change. As and from the 1^st January all organically certified animals must be fed a 100% certified organic diet: �This too is adding to the costs for organic farmers. The change is good in that we can now reassure consumers that all feed is organically certified and non GM. However that cost has to be passed onto the consumer�.

There are some issues with this thesis. I put it to John that the consumer probably thinks that the feed is 100% already: Surely consumers are na�ve to the realities of farming and input availability � many urban consumers probably don�t even realise cattle eat anything other than grass. In this context, I suggested to John that organic farmers and their representative organisations and marketers are probably better off not making a song and dance about the sudden shift over to 100% organic feed:

John agrees, laughing: �maybe we are! Making the consumer aware of that might not be the best PR job for the sector at the moment. Overall, however, farmers will feel the effects of this change, especially the winter finishers�.

In general, John suggests that farmers may also have to start looking into the breed of cattle they stock: �We need to look at breeds that are more easily finished here, like the native breeds. Breeds such as Hereford and Angus don�t require huge amounts of grain to finish. We need to try to produce more meat with grass only, by introducing more proteins into the grass sward. This can be done through introducing clover into the sward�.

advocacy training for the organic sector in Ireland

ADVOCACY TRAINING

for the Organic NGO Sector

ENFO Offices, 17 St Andrew Street, Dublin 2

Tues 22 January 2008 - 10am to 4.30pm

Advocacy is defined as arguing in favour of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; and as engaging in active support. How would this training event be of value to the organic sector? While we may be individually capable of arguing the case for the sector, this event could help develop a stronger collective voice, at a time when there is a window of opportunity for bringing about a faster pace of progress. The organic sector is made up of a diverse range of organisations, and individuals, with a very high level of motivation in relation to environmental, social, and health issues. This training can help us build coalitions around specific issues, and equip us with additional advocacy and campaigning skills.

This is an all-island training event that will bring together representatives of organic NGO�s from both sides of the border, to address issues of common concern. The event is organised by the Organic Centre, in partnership with NorthWest Organics.

The trainer, Brian Harvey, is the author of �Working for Change � a guide to influencing policy in Ireland�, a handbook for community and voluntary organisations on how to influence the policy-making process. The handbook is published by Combat Poverty, and will be available at the workshop. It describes how political and administrative systems work; how, where and when groups can intervene; and advises on the skills and strategies needed to get involved in making a difference, whether at a local, regional or national level.

The one-day workshop will be based on the handbook, and will provide training in the following areas:

1. Defining advocacy and campaigning

2. Setting objectives for a campaign

3. Tools of a campaign eg. policy reports, media, research, newsletters, mailing lists, conferences, writing letters, etc

4. Case-studies of successful campaigns

5. Coalition building and networking

There will also be an opportunity during the final session to discuss the potential for building collaborative partnerships around specific policy issues, and for developing a broader advocacy network within the organic sector. For further information, please contact Wayne Foord at the Organic Centre, tel. 00353 (0)71 9854338, or Kevin Hickey at NorthWest Organics, tel. 048 71337950.

if music be the food of the soul....

have a look at and a listen to these ingenious people, and what they are doing with their vegetables: wwwooooowwwww!

the wine diet: a book review

Here's a review I wrote early last year for organic matters, about a book I'd just completed at the time. The book was called the Wine Diet, and it has recently been reprinted, this time called the Red Wine Diet. Which is fair enough, as Corder has nothing particularly positive to say about white wine. The book also ties in with the fighting foods article I posted here recently.

I have to say that I'm happy with the style of the article below - I'm glad it reads as it does. This isn't always the case for me, so enjoy.

I got The Wine Diet by Roger Corder as what could be called a reluctant Christmas present. Anyone who already enjoys his fair share of beaded bubbles winking at the brim doesn�t necessarily need help convincing himself to further integrate wine into his life. So the present-giver was hesitant, but I�m glad she gave it. And the sauce-consumption hasn�t skyrocketed since then either.

Part of her trepidation may have come from the by-line on the front cover of the book: �Drink red wine every day; Eat fruit and berries, nuts and chocolate; Enjoy a longer, healthier life�. Wow. Bold claims indeed, in both senses of the word. No, this wasn�t written by a spin doctor for some global wine brand, quite the opposite in fact. Rodger Corder is a very level-headed Professor of Experimental Therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London. And most if not all of the big global wine brands come out badly from the book, as will be seen later.

