Chilli Sin Carne

The United Nations have declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP) in the effort to encourage more people to incorporate pulses into their diet. Pulses, in all of their nutritious forms, are a wholesome and inexpensive way to enrich your diet. I love them so much that I've decided to base my final year HRP on them! Here is a scrummy vegetarian recipe that will warm the cockles of your heart in those colder nights to come.

Serves 6 big portions.

Ingredients
1 medium onions, peeled
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium leek, trimmed
1 long fresh red chilli
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato purée
250 g dried green lentils
1 x 400 g tins of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400 g tins of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 400 g tins of chopped tomatoes
500ml vegetable stock
Sea salt
Black pepper , freshly ground

Finely chop the garlic, onions, leek and chilli and place into a large heavy-based pan (like a Le Crueset). Fry with the oil, over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, or until softened. Add your spices and dried herbs, then fry for 2 minutes. If this looks dry and starts to catch, add in a few splashes of water to loosen up. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the green lentils, beans and chopped tomatoes, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring it all to the boil, reduce to a low heat and let it simmer away for at least 1 hour, or until reduced and thickened, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Season to your preference. I serve mine with rice, sour cream, grated cheese and wedges of lime, but it’s also delicious on a slow baked jacket potato.

To find out more about IYP follow the link  http://www.fao.org/pulses-2016/en/

Why is Horse Meat Not Eaten in the UK?

It's been nearly two years since the horse meat scandal of 2013 shocked many consumers, but why did UK consumers recoil at the discovery of horse meat? Yes it was undeclared and consumers have the right to know what their food should contain, but why isn’t horse on our supermarket shelves? I love horses and have ridden all of my life and wouldn't go out of my way to eat horse meat. However, here is a short analysis that will look into the under investigated topic of hippophagy in the UK and why horse consumption is a taboo amongst the British culture.

Beef is one of the most consumed forms of meat, but with an ever increasing population, demand for meat increases too. Cows digest food by enteric fermentation, emitting more methane into the atmosphere than any other mammal. Pigs and chickens do not digest the same way and neither do horses, making hippophagy more environmentally friendly. Horse is also sweeter and leaner making it more nutritionally beneficial than beef.

Part of the revulsion toward horse consumption stems from the British view of horses seen as pets. Dr Roger Mugford, Animal Psychologist at the Animal Behaviour Centre, says “we put extra qualities and values on animals seen as pets” (BBC, 2013).

History also reinforces the taboo as horses played a vital role in warfare so are therefore sentimentally depicted. Blockbuster ‘War Horse’ and Channel 4’s recent documentary ‘The Real War Horse’ showed viewers how horses were responsible in helping win World War 1 (BBC, 2013).

The RSPCA add in the BBC report that the slaughter of horses is an emotive topic. People in the UK prefer to see them as field companions than an accompaniment to vegetables at dinner (BBC, 2013).

Yet these theories also apply to France who holds no qualms of serving up the equine species. So perhaps it is a chauvinistic approach of asserting national identity which is so deeply embedded that it has become a culinary norm; the British eat beef and the French eat horse.

Are Copycat Brands Competing Unfairly?

I was recently duped into buying what I thought was a popular fish and sauce product from a retailer to later find that it was an own label product with mimicing packaging. I enjoyed the food, but felt a little cheated I must admit. This wasn't the first time either; whilst traveling around Thailand, I had to keep my wits about me when ordering alcohol in bars as it's known that counterfeit or home brewed alcohol can often be served from recycled, popular branded bottles. In this case I was more worried about the health risks rather than the financial loss, so have decided to blog about copycat brands and thier impact on the food and drink industry as well as consumers.

Packaging is sometimes copied to simulate popular brands in the hope to dupe consumers to buy their version without second guessing on quality or content, but is this harmless competition or a more serious issue, such as a health risk. Is it fair that unless consumers are vigilant they can be misled by lookalike packaging and to what extent does it damage the brand that has been copied? Copycat packaging is a problem occurring across the globe yet there is still only a limited amount of information covering this particular topic.

A product is considered a lookalike if it features a combination of similar colours, layout of graphics, iconography and language style.  

  
Alcohol copying is particularly concerning; people lacking the technical skills and knowledge are producing unsafe alcohol. In some cases ingredients such as automotive antifreeze liquid and high percentages of methanol have been found.

Brand owners can invest huge amounts of money into research and development to base marketing and brand imagery decisions on with the incentive that they will receive back adequate benefits. By copying well established and successful brands, the copycats are getting a ‘free ride’ off the recognition of similar visual cues. They are deemed successful when consumers accept the lookalike without rational consideration.

