Have just been interviewed by ABC Radio Victoria about whether it is safe to just cut off the mould and then eat the food. So thought that I’d do an article about it.

You can find out whether it is safe to eat food you have cut mould off, at www.howsafeisyourfood.com.au/articles.html

Friday’s Green Tip – sometimes to get people to change behaviours you have to use the stick and other times you need to use the carrot. The stick will only take you so far though. Competitions, prizes and fun will probably have the biggest long term effect.

Remember that every little bit helps!!!!

The 24 January is National Peanut Butter Day in the USA.

This food is an absolute institution in that country and this day is a way of recognising this. Apparently an average American child will eat something like 1500 peanut butter and jelly (or Jam, as Australians would call it) sandwiches by the time they go to high school!!!

A few other Peanut Butter facts;

• Americans will each eat about 1.35kg of peanut butter on average in their lifetime.
• There are two types of peanut butter – smooth and crunchy.
• It takes about 540 peanuts to make one 400g jar of peanut butter.
• The first peanut butter making machine was patented in 1903.
• Peanuts are not actually nuts – they are a legume and grow under ground.
• Peanuts are high in Vitamin E, Thiamine and Vitamin K
• Has a high fibre content and low Glycemic Index (GI)
• Has about 26 percent protein – which is higher than eggs and dairy foods.

Friday’s Green Tip – think global and act local.

Remember every little bit helps!!!!!

Last night I ran my four hour Food Safety Workshop sitting around a dining room table in a country town in South East Queensland.

It just goes to show that you do not need all the fancy equipment or programs to train people. There was no Powerpoint or projectors or whiteboards, just a group of people sitting around listening and talking.

They seemed to have fun and we discussed a few of their food safety related problems, and came up with some practical and simple solutions.

Training does not need to be complicated, it should be targeted to the trainees and ideally, fun. It can also be done anywhere, even sitting at a dining room table, if the trainer is prepared to work at it.

Can your food safety, or in fact any, trainer just do the training without all the bells and whistles?

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has recently released a report showing that around half of our red meat, dairy and sugar industries are foreign owned.

The report was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and states that “Foreign investment in agribusiness has typically been made by companies involved in the same or similar business in other countries seeking to expand their activities at an opportunistic time. However, Kirin (a brewing company) and Wilmar (active in a number of commodities not including sugar) each branched out into new sectors when they invested in Australia’s dairy and sugar sectors, respectively.”

The report shows that foreign investment in the meat industry has hit an all time high of 42 percent. One company alone held a 24 percent share in 2006 – 07.

Only 47 percent of dairy businesses are still Australian owned. Foreign investment into this industry has found, during the research, to have been beneficial due to the tight pricing of dairy products and therefore lack of readily available funds domestically.

Three foreign companies own 60 percent of the Australian sugar industry and the report shows that this investment has greatly assisted profitability and efficiency of the industry.

Australians are well known as being very strongly  in favour of supporting Australian owned businesses. This significant foreign ownership of large parts of our food inductry may be seen as a major concern by many in this country.

The question really is this – is having such a large part of our food industry owned by foreign companies really sustainable for the industry and Australia in the long term?

Friday’s Green Tip – being sustainable will mean making hard choices so good research, discussion and communication are the key.

Remember every little bit helps!!!

It is controversial but there is a strong push both in Australia and the USA to place a tax onto all soft drinks to, hopefully, reduce consumption and our increasing obesity rate.

Recently researchers from University of California, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Columbia University have estimated that about 26 000 deaths would be prevented in the USA with the introduction of a soft drink tax.

They also predict that nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes, and 240,000 cases of diabetes per year in the U.S would also be eliminated.

A similar study has not yet been completed in Australia but it is believed by many that there would be comparable results.

Dr Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, The University of California’s associate professor of biostatistics and medicine, said;“Consumption of beverages high in calories but poor in nutritional value is the number one source of added sugar and excess calories in the American diet. Sugar-sweetened drinks are linked to type 2 diabetes and weight gain.”