The types of wine Corder advocates in his own version of moderation � one glass at lunch, one or two with your evening meal, every day � are wines high in a particular type of natural plant chemical, or polyphenol. Specifically, the holy grail of polyphenols is called procyanidin. This is the most abundant polyphenol in young red wines, and according to Corder�s extensive research, it is a key to keeping our blood vessels from clogging up and thus to keeping ourselves healthy.

But not all red wines have them. While he provides some handy examples in the book, it�s possible to guesstimate on the basis that traditionally-made, regional wines on small family vineyards are probably well on the way to healthy. With this in mind, consider the following specific traits: Fermentation where the seeds and skins stay in contact with the fruit for a long time; particular regional grape varietals with plenty of seeds in the first place; vineyards at reasonably high altitudes; low yields; well established vines that don�t need or get too much irrigation; tough soil conditions; long, slow ripening; natural settling in the bottle, rather than excessive fining or especially filteration; aging in oak rather than steel barrels � all these characteristics can help the procyanidin levels in a wine stay high.

These wines can be considered socio-culturally and environmentally embedded rather than anonymous and globalised, as some many of our available wines are today. Why? Because Corder takes his cue from the lifestyles, including the wine-drinking habits, of people in various mountainous rural parts of Europe. In general, there has been a French Paradox, whereby the French who drink plenty of wine seem to live longer than they should because of their lifestyle and diet. However, hilly parts of the islands of Sardinia, Crete and the south-west of France have populations that live Europe�s longest and healthiest lives. What�s more, there are dietary anomalies along with a deficit in anything approaching a modern health care infrastructure in these remote places.

While these peoples do consume a typically good Mediterranean diet, and have a lot of outdoor work and indeed hill walking integrated into their daily routines, they also consume too much saturated fat, and many of them smoke a lot. Along with this, they often don�t have nearby hospitals or easy access to GPs. Crucially, from Corder�s perspective, they are old without medical interventions. Few of the many centurions in Sardinia have had a heart bypass. Who knows what age these people would actually get to if they had their local red wines, slightly tweaked versions of their current lifestyles and the full gamut of modern medicine at their disposal? For Corder, the missing link, the answer to that French (longevity) Paradox that�s been knocking around for decades now, is the type of wine these people drink.

None of the big boys of the wine world do well from this book. As he says himself, �I�m very sorry to tell you that the big brands that have led to the huge expansion of Australian wine exports are, on the whole, low in procyanidins�. In fact, having read the book, it�s possible to extract a rule of thumb for red wine - if a particular wine is advertised on TV it�s almost certainly of little or no health benefit to you at all.

Corder has written a health and diet book, not a wine book. Importantly, diet here refers to a way to eat, not a way to avoid food. Essentially Corder thinks that procyanidins are vital, and some red wines just happen to have them. Hence the byline quoted earlier that refers to dark chocolate, berries, nuts and fruits. Many of these foods have this healthful thing too. Again, however, Corder is clear � processed versions of these are of little use either. To get any health benefit from chocolate, make sure it is as pure and high in coca solids as possible. Likewise, pure apple juice should be naturally cloudy. In fact, more than just wine, Corder provides a nutrition and lifestyle plan, including two weeks of recipes. And it�s simple � like the food we should be eating.

In celtic tiger Ireland, we have wines of the world at our disposal. We have more choice than consumers in most parts of the wine producing regions in Europe do. But we don�t have easy access to many potentially healthful regional varietials - grapes like the uber-healthy Tannat are deemed too quirky, idiosyncratic, old worldy, perhaps even farmyardy for the sophisticated Celt. The irony is on us � our retarded palate may be clogging up our arteries.

And what about our culture? What would our friends, loved ones and colleagues think if we suddenly started drinking a glass of red wine at lunch every day, and two more every evening? And what about ourselves? Would we have the discipline to stop at about three spaced-out glasses every day? Or would we start looking to the Sardinians with their four to seven glasses as the sauce kicked in? Would we even realise that they use 125 ml glasses, not 175mls, after glass three? As he says himself, moderation is the key - for Corder, moderation is regular but small doses.

