For many years we have been told that we need to eat low fat dairy foods to help our health. However recent research shows that this may not be a good idea after all.

A study done by Lund University in Sweden shows that eating high fat dairy foods may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The reverse applies to meat consumption.

The focus of the study was to investigate the effect that the source of dietary fat has on type 2 diabetes.

The findings have been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in April 2015. The study was based on previous studies which showed that there was a reduced type 2 diabetes risk in people eating lots of dairy foods, and has extended the findings to show that it is the high fat dairy foods that are particularly good.

Dr Ulrika Ericson, from Lund University, said; “Those who ate the most high-fat dairy products had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. High meat consumption was linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes regardless of the fat content of the meat.When we investigated the consumption of saturated fatty acids that are slightly more common in dairy products than in meat, we observed a link with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. However, we have not ruled out the possibility that other components of dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese may have contributed to our results.”

The study involved following up on the 27 000 individuals who had been involved in the 1990s in the Malmö Diet and Cancer study.

Dr Ericson said; “Our results suggest that we should not focus solely on fat, but rather consider what foods we eat. “Many foodstuffs contain different components that are harmful or beneficial to health, and it is the overall balance that is important.”

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

That old saying that “time is money” seems to be having a major influence on how Australians are buying their vegetables.

Although it really isn’t about money, it seems to be that convenience is becoming king. People seem content to spend just a little more to be able to get their vegetables more conveniently.

Whether that convenience is buying them online and then delivered or buying them prepacked, it seems that we are trying to have vegetables into our diets as easily as possible.

Research done through Project Harvest, an ongoing study by AusVeg, shows that one in eight Aussies are doing the online thing and getting their vegetables delivered regularly. Those involved in the study say that convenience and ease are driving their choice to get technical.

Kurt Hermann, AusVeg Assistant Manager – Industry Development, said; “When asked their reasons for buying vegetables online, the overwhelming majority of consumers listed ‘convenience. With time becoming a precious commodity, we’ve found that Australians are looking for quicker and simpler ways of getting vegetables into their diet.”

The study also showed that many of those surveyed believed that by buying online, they would be supporting local producers.

Convenience has also stretched to buying pre-prepared vegetables which are packaged and ready to cook or eat. Although this definitely saves time, it counteracts the increasing desire by consumers to reduce waste and packaging, in other words be more sustainable.

Mr Hermann said; “In celery consumption, for example, research shows that 40 per cent of consumers are buying pre-packaged celery, be that half-celery, celery stalks, or celery hearts,”. “This wave of data also shows an increase in purchases of trays of zucchini, from 11 per cent of consumers in August to 18 per cent of consumers in December. We’re encouraged by signs that Australians are finding ways to keep their diets healthy and nutritious even as they deal with increasing demands on their time. All Australians should be enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits that a vegetable-rich diet can provide, and as this research shows, they can take advantage of a range of convenient options to make this happen.”

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

So what do Made in Australia or Product of Australia actually mean? Well, it is not really clear to the public and as a result of the outcry over the recent Hepatitis outbreak from imported berries, there is yet another government review underway on Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL).

So why is it so difficult to have a clear message for CoOL? The problem is that in Australia it is seen and felt as an emotional issue, whereas it should be dealt with scientifically and logically.

Australians are renowned for being very patriotic in their defence of Australian products, unfortunately shopping figures do not necessarily support this, as price is still the main consideration in purchasing food. However, more and more people are making a conscience choice to buy local produced food product regardless of the likely price increase.

It seems almost ridiculous that food can be grown, and processed overseas and then transported here and still be cheaper than the same local product. Why is this – our wages are higher and this changes everything.

Many say that the reason that the current labelling is not really clear to consumers is that manufacturers are trying to hide the actual origin to encourage people to buy their product.

Once again, this is emotion talking, not logic or science.

The difficulty is this should a food be labelled as being made in Australia if the packaging comes from overseas or if one of the ingredients has to be purchased from overseas if it cannot be obtained here?

