As I am currently juggling two growing businesses and spend my days making sure I explain French demonstrative pronouns or hormonal balancing nutritional tips to the right individual, I slumped the other evening in front of the TV with a glass of wine to watch mindlessly anything which they put before me. I was confronted by celebrity doctor Dr Christian Jessen in “The Ugly Face of Beauty” whose aim was to show us how necessary it is to ask the right questions when seeking out a surgeon to redesign our face. Surprisingly, it seems, people ask far fewer questions in this situation than they would if selecting someone to redesign their kitchen, or for that matter, their business leaflet.
It was scary to see how easily some were duped into parting with £1,000 believing it would buy them some cut-price cosmetic surgery plus a night in a top London hotel. A glass of champagne and a sales pitch from someone in a white coat was all it took to get them to sign up – literally no questions asked! That is : no questions on the background of surgeon about to slice into their body and no thought about what could happen if there was a complication shortly after surgery. By this time they would already be ensconced in some undetermined “spa hotel” in Central London as part of the “package” and far away from any medical staff or equipment. Instead there was just delight over the budget price being offered from this pink balloon-festooned mobile set-up over-night in the middle of their High Street. And no notion at all that their lives could have been at risk. Luckily Dr Jessen emerged from behind the screen, looking like he was there for a Mills & Boon cover shoot but nevertheless still able to explain the potential post-operative dangers involved in rhinosurgery. Disappointment tinged with a little relief flooded over their faces as they learned they would not be getting a new nose for £7/week interest-free loan but at least would still have the old one to breathe through after all. None by the way seemed like they needed any cosmetic improvement but that is another discussion....
It is the same in the nutritional field I work in. My own course lasted two full years whereas it is possible to enrol in courses lasting just a week or two via some dodgy internet site. If these teach you anything of any value at all, I estimate there is no time for anatomy, physiology or biochemistry. I studied with Premier International which is very well-known in the world of professional sports and personal trainers but not well-known outside of it. This connection to the sports world was one of the main reasons I selected it as I am very keen on the benefits of exercise alongside nutrition. To date it is one of the few courses to be accredited by the British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy. However, very few people have ever asked about my qualification and no-one to date has ever asked to see evidence either of this or of my insurance details.
I see many people happy to accept pills and potions from companies they know nothing about. Indeed they jump at the opportunity to swallow completely unknown substances having been seduced by a glossy leaflet or two. They have a quick chat with the salesperson and hand over the money for the magic pills supposedly able to cure all ills for all people. Do they not once stop to wonder “if they worked for real, wouldn’t I have heard about them already?” They do not ask about or seek to check the ingredients of the potions and whether ingesting them could do them more harm than good. They do not query the pitch administered by salespeople who purport the great success of the product. The salespeople themselves have minimal training other than how to deliver the sales patter and I doubt if they are encouraged to research and query their findings as scientists would do. I myself notice complete non sequiters but usually do not have the heart to bring it to the attention of the sales representatives.
Likewise, as I explained this week to “Ladies who Lunch” at the lovely Manor of Groves Hotel, companies who produce the so-called “healthy pro-biotic” yoghurts are able to get away with never having to explain what pro-biotic strain is included, how many healthy bacteria they actually contain and whether there are any other ingredients helping the bad bacteria to thrive as well. Instead they include a happy, smiling celebrity and sales soar. [The answers: a genetically modified one with a made-up name; I have never been able to find out and, yes they do.]
Does anyone ever check the success rates of the big business slimming clubs before they sign up for yet another course? Doubtful: as the failure rate is just a little lower than 100%! My advice is to ask as many questions as you wish as the true professional will not feel offended and will be pleased to explain.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Monday 5 July 2010
New Logo for Organic Foods
I hope you find the following useful.
The last two decades have seen a growing interest in organic farming and the impact that agriculture has on the environment in general. The result has been a growth in the organic food industry. However, do you ever wonder what the actual meaning of “organic” is when it comes to food labelling? If so, it seems that you are not alone.
There has been an attempt in many countries in recent years to draw up a definition of the term “organic”. And, here in the UK as a member of the EU we are protected by laws from those who may try to use the term incorrectly.
Organic foods should have been cultivated avoiding the use of synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. However this cannot be 100% guaranteed because there could be possible contamination of the surrounding air, water or land. Nevertheless, every effort is made to ensure this is minimised. This includes the compliance of those handling the food, the processors and the retailers.
Within the European Union organic legislation is the same from country to country. It requires that any ingredient whether produced in the EU or entering it from elsewhere adheres to the same high standard. Other countries may have similar standards to the EU but on the other hand, they may not. There may even be differences within the same country.
There are essentially two different categories:
1) organic products which are those containing 95% or more organic agriculture (the 95% is calculated using product weight). For example organic flax seed oil.
2) Products which contain less than 95%. In which case, whilst individual ingredients can be described as organic, the entire product cannot. Eg it could say “contains organic apple juice”.
In Britain standards are set by DEFRA. All products need to be certified by one of the bodies which is registered with DEFRA. These include groups such as the Soil Association or the Organic Food Federation. DEFRA only lists 8 countries outside of the EU has having equivalent standards to the EU – and perhaps it should be noted that the USA is not one of these. Any country outside of these 8 elite countries needs to obtain the express permission from DEFRA before the product can be imported.
However, with the aim of making things even clearer, from this July, an organic symbol will start to appear on any EU certified organic products.
In addition to this logo, you should see the logo of the certifying body eg the Soil Association and a country identification number. For the UK this will be GB-ORG-04. The source of the ingredients will also be listed on the food label. The sources may be described as “EU-Agriculture”; “Non-EU Agriculture”, or noted by the name of the actual country.
The last two decades have seen a growing interest in organic farming and the impact that agriculture has on the environment in general. The result has been a growth in the organic food industry. However, do you ever wonder what the actual meaning of “organic” is when it comes to food labelling? If so, it seems that you are not alone.
There has been an attempt in many countries in recent years to draw up a definition of the term “organic”. And, here in the UK as a member of the EU we are protected by laws from those who may try to use the term incorrectly.
Organic foods should have been cultivated avoiding the use of synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. However this cannot be 100% guaranteed because there could be possible contamination of the surrounding air, water or land. Nevertheless, every effort is made to ensure this is minimised. This includes the compliance of those handling the food, the processors and the retailers.
Within the European Union organic legislation is the same from country to country. It requires that any ingredient whether produced in the EU or entering it from elsewhere adheres to the same high standard. Other countries may have similar standards to the EU but on the other hand, they may not. There may even be differences within the same country.
There are essentially two different categories:
1) organic products which are those containing 95% or more organic agriculture (the 95% is calculated using product weight). For example organic flax seed oil.
2) Products which contain less than 95%. In which case, whilst individual ingredients can be described as organic, the entire product cannot. Eg it could say “contains organic apple juice”.
In Britain standards are set by DEFRA. All products need to be certified by one of the bodies which is registered with DEFRA. These include groups such as the Soil Association or the Organic Food Federation. DEFRA only lists 8 countries outside of the EU has having equivalent standards to the EU – and perhaps it should be noted that the USA is not one of these. Any country outside of these 8 elite countries needs to obtain the express permission from DEFRA before the product can be imported.
However, with the aim of making things even clearer, from this July, an organic symbol will start to appear on any EU certified organic products.
In addition to this logo, you should see the logo of the certifying body eg the Soil Association and a country identification number. For the UK this will be GB-ORG-04. The source of the ingredients will also be listed on the food label. The sources may be described as “EU-Agriculture”; “Non-EU Agriculture”, or noted by the name of the actual country.
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