Why you might want to look a bit closer at what you're eating

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17359619
The usual grim warnings

Economic strife, unemployment and the high cost of living could lead to a growth in black market food sales and food fraud. That was the warning at a London conference on global food risk.

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Fiona Lickorish, an expert in food trends, says: said: "I think black market food is still going to be around and probably getting worse if what's going on with the economy isn't improving.
"I think there will be a trickle down to people at the lowest level who will find it very difficult to afford their food bills."
She adds grimly: "If I was a farmer I would be locking up my sheep because we're already seeing a much higher incidence of rustling.

All of which is to be sadly expected..hower the entire article is an interesting read.

Speaking of technology, horizon scanners have also spotted some exciting things in the food pipeline - things we might all see on our shelves in the next few years.
Intelligent packaging made with special paper that wards off bacteria and could help keep food fresh longer.
Ultra violet chopping boards which destroy 99.9% of bacteria.
And ingenious labels which use the ammonia given off by meat as it degrades. Ammonia alters the label's barcode to gradually render it unreadable and unsaleable when the product has fallen below a certain standard.

[mertle]

Yep few weeks ago read story about fake vodka with chemicals.

Its already claimed a mans life. He found some booze thought it had been left for him by friends. Drank the vodka it killed him.

That chopping board sounds great all they need work surfaces sponges and we can call mythbusters liar that the kitchen got more germs and the loo

[Pierre]

Fiona Lickorish

black market food

quality.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Pierre

quality.

Ah. Nominative Determinism

Look it only took 4 posts to go off topic..

Recently went to a little market in leicester that some people said was good for cheap food and as i was there anyway thought i would take a look it was not good sorry but when the packet says "krellogs" for cereal i started to see how it was cheap. Trouble is for many people they think only of the amount of money they have for food and rule something out because they THINK it is more expensive. We have a lot more fresh stuff now veggies and fruit as it is cheaper fresh then buying the bags of frozen but most people still think fresh equals expensive.

Like the ideas stated the new paper and chopping boards and suchlike and have wondered for a while why there isn't more technology at the point of sale for different things in the food market.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Recently went to a little market in leicester that some people said was good for cheap food and as i was there anyway thought i would take a look it was not good sorry but when the packet says "krellogs" for cereal i started to see how it was cheap. Trouble is for many people they think only of the amount of money they have for food and rule something out because they THINK it is more expensive. We have a lot more fresh stuff now veggies and fruit as it is cheaper fresh then buying the bags of frozen but most people still think fresh equals expensive.

Like the ideas stated the new paper and chopping boards and suchlike and have wondered for a while why there isn't more technology at the point of sale for different things in the food market.

However I hope that new technology will allow for recycling.

Or failing that a more minimalist attitude to packaging truly ridiculous the amount of packaging sometimes.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Or failing that a more minimalist attitude to packaging truly ridiculous the amount of packaging sometimes.

dont get me started on packaging I never can get in the bloomin things.

remember an episode 101 where he hated packaging you cant open it was so true literally loads stuff.

plastic bags at supermarket sure they cursed on me the thing never opens.

Worst evil set on earth shrink wrap its cuts the living fingers to bits.

Yes agreed lots bad packaging.

One hate most is plastic around cheese it makes it sweat badly I always take the cheese out place it better food bags to stop thing sweating which encourages it to go mouldy.

Companies should take more care of its product packaging.