Consumer group Which? Investigated copycat products in the UK and found 150 examples of lookalike products that they felt looked too similar being produced by large retailers like Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Boots, Morrisons, Superdrug, Tescos and Sainsburys. Which?’s report stated how retailers are misleading consumers into purchasing own-label products by ‘borrowing’ elements of brand packaging. The study found that one-fifth of members had at least once accidently bought a supermarket own brand, with 60% saying that they felt misled and annoyed by the error. Some retailers have defended their packaging choice saying that they use similar colours to branded products to assist consumers in finding products quickly.

John Noble, Director of the British Brands Group, said in an interview by Which? “Our research shows that consumers are more likely to buy own label products if they look like brands. Currently in the UK there is little to stop a competitor packaging its products to look like a familiar brand, whether or not the products performance is in any way similar. That can’t be good if we want a market in which shoppers can make informed decisions”.

In my opinion, copycat products are essentially plagiarizing branded companies. Identity theft is a serious crime so why is copying a grey area of the law?

Food Fraud - New Dogs, Old Tricks

So it turns out I haven't wriiten a post in nearly a year..how time flies!

Ever since horsegate, I've developed a deep interest in food fraud. I've always enjoyed reading about crime and criminal motivations, so to combine this with the food history really gets my juices flowing, so I've decided to write a post about what food fraud entails; it's history, the types of fraud, the contemporary issue and motivations.

The definition of food fraud recognises the common theme of deliberately altering foodstuff for economic gain. However the effects can be categorised as being threefold: financial loss of the consumer, health risks and the adverse effect on the wider food economy such as confidence in legitimate businesses. In addition, food fraud is a collective term encompassing acts such as the deliberate addition, removal or substitution of ingredients or the misrepresentation on food packaging, labelling and statements.
In common language, consumers are entitled to receive what they pay for yet fraudsters are making a quick profit by counterfeiting legitimate goods and selling them on as genuine items or by producing genuine articles that have been adulterated with extraneous matter.

The History of Food Fraud
Food fraud drove some of the earliest laws; coffee in the eighteenth century was an expensive commodity and inaccessible to those less well off. In order to cheapen coffee, chicory, sand and dried leaf matter was blended in to bulk the product. It seems the tampering of foodstuffs was indeed such commonplace in antiquity times that consumers began to develop a taste and preference for cheaper, adulterated foods.  Today’s quality control measures are owed to German chemist Fredrich Accum who wrote a publication on A Treatise on Adulteration of Food and Culinary Poisons in 1820, after he identified that toxic metals were being used as colourings for food such as sweets and drink to become more appealing to children. This led to the creation of the Adulteration of Food Act in the UK in 1860 and 1872. It would have been difficult if not impossible to monitor and detect the adulteration of foodstuff in this era; limited knowledge and lack of investigative resources would be some of the difficulties authorities would encounter. Accum also publicly ‘named and shamed’ perpetrators who were convicted and who he felt lacked accountability and penalties. Arthur Hill Hassel is a notable significant individual who continued identifying and reporting fraudulent activity penalties. He had great success using basic resources such as microscopy to identify extraneous articles such as chicory in coffee. It is clear food fraud has been a long standing and undeterred problem with only methods of detection rather than preventative methods used against the problem in past times. The risk of food fraud would have been on a limited scale back then - it would have only affected a small geographical area compared to modern day complex supply chains.

The Contemporary Issue Surrounding Food Fraud
Advancements in science and detection along with greater public awareness, coverage and improved international cooperation have strengthened the fight against food fraud, but unfortunately so has the ingenuity of the fraudsters.

Food fraud incident types:

Term	Definition	Example	Potential public health threat that may lead to illness or death
Adulterate	A component of the finished product is fraudulent	Melamine added to milk	Fraudulent component
Tamper	Legitimate product and packaging are used in a fraudulent way	Changed expiry information, product up-labelling, so on	Fraudulent packaging information
Over-run	Legitimate product is made in excess of production agreements	Under-reporting of production	Fraudulent product is distributed outside of regulated or controlled supply chain
Theft	Legitimate product is stolen and passed off as legitimately procured	Stolen products are co-mitigated with legitimate products	Fraudulent product is distributed outside of regulated or controlled supply chain
Diversion	The sale or distribution of legitimate products outside of intended markets	Relief food redirected to markets where aid is not required	Shortages or delays of relief food to needy populations
Simulation	Illegitimate product is designed to look like but not exactly copy the legitimate product	“Knock-offs” of popular foods not produced with same food safety assurances	Fraudulent product of lesser quality
Counterfeit	All aspects of the original product and packaging are fully replicated	Copies of popular foods not produced with same food safety assurances	Fraudulent product

 
Understanding the Motives
The word ‘fraud’ conjures up images of hierarchical organised crime mobs such as Chinese triads, cartels and Sicilian Cosa Nostra Mafia. In fact, not all food fraud is illegal or a violation; it depends on ingredients used in the adulteration; the elements may not be seen as unethical in some cultures and unlike food terrorism, food fraudsters do not intend to cause a public health threat. Food fraud is opportunistic. Small and less sophisticated networks are capable of committing the act undetected in today’s long and complex supply chain. These networks may form, perpetrate the crime and then disband; returning to what may be a legitimate life. In the current economic climate there are increasing pressures on delivering cheap foods to consumers whilst maintaining a profit, so there is always an incentive to adulterate foods for the devious trader. So long as the demand is there for cheap food, fraudsters will provide it by any means.

