Organic food fraud

The Barbour index i've mentioned before (see post from 5th Aug) as being one of the best full text resources available through the library web site. Organic food has also appeared before (last post 30th July). The latest weekly Barbour Briefing Food Safety, which i receive by old fashioned email contains a report on a company director who was jailed in the UK for a £1million organic food scam. Over a 5 year period the company was suppling its customers with conventionally grown foods falsely posing as organic. I would suggest that this is not an uncommon industry practice The other Directors received suspended sentences and 150 hours of community work. The scam was uncovered by the Food Standards Agency who must i presume have a Food Fraud Flying Squad.

I once knew a hairdresser working in London who had a salesman offering her aerosols of hair spray or somesuch product. When she enguired whether they were environmentally sound the guy assured her " we can always put these "eco friendly" stickers on them if you want"

Pour out the sunshine

A very readable and informative article by Ester Addley in the Guardian on the social history of tanning and the dangers of sunbeds. How Britain fell in love with the tan. Amongst many of the things i learned was that J.H.Kellogg while not inventing Corn Flakes was busy developing the 1st sunbed or "incandescent light bath". As Richard here in the library remarked, it brings a whole different meaning to "SNAP CRACKLE and POP"

There has been a lot of serious debate recently about the carcinogenic dangers of uv, sunbeds, their overuse by many including children. One of the best places to check on current research and background would be on The Barbour Index which the library subscribes to. And if you're interested you can get their weekly briefings direct to your email. The Briefings are in 3 areas: Food Safety, H&S, and Environmental Health. In this weeks' Environmental there are articles on Pandemic preparedness, Improved drinking water quality, and sunbed risks which includes latest developments and links to other relevant sources. You have to sign up to the Briefings and the Barbour Index is one of those few library resources that you need a password to access - you'll have to contact the library for that. But it's worth the effort.