So approach this book as if it has a health warning attached. Which of course it does.

oil and Ireland's coping strategies: that $100 moment

Here's an article I wrote for the 'eye of the storm' op ed in the examiner. I haven't had an op ed before, so was v pleased to write it. It was all very frantic - I had a particular hour to get the article in by, which is unusual for me. And that hour was 2pm the day before the Saturday edition of the paper. It was also slightly outside of my normal remit, but I though I could perhaps start doing some news features for a change.

Don't worry foodies, there's plenty on food in it! I do regret not including the following things, however, so I'm glad to be able to include them now:

best place for info on peak oil is probably: this place! http://www.feasta.org/

John Gormley also obviously introduced the VRT changes and the lightbulb changes
and decoupling in Irish Agriculture has reduced the emissions from agriculture.

So here is the article:

It had to happen. With oil hitting and hovering around $100 dollars the whole world is now talking and thinking about oil. So how dependent are we on it, how much is there really left and what are we doing to adapting to a world with less oil?

It is thought that we are more efficient and less dependent on oil than we were in the bad old days of the 1970s. There are a number of problems with this thesis. Firstly, there is the fact that we are a far more globalised economy than we were back then. Since then, national economies have been deregulated and trade liberalised, so that now, many products are made up from a multitude of interconnected and intercontinental components. And plastic has, of course gone forth and multiplied.

Laptops, disposable containers, toys, toothbrushes, cameras, the list of personalised products goes on. But then, the functioning of many aspects of the economy is dependent too: medicines, food production and transport, are all either quite literally fuelled by or dependent upon oil.

Take food: Fertilizer production and transportation is heavily oil dependent. Prices are rising � Nitrogen (made by oil at present) is up 50%, Phospate (also a finite resource) is up 67% - and the consumer is starting to experience this.

With globalisation has come global sourcing of foods and agri-food inputs; we in Ireland have a very weak food producing infrastructure, once we start to consider foods other than meat and milk. Even these depend on winter feeds which are heavy oil users, both in production and transport.

According to the junior minister with responsibility in the area, Trevor Sargent, there are less than a dozen large scale vegetable producers left in Ireland at present.

Just-in-time deliveries by road mean that supermarkets have jettisoned their storage spaces and instead opted for storing food in refrigerated trucks on the roads. Food processing is ever-increasing too � both involve more oil.

So, seeing as we are so dependent on it, how much oil is left then? That depends upon how you measure it. For example, optimists suggest that there are bound to be reserves. According to the US based Cambridge Energy Research Associates:

�Those who believe a peak is imminent tend to consider only proven remaining reserves of conventional oil, which they currently estimate at about 1.2 trillion barrels�this is a pessimistic estimate because it excludes the enormous contribution likely from probable and possible resources, those yet to be found.�

Then go on: �the global inventory is some 4.8 trillion barrels, of which about 1.08 trillion barrels have been produced, leaving 3.72 trillion conventional and unconventional barrels, an order of magnitude that will allow productive capacity to continue to expand well into this century.�

Pessimists suggest that these reserves, should they be found, will be too difficult and costly to extract. They suggest that this may already be the case for reserves in deep water, the artic, extra heavy, oil shale and enhanced recovery oils. The crux of the matter is whether all the known reserves can be found, processed and delivered to market in time. Proponents of the Peak Oil theory, such as Feasta, suggest that we are already at the peak oil point, where accessible reserves will be smaller than what�s been extracted. They suggest that we need to make plans urgently to deal with energy decent, or powerdown.

So what is Ireland doing about it? Oil consumption per capita has risen 50% over the last 15 years, while our dependence on imported oil and gas stands at 85%. According to an Amarach consulting report from 2006, services and manufacturing will mostly be affected indirectly by peak oil in the short term, whereas residential and agricultural sectors are more vulnerable. They suggest that our mitigation strategies are vital.