Hedonist Bakery

As part of my University degree I have to look for a years placement in the food and drink industry. Every Tuesday Marian, the placement advisor, holds a talk where students come to talk about their placement experiences or she will invite prospective companies to talk about the placements they have on offer. Last week Hedonist Bakery from Herefordshire came to visit.

Hedonist work with traditional craft bakeries who produce some of the finest breads and pastries around. They take these goods, individually freeze and wrap them for delivery straight to your home, so all you have to do is follow their easy baking instructions for your own delicious freshly baked treat.

Lucky for us, Hedonist bought along three loaves to hand out and I was lucky enough to be given the choice of the three flavours to take home. This proved to be a tough task as each loaf looked utterly delectable, especially the kalamata olive stone baked bread, but I fancied something a little different so picked Hedonists cobnut, raisin and rosemary loaf. What a good decision that turned out to be!

As directed I sprinkled my thawed loaf with water and baked for 7minutes in a moderate oven which produced a wonderful smelling and crusty bread just waiting to be gobbled up in one sitting (between three people mind you!).

Generously laden with cobnuts, a type of hazelnut, juicy raisons and a generous sprinkling of Rosemary, the loaf contained the perfect balance of flavours which makes it versatile enough to be eaten at any occasion. I had mine with a topping of honey and sliced banana for breakfast, but it would make a wonderful bread to have with cheese and pickle or even as an accompaniment to a big bowl of warming soup. Only thing I would perhaps suggest is considering replacing or mixing in some cranberries to the loaf for extra flavour and subtle hint of sweet and sour.

Loaves and stone baked breads aren't the only products Hedonist deliver, they also have an extensive range of viennoisseries, patisseries and hot chocolate that all look mouth-wateringly delightful.

I look forward to ordering my loaves through Hedonist in the future whose products are utterly sublime.

This years Christmas presents!!

Spoiler Alert to all friends!!

This year I'm being frugal and making most of my Christmas presents. 

Two weeks ago I attended the annual Winter Good Food Show and stumbled across Collectively Artisan ceramics. Unforetunatley I was literally stumbling after just having hit the alcohol section d no amount of free nibbles can prepare you for the measures they were serving!

Anywho I digress!! At the ceramic stall there was a bowl of complimentary Indian sweets. A small ball of coconut and cardamom yumminess!! Fortunately they had a recipe card to recreate the treats which I knew instantly would make an alternative Christmas present.

To make 10-12 treats you'll need:

> 100ml/6 tbsp condensed milk (preferably unsweetened)

> 5-6 green cardamoms (seeds removed and crushed)

> 125g desiccated coconut

Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan and warm over a low heat. Tip the crushed cardamom seeds, if using and mix. Add 100g of the desiccated coconut and simmer for 2-3minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Watch carefully so it does not burn.

Remove from the heat and set aside until the coconut mixture is just cool enough to handle.

Sprinkle the remaining desiccated coconut onto a plate. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 10-12 balls of equal size. Roll each ball in the desiccated coconut to cover evenly. 

Either serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5-6 days. Or like me, wash or sterilise an old jam jar for an easy, quirky and delicious gift.

Our University Brew Club

Last year at Univeristy a few of us like minded students clubbed together to create Harper Adams first brew club. Here we meet and discuss our favourite tipple, organise informative talks by our very own beer wiz Professor Frank Vrieskoop (Full member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and Honorary member of the American Distilling Institute) as well as occasionally brewing our own concoction of whatever we fancy providing what ingredients we can get our hands on!

Our first official meeting this year instructed those interested in joining to bring along two of there favourite tipples (one for yourself and one to share). We discussed why we had chosen that particular brew and what we would like to get out of the group. I brought along my newest discovery Buddy's; a beer flavoured with bourbon and a hint of honey. It's an easy drinking beer with a real honey aftertaste. So far I've only seen it in Asda which is great for weird and wonderful new tipples.

The other two beers that really stood out for me at the meeting was Brew Dogs Punk IPA and Thornbridges Jaipur. Both had a great hoppy flavour and a strong lychee taste, very fruity and very drinkable!

Now that I've been 'promoted' to social secretary I'm in charge of organising educational excursions to breweries and distilleries. Any recommendations would be hugely welcomed!!