The Australian Government introduced a tax onto what are commonly called “Alcopops” to reduce consumption of these drinks by young drinkers and it has had an impact. The fundamental principle is that by increasing the price, it will reduce consumption. The same belief is at the heart of this current push to  have a tax on soft drinks.

So should there be a tax on soft drinks? Let us all know by adding your comments to my Facebook Page The Green Food Safety Coach or GreenFoodSafety on Twitter.

Friday’s Green Tip – No everyone sees the advantages of sustainability the same way, to some it is about being “green’, to others it is about saving money and then others believe it is about being seen to be doing the right thing. You need to target the messgae to the group.

Remember, every little bit helps!!!

Everyone is talking about this sustainability thing and savvy businesses are already making it the key to what they do. So what is it and why should your business get into it?

Came across a great article that explains why businesses of all sizes should be doing it.

http://www.sustainabilityatwork.com.au/sustainability/real-benefits/

I recently received an email from a follower of this Blog saying that they use my website as a training tool  – Thank you. She mentioned that she also uses the following website to reinforce handwashing.

It is well worth a look. I would make only one addition – the Food Safety Information Council in Australia recommends that hands be dried for 20 seconds. This gives time for the friction created through the drying to have a strong effect on any bacteria remaining after the 20 seconds washing.

http://www.restaurantqrcodes.net/handwashing-requirements.html

I welcome feedback and am more than happy to pass along great sites and useful other information.

Friday’s Green Tip – The best way to implement any new processes or methods is to do it systematically and with good communication.

Remember every little bit helps!!!

A fruit mince pie is dried fruits mixed with spices, sugar and sometimes alcohol and served in a shortcrust pastry base. They are very popular this time of the year as traditional Christmas fare.

Andrew Stellitano has just set a world record for the most expensive mince pie. The pie is worth A$4700 and includes a solid platinum coin in the centre.

The pastry was made using holy water from Lourdes which was then brushed in eggnog and gilded with platinum leaf.

It also includes highly prized ambergris sugar, which is derived from sperm whale secretions and 1920’s cognac. It took more than a week to create.

It would certainly be something pretty special on the table on Christmas Day!!!!

Friday’s Green Tip – Change cannot be done quickly if it is to be done well and effectively. The only way is for it to be slowly, carefully and with ownership from all levels of a business.

Remember, every little bits helps!!!!

Previously in Foodie Friday we have had a look at some of the biggest foods and some of the hottest foods in the world.

This week I came across a really interesting article about some foods that have beaten all challengers. The huge burger and sides challenge is mindblowing, but it is the “Full o’ Bull” that seems just too mammoth for a human to even contemplate.

In an age where obesity is a major health issue in many countries across the world, the amount of food in each of these menu items is just plain wrong for a single person to even try to eat. The businesses with these items are doing it to attract attention and it works.

Go and have a look at these food challenges that have not yet been beaten at http://www.thedailymeal.com/5-undefeated-eating-challenges

Friday’s Green Tip – The only way that being sustainable works in a business is if everyone is involved and there must be good communication to and from all levels. Get everyone involved.

Remember every little bit helps!!!!

For a variety of reasons I cannot drink coffee but love the smell of it roasting. I am , however, a big tea drinker and realised that there have been Foodie Fridays about coffee but not about tea.

So this week back to food trivia, and interesting bits about tea:

Tea types

White – not tea with milk but leaves that have only be 10-20% fermented. Has a delicate flavour.

Green - Not fermented but hand fired to stop oxidation. Known for health benefits.

Oolong – Semi fermented leaves

Black  – known as Red Tea (Hong Cha) in China – completely fermented and is the most popular in the West. Comes in many flavours and types.

Jasmine  – Green tea blended with Jasmine blossoms and very good with Asian foods.

Decaffeinated – a chemical process used to remove all the caffeine from the leaves.

Who drinks how much?

As of 2009, Australia had the 55th highest consumption of tea at 0.51kg per person. At that time the United Arab Emirates was the highest at 6.24kg per person.

Fridays green tip – buy products that are made and owned oocally wherever possible, you will reduce the amount of transport involved and therefore greenhouse emissions.

Every little bit helps!!!!!