The new Energy Minister, Eamon Ryan has begun to put some mitigating factors into place: these include funding for renewables research, the smart electricity metering programme for houses which will be rolled out in April, and improved north south energy co-operation. A National Energy Efficiency Action Plan is being finalised at present, which according to the Minister, �will allow us to save �1.7 billion or 3 million tonnes of oil every year.�

Minister Ryan states that �We are also committed to making energy efficiency savings of 20% by 2020. The public sector will have to make energy savings of 33% by this date.�

Building energy efficiency standards have also been introduced for all new houses by Environment Minister John Gormley.

Some parts of Ireland have taken matters into their own hands, most notably Kinsale and north Tipperary, in particular the town of Cloughjordan.

In Kinsale, students from the 2 year permaculture course in the local college along with their then teacher, Rob Hopkins, designed an energy decent plan, which has received some funding from the local council. The plan goes through all the key aspects of socio-economic and cultural life in Kinsale, and produces a road map for how to reduce energy use.

�We didn�t think it was going to be that big a deal, but the plan has been downloaded over 5000 times around the world� according to Klaus Harvey, who sits on the Steering Committee of Transition Towns Kinsale. This plan has become an intergal part of what has become the known as the transition towns movement. For Kinsale, food, education, housing, economy and livelihoods, health, tourism, transport, waste, energy and marine resources are all examined and mapped out in energy decent terms.

In north Tipperary, very ambitious plans are afoot. A 130 house ecovillage is being constructed at present, adjacent to the local village of Cloughjordan. According to Duncan Martin, of the ecovillage�s energy, waste and water subcommittee, �The houses will be well insulated and designed to make best use of the sun's heat�. There is an ecological charter which sets out the standard which the house must meet.

He goes on: �all our space heating and hot water will come from renewable sources. Additional heating will be provided by a district heating system. This will circulate hot water to every house from a central array of solar panels, backed up by two wood-chip boilers. The woodchip will come from local forestry wastes, so we will be independent of imported fossil fuels�.

And it�s not just the ecovillage itself. �The ecovillage is a partner in a European project called SERVE - Sustainable Energy for the Rural Village Environment. This is providing over �2 million in funding for the area around Cloughjordan to improve energy efficiency in existing houses and expand the use of renewable energy. This will cover such additions as more insulation, double glazing, solar panels, wood pellet boilers and better central heating controls�.

In total, along with the ecovillage itself, 900 houses in north Tipperary villages will benefit from the SERVE project.

Is it all enough? In the final analysis that depends upon whether we resist or embrace change.

organic 2007 becoming organic 2008

Here is my review of key organic news 2007, with a look towards 2008. as often is the case, the emphasis is particularly on Ireland. No hyperlinks as of yet, but they are nearly all in the labels on the left in any case.

As a year turns over it is apt to look back on 2007 from an organic perspective. There were a mixture of highs and lows, with perhaps more of the former.

2007 saw a rise in both global and national organic food consumption: globally up to �30 billion, nationally up to �76 million. Production has also been rising: globally it now stands at over 31 million hectares. Nationally, there has been an increase since 2006, following the lean years of 2000-2005. Currently, there are about 1300 organic farmers in the republic of Ireland farming about 40,000 hectares.

One thing that might have a bearing on these figures, and a definite high of 2007, is of course the Ministry Trevor Sargent has taken on, which has organic under it�s remit. The Greens entering government was certainly a noteworthy event of 07, and their choice of ministries clever strategically. Minister Sargent�s aim to increase the organic acreage to 5% (from just under 1%) by 2012 is laudable. The first minor changes - the decoupling of organic from REPS, tillage and horticulture changes, and the establishment of the Organic Farming Scheme � are worthy enough. However we now need to see more targeted, timelined action in key areas.

Separate to policy issues, organic companies in Ireland seem to be lording it at present. St. Tola�s organic cheeses scooped top prize at the inaugural SHOP (organic) awards. Meanwhile, Glenisk dairies, Ireland�s biggest organic company won the �making a difference� award at the Food and Drink awards.

Glenisk seem unstoppable at present. They now export to the UK and have invested �8.5 million in their new production plant, where they process 5,300 tonnes of yoghurt annually.

They have also managed to maintain and develop their eco-credentials. These include converting their truck fleet to biodiesel, powering their plant with wind power through Airtricity and installing a reed bed system for waste.