There is no a push to develop a specific symbol which will be used on food product sourced and made here. Unfortunately that symbol will not be used on many products as to keep costs down, many manufacturers have to use ingredients sourced from overseas.

Maybe we need some form of the suggested nutrition traffic lights in this symbol – red for 50% or less Australian sourced and made, orange for 50-80% and green for at least 80%.

The good thing is that even though there has been a lot of pressure on the government to do something immediately about the whole CoOL issue, it has decided to slow down and have consultations and “in-depth consumer research”, before recommendations are presented to Cabinet. It is believed that these will be submitted in August 2015. That gives nearly five months for ideas and suggestions on how to make CoOL clearer to be developed.

Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane said; “During April and May we will consult closely with food manufacturers, retailers, agricultural producers and consumers and conduct national in-depth consumer research. We will also consult extensively with State and Territory Governments, whose co-operation will be essential to implement changes in a timely and cost-effective way.”

The Australian Made Campaign is only one group which has welcomed the consultation process.

Ian Harrison, Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, said; “Australian Made has submitted comment to and appeared before a number of Government Committees on country-of-origin labelling in recent years and it is great to finally see traction in this important area of Government policy. A tighter system for food labelling, coupled with a better understanding of that system by consumers, will give Aussie shoppers more confidence in what they are purchasing. There is also an obvious role for the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo. It has been helping Australian farmers and manufacturers sell genuine Aussie products to consumers all around the world for nearly three decades. It makes good sense to build on that.”

Mr Harrison said a “widespread education campaign” would be an “essential” part of the revised system.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Australia’s Champion Barista for 2015 is Sasa Sestic from Canberra. He started preparing for the competition at the Australian Barista championship a year ago.

Mr Sestic said; “I do work with a lot of different countries worldwide. I look at a barista competition to see when it’s going to be held. For this competition, that was March. I’ve looked at a calendar and seen when coffee will ripen in each country. Seasonality is very important and we knew that the season would finish in Colombia from September to October. Just like fruit and vegetables, when they’re in season they taste great. It’s the same thing with coffee.”

It is a significant win as Baristas from Melbourne have held the title for most of the last decade.

Mr Sestic said; “Canberra’s [coffee scene] has really picked up in the last three years and it’s amazing to go to local suburbs and see small micro roasters being passionate about their brews. When I go overseas and say ‘I’m from Australia’, the response is always ‘Oh, are you from Melbourne?’I say ‘no, I’m actually from Canberra’ and I’m so proud of living here and most of the people think coffee is the best in Melbourne, but we have a small community here and it’s a humble community. So obviously we can do great things in Canberra. It’s about customer service. Behind the bar sometimes as a barista we are a little bit too obsessed on how perfect the coffee is and we don’t get to know the customers as much.”

The competition is run by the Australian Speciality Coffee Association and requires that the competitors must serve four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks.

Mr Sestic said; “For the signature drinks, coffee obviously needs to be a star, but we would add ingredients, not to mask coffee but to highlight the qualities of the coffee as well. We might add a hint of ice in order to bring more apricot favours out of the coffee. You really need to know that coffee inside out, to see what other potential it has.”