One thing that was not a highlight however, was national organic week. If anything, this year�s week was weaker than last year�s week (which was weak anyway!). The supposed showcase does need considerable enlivening and, in particular, better funding. There are many causes of the week�s relative obscurity, which have been outlined here before. Organic producers themselves, retailers, Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food all share some of the blame. Next year�s will have to be better, but it will need co-operation, vision and hard work.

From the beginning to the end of 07, in the UK and in Ireland, people in authority have continued to deny the benefits of organic food. The then UK Environment minister, David Miliband was lambasted for calling organic food a lifestyle choice way back in January. Likewise, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland were criticised for also describing organic food as a lifestyle choice in November.

This position seems increasingly untenable in the face of mounting research into the nutritional benefits of organic food. Amongst other 2007 research into organics the QLIF project�s research was perhaps the most headline-grabbing.

This University of Newcastle-based study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained up to 40% more antioxidants than their conventional counterparts. Antioxidants are thought to play a role in the better cardiovascular health.

Another noteworthy piece of organic-related research from 2007 found that children who consume organic milk are less likely to develop eczema, asthma and related allergies. However the research referred not just to cow�s milk but to mother�s milk: it suggested that mothers who consumed organic dairy products passed on this beneficial effect to their babies. This research is also the first example of specific health benefits (as opposed to simple nutritional superiority) being revealed in an organic product and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal.

2007 was also the year when food prices and climate change became centre-stage issues. Globalisation in all its nuances has begun to bite. Bali may have been a bit of a bail out for the industrial world, but if the approaching change in administration in the US is anything like that of Australia�s, there may be hope on that front too.

On both these fronts, and on so many more, organic farming has a role to play. Here�s to an organic 2008.

should restaurants label for calories?

I wrote an article recently on compulsory calorie labelling in the US, and asked some chefs and others in the food area in Ireland if the same should happen here. I have to say I wasn't expecting the chefs to be overly supportive of the idea, but I was suprised at the sheer range of disagreement. Compulsory calorie labelling in Ireland might take some time...

Imagine walking into a restaurant and seeing the calorie count of the meal you are about to have on an overhead display or on the menu? Would you think twice about that big juicy option? This is currently the situation in New York, where there has been an inordinate amount of twoing and frowing between representatives of the restaurant industry and fast food chains on the one hand, and food advocacy groups, pubic health officials and Major Bloomberg�s administration on the other.

During the summer, calorie labelling became compulsory for standard portions in all manner of standardised eateries, from sandwich bars to fast food chains in New York. Restaurants with more variable dishes, menus and portion sizes were exempt. The legislation required that the calorie count be prominently displayed on menus in the same font, and be the same size as the price.

However, after much pressure from the New York Restaurant Association and others, a federal court last September found against the initiative. However, the situation has since further developed, with the reintroduction of an amended version of the ruling. As and from October 24^th last, it has been compulsory for chain restaurants to display calorie information on menus.

According to Professor Marion Nestle of New York University, the average US citizen consumes around 3,900 calories per day � twice what they need. The New York City Department of Health (NYCDH) claims that that people eat more when they eat out: they claim that adults eat one third more calories while children consume twice as many calories when eating out as compared to eating a home coked meal.

According to research conducted by the NYCDH, only 3% of customers saw or accessed calorie information in a selection of chains, whereas 31% of customers did so in Subway, where calorie labelling was on menus beside the cash registers. These customers also consumed about 634 calories, 50 less than those in the other chains, according to the research.

All across the US, similar initiatives have been undertaken, where obesity rates are soaring. 20 states have brought in some type of similar legislation, with the Californian effort being the most high profile: there, unlike Bloomberg in New York, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB120, California�s restaurant nutrition labelling law. According to the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 84% of Californians supported calorie labelling on menus.

There is little doubt that in almost all other areas of food, there is an abundance of information easily accessible. It is also the case that eating out can no longer simply be seen as a treat; the jumbo breakfast role is eaten outside of the home, after all.

So could or should the same thing happen on this side of the Atlantic? Perhaps unsuprizingly, those in the industry have a plethora of problems with any such move. I canvassed responses from across the food system.

Delphi restaurant in Connemara got straight to it: �Ludicrous. Impractical, inaccurate, misleading and thus meaningless�.