This is Mr Sestic seventh attempt at the title and he will now go to the USA to represent Australia at the World Barista Championships.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has just published a guideline that recommends that in time the maximum consumption of free sugars be less than six teaspoons a day – or no more than five percent of the total daily energy intake.
This has been acclaimed by global health experts as a support to reducing the rapidly increasing obesity rates across the world, the food industry worldwide generally is worried. This includes the Australian Beverages Council, which has more than 120 members.
Geoff Parker, the Council’s CEO, said; “With a public health challenge as serious and complex as obesity, we must ensure that policy decisions focused on public health are based on the best scientific evidence, which this recommendation is not.”
Professor Mark Wahlqvist, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Monash University and Director of the Fuli Institute at Zhejiang University, China, said; “When in excess, free sugars reduce the potential to achieve the dietary diversity we need for optimal health. Some sweetness in the diet can help achieve diversity, but that is best coming from a variety of fruits, not fruit juices or extracts.”
Bill Shrapnel, consultant nutritionist and an advisor to the Sugar Research Advisory Service, said; “Average adult intakes of free sugars in Australia are currently about 10 per cent of calories; in children the figure is a little higher. So the overall message is that some people need to cut down their sugar intake a bit. As these beverages are typically low in nutrients they are the logical target to achieve sugar reduction in those with high intakes. Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners is an effective way of lowering sugar intake, without the challenge of behaviour change.”
It is a recommendation that has many talking, and it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on the Food Standards Code.
The Guidelines can be found at – http://www.who.int/publications/en/
Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

The following three recalls information is provided by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

Darling Downs Fresh Eggs and Mountain Range Eggs 

RL Adams Pty Ltd has recalled Darling Downs Fresh Eggs and Mountain Range Eggs  from independent supermarkets, fruit and vegetable stores & butcher shops and some cafes in QLD , NSW and NT due to dirty eggs (potential for microbial contamination). Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ – 12/03/2015 and 13/03/2015

Food type – Eggs

Product name

• Darling Downs Fresh Eggs (300g, 350g, 500g, 600g, 700g, 1500g)
• Mountain Range Eggs (350g, 500g, 600g and 700g)

Package description and size – Moulded recycled paper, half-dozen, dozen and 30-egg packs

Date marking – Best Before, Best Before Dates between 26/03/15 AE and 22/04/15 AE

Country of origin – Australia

Reason for recall – Due to dirty eggs (potential for microbial contamination)

Distribution – Independent supermarkets (including IGA), fruit and vegetable stores & butcher shops in QLD, NSW and NT

Consumer advice – Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact –Darling Downs Eggs, 07 46935173, www.fresheggs.com.au

Timboon Fine Ice Cream – Passionfruit Meringue

Timboon Fine Ice Cream has recalled Timboon Fine Ice Cream – Passionfruit Meringue from IGA’s, Foodworks and Independent food stores in Vic due to non compliant labelling (Front of label incorrectly states “egg free”, but egg white is listed as an ingredient). Any consumers who have an egg allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the product is consumed. Consumers who have an egg allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ –13/03/2015     

Food type – Ice cream

Product name –Timboon Fine Ice Cream – Passionfruit Meringue

Package description and size – Plastic container, 600ml, 115×100 circular tub

Date marking – Best Before, All best before dates from 22nd August up to and including 6th January 2015

Country of origin – Australia

Reason for recall – Non-compliant labelling. (Front of label incorrectly states “egg free”, but egg white is listed as an ingredient)

Distribution–IGA’s, Foodworks and independent food stores in VIC

Consumer advice

Any consumers who have an egg allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the product is consumed. Consumers who have an egg allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact –Timboon Fine Ice Cream, Caroline Simmons, www.timboonfineicecream.com.au

Aufit Pty Ltd – Mini Gem Cookies and Mini Burger Cookies

Aufit Pty Ltd has recalled Mini Gem Cookies and Mini Burger Cookies from IGA’s, Foodworks and independent food stores in NSW due to the presence of  undeclared allergens (egg and milk). Any consumers who have an egg or milk allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if these products are consumed. Consumers who have an egg or milk allergy or intolerance should not consume these products and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ – 13/03/2015 

Food type – Biscuits

Product names

• Mini Gem Cookies
• Mini Burger Cookies

Package description and size – Plastic food bag, net weight 120g

Date marking– Best Before from 21/04/2015 to 07/06/2015

Country of origin – Malaysia

Reason for recall – The presence of undeclared allergens (egg and milk)

Distribution – IGA’s, Foodworks and independent food stores in NSW

Consumer advice

Any consumers who have an egg or milk allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if these products are consumed. Consumers who have an egg or milk allergy or intolerance should not consume these products and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact – Aufit Pty Ltd, 0413098470

With obesity in the community rising and creating what has been called a Tsunami, there are several questions that probably need asking (and answering!!!!)

Is it the people that are demanding the big serves or fatty and high kilojoule foods? Or

Is it the businesses that are driving the need for these type of foods? Or

Why are people not taking responsibility for what they put in their mouths – that is after all a big part of why the obesity rate is increasing?

The good news is that people are generally starting to take responsibility, with the recent Nielsen’s Global Health and Wellness Survey showing that half the consumers around the world stating that they are actively trying to lose weight.

75 percent of those surveyed said that they are planning to change their diet to achieve this weight loss. The growth of wearable fitness devices is showing that people are also generally trying to do more exercise as well.

However between 2012 and 2014, there was a two percent growth in the “indulgent” food category, which includes; soft drink, chips, chocolate, cakes and cookies / biscuits. So obviously people may be wanting to change their diets, but are still buying snack or indulgent foods.

The survey did show that the “healthy” category had grown by five percent in the same time. So what is defined as healthy – dairy-based shakes, fruit, sports drinks, tea, vegetables, water and yogurt. Interestingly, health organisations are now actively encouraging moderation of some of these so called “healthy” foods as they can contain large amounts of sugar.

Executive vice president, Global Professional Services at Nielsen, Susan Dunn, said; “The growth of ‘healthy’ options does not automatically come at the expense of ‘indulgent’ offerings. There is room for both healthy foods and occasional treats in consumers’ diets. So it’s the semi-healthy options (eg; bread, cheese, cereal, granola bars, juice, popcorn and pretzels) that are most affected. To drive growth for these offerings, manufacturers should look for areas where they can improve the nutritional profile of foods and highlight the health benefits their products provide to consumers.”

The survey found that labelling has a big part to play in whether a food is considered “healthy” and preferred. Any food being shown as “all natural” was preferred by 43 percent of those surveyed, with “made from fruit / vegetables coming second at 40 percent and “organic third at 33 percent. Interestingly sales over the two years reflect this with “natural foods showing an increase of 24 percent and “organic” foods by 28 percent.

With the whole food labelling issue once again high in people’s minds in Australia, it is worth remembering that it is not only the legal requirements for Country of Origin that perhaps need review but the labelling of organic and natural as well.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Depending upon what type of cheese you are craving, you can find the best cheeses in Australia at a supermarket (Coles extra Tasty or Coles Extra Reserve) or in a gourmet dairy (Heidi Farm Guyere).

Cheese is an amazing food, starting with milk, bacteria, salt, rennet and other ingredients are mixed together and the resultant product separated and then drained, and either pressed, salted, ashed, brined or aged to produce an almost infinite variety of flavours, colours and textures.

The milk can be goat, cow, sheep, the bacteria strain varies depending upon the cheese and the process changes to produce the specific characteristics required. For what seems like a relatively simple process, there is an incredible level of complexity to produce a cheese that is consistent each and every time.

This is the skill of the Master Cheesemaker and each year at the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show, the true masters are recognised for their achievements.

Cheddar is the most popular cheese in Australia due to it’s flavour and hardiness but the gourmets amongst us really go for the hundreds of other varieties that are available.

The Champion Cheddar for 2015 is the “Rindless Cheddar Cheese – Sweet Recipe” made by Bega from NSW.

However, for those like something a bit different, the winner of the Champion Speciality for 2015 is ‘Heidi Farm Raclette’ by The Heritage Burnie of Tasmania.

I have to admit, I grew up in Burnie and clearly remember making trips to the cheese factory and being introduced to some very special cheeses as a kid. That may explain why I am now a hobby cheesemaker. So I am not surprised that this factory continues even 30 years later to win top prizes for it’s speciality cheeses.

The full list of Gold Medal Cheese and other Dairy product winners can be found at The Show website.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.