Jacques Barry, from Jacques in Cork were equally against the idea: �We here in Jacques would hate that idea as we feel the sourcing of food is way better than the calorific value of food. If one eats a proper balanced diet of freshfruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese that is enough. Analyising the calorific content takes away from the joy and pleasure of food. All the food we cook in Jacques comes from Cork County as we have such wonderful produce and the biggest coastline in Ireland�.

Brid Torrades, of Osta wine bar, the Atrium caf� and the newly opened Tobergal lane, all in Sligo, was equally dismissive of the idea. �If something like that comes in, I think it�d be time to hang up the apron� she tells me. �Chefs would be doing sums rather than cooking. Already the paperwork and the records that have to be kept are burdensome .This would take the whole spontaneity away from cooking.�

She goes on: �If you are making a sauce, or a la carte cooking, where you have to adjust things, they�ll never be accurate.�

Ross Lewis of Chapter One in Dublin is also unconvinced; �This approach would be barking up the wrong tree. I don�t see how they could calculate that. We take in 2-300 products per week, to make the dishes we have. And we rotate very sensitively with the seasons, and that has its own merits. The food is more nutritious, better, and tastier.�

Ross and Brid disagree however, on whether the big boys should have to do display calorie count. In the Californian proposals, there was a limit of 14 outlets before the legislation was to be applicable. There are also restrictions in New York, where only 10% of eateries, those with 15 or more outlets, are affected. Importantly however, these provide over 30% of the food eaten outside the home.

�It�d be fine for contract, or industrial type catering. But for spontaneous cooking it would not work� according to Bird. However Ross is against compulsory labelling for calories, even for those producing the more standardised meals: �I�m against it in general. You can preach all you like, but people should get up off their arses and do their own homework as well. Look, no one thinks that you can go to McDonalds 4 times a week and remain underweight. They are only fooling themselves if they think they can. People need to develop a broader more holistic view of food. It�s up to people to find out�.

But just how easy is it to estimate? In Surrey, a unit from the local council tested 36 meals from restaurants and found some surprising results; Shepherd�s pie and mixed veg had just over half the calories of a Thai green curry with egg fried rice. The UKs� Food Commission underscored the difficulty consumers have; according to them, a McDonald�s Hot Fudge Sundae had 330 calories, whereas a shake can have up to 1160.

It is also the case that the healthy option can have secret, hidden sodium and fat: a winter root vegetable soup might, along with those seasonal, local vegetables also have more than a pinch of salt and a hearthy dollop of butter and cream. Who�s to know?

McDonalds� themselves gave me this response to the issue: �Mcdonalds has calorie labelling on its core products i.e. Big Mac, McChicken sandwich, filet of fish etc for the last 18 months. This info is available on tray liners in restaurants and on the Mcdonalds website�.

It is much the same for fast food chains in the US and UK, where this and other nutritional information is available on the trays and on websites. The problem is that this information is not accessible just before purchase, when many feel it would be most useful.

I asked McDonalds for their opinion on prominent display of compulsory calorie labelling before purchase, but received no response at time of going to press.

One Irish healthy food advocacy group I put the idea to expressed a mixed opinion. Dave Burns of Red Branch are an advocacy group that promotes healthy lifestyle options for children, with a particular focus on food. �I think something like that wouldn�t go amiss. But we in Red Branch don�t believe you should be telling people what to do, we think you should empower people to make up their own minds. You�ve got to give people the information they need to make an informed choice.�

However, Dave isn�t too optimistic: �But for what it�s worth, in our experience, and we�ve worked with parents and school children all over Ireland, we don�t think it would work. You might be better off with something like the traffic light labelling system�

This UK system uses the red, amber and green light sequence of traffic lights to grade three things: fat, saturates and salt in foods. �It�s clear and easy to use. If a product has a red light, red doesn�t mean that you stay away from something all the time. It�s not poison, it doesn�t mean avoid it altogether, but we all know about the deep fried Mars bars in Scotland � that would be a red light product. And what that�s telling you is; better not have too many of those�.

Guess what? The Shepherd�s Pie and mixed veg got three green lights in the Surrey survey above, and the thai green curry three reds. But with so much opposition, we may be a long way from seeing either the calorie count or traffic lights on menus here.