Superbugs and food - What part does food play in the spread of antibiotic resistant infections? Richard Young, policy adviser to the Soil Association, takes a look at the issues.

Which fast food meals are healthiest? Anyone's guess! - When The Food Magazine asked nutrition specialists and members of the public which fast foods were most laden with fats or calories. The results were surprisingly poor.

Other stories In the latest Food Magazine

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Recent news stories

June 2008

Fighting food fraud and fabrication: Our food system does not police itself. Sadly, the foods intended for our tables are sometimes produced by fools, sometimes by crooks and sometimes by the careless. The Food Magazine takes a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the public analysts who test our food and ensure it is safe to eat. Published in The Food Magazine issue 81.

Is Royal endorsement warranted? The Royal Warrant is regarded as the ultimate seal of approval and appears on a number of popular food and drink products. The Food Magazine questions whether such Royal endorsement is always deserved. Published in The Food Magazine issue 81.

February 2008

Fruity food flavourings fleece shoppers
Much of the flavour in modern food and drink can come from an unexpected source, a survey by The Food Commission has revealed. There are currently around 2,700 flavourings which can be added to the food we eat, but none of these need to be declared as ingredients, leaving consumers unaware of what they are really eating.

Suspect food additives still widely used in children's medicine
Suspect food additives were found in 40% of the children's medicines examined in a new survey by The Food Commission. The survey examined five types of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, including pain relievers and antibiotics, for the presence of the seven food additives linked to hyperactivity in children.

November 2007

Enzymes: the hidden extras in almost everything we eat
From The Food Magazine issue 79, published 29th November 2007
Enzymes are used in almost all aspects of modern food production. They modify the raw ingredients of the food we eat and the food itself. However, enzymes go unmentioned in ingredients lists and food manufacturers remain curiously shy about their use.

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August 2007

Kids against cocoa slavery
From The Food Magazine 78, published 6th August 2007
Chocolate manufacturers such as Nestlé, Mars and Cadbury are not doing much to stop child slavery in the Ivory Coast, so school kids in Tonbridge Wells are taking a stand.

The soft sell?
From The Food Magazine 78, published 6th August 2007
We do not expect ice creams and ice lollies to be healthy – after all, they are basically a frozen, sugary treat, but what is really in them?

The cost of calories
From The Food Magazine 78, published 6th August 2007
The Food Commission went out shopping in a low-income area in inner East London, to see how much food cost in terms of the calories you can buy for your pennies.

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June 2007

Additives should carry health warnings
A report published today by The Food Magazine reveals that several preservatives and colourings, which are regularly used in food and drink products, are supposed to carry health warnings when used in medicines for human consumption. The additives, some of which have already been linked to behavioural problems in children, do not have to carry any warnings when used in foods and drinks.

Newspapers fail to support women's sport
Physical activity is essential for everybody's health, but sports coverage in our national newspapers appears to be discriminating against women. A three week survey published in The Food Magazine has revealed that no national newspaper was able to dedicate more than 4.5% of sports coverage to women, with the worst offender, The Sun, providing a pitiful 0.21% of coverage to women's sport.

Cookery magazines failing to protect endangered fish stocks
A survey published in the latest edition of The Food Magazine reveals that many popular cookery and women's magazines appear to be doing nothing to prevent the destruction of endangered fish stocks. The survey, conducted in spring of this year, checked to see if 16 popular magazines provided any guidance on purchasing non-endangered fish, but found that most gave no information at all. The magazines have a combined circulation of around 3 million every month, with around 1,5 million readers receiving no information on the importance of buying fish from sustainable stocks.

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March 2007

Banned food additives permitted in children's medicines
A Food Magazine survey of 41 medicines aimed at the under threes found only one product which did not contain a food additive or food additives that are prohibited from foods specifically manufactured for the same age group. 10 March 2007

Do soap shows encourage teenage drinking?
Popular soap shows are awash with alcohol, according to a survey published in The Food Magazine. Researchers found that alcohol featured in 18% of scenes shown during Hollyoaks, in over 17% of scenes shown during Coronation Street and in over 16% of scenes shown during EastEnders and Emmerdale. 10 March 2007

Special report on folic acid fortification
Author: Yvonne Wake, Public Health Nutritionist and Associate Lecturer at Roehampton University, London. 10 March 2007

GPs and dietary advice
What are the challenges for health professionals in offering good nutritional advice? Your feedback is needed. 10 March 2007

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November 2006

Is advertising undermining breastfeeding?
A Food Commission survey found 364 adverts promoting the benefits of bottle feeding in just ten parenting magazines in one week. Breast is best, but commercial advertising seems to be undermining this message. 24 November 2006

Five a day the easy way?
The Department of Health says smoothies can only count as one of your recommended daily five portions of fruit and veg – so why do Innocent and PJ Smoothies claim otherwise? Meanwhile, Ultralife is marketing a supplement called ‘Fruit & Veg: 5 a day the easy way!’ which is described as ‘nutrition in a drink – just add water!’ and Fruit2day is pulled from the market because of misleading marketing. 24 November 2006

Call for beam trawl ban
Commercial fishermen kill or throw away one quarter of the fish they catch – as well as seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals and other ocean life, according to a new campaign from Greenpeace. 24 November 2006

Changing climate for food choices
The impact of the food system on human-induced climate change is generally calculated to be around 25 to 30% of the total effect, and yet the recent Stern Report on climate change failed to emphasise food as one of the main ways to deliver such change. 24 November 2006

A matter of social justice
Even conservative measures suggest that around ten million people are living in poverty, including three million children. The Food Magazine asks: what income do people need if they are to eat a healthy diet? 24 November 2006

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August 2006

Kentucky Fried Coronaries? We report on the latest lawsuit in the US, which sees an American doctor holding KFC to account for the trans fat in its food. 25 August 2006

New techniques for targeting children (pdf file)
As Ofcom dithers over the control of TV junk food advertising, the advertisers are finding new ways to connect to children. 25 August 2006

Do we need a daily dose of bacteria? The market for 'one-a-day' probiotic and prebiotic products is huge, but are they necessary? 25 August 2006

An insight into our hungry planet. We report on food and farming in China, the world's fastest growing economy. 25 August 2006

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May 2006

Advertising regulator caves in to industry
It has taken over two years for Ofcom to suggest how it might regulate junk food ads aimed at children. Quite frankly, it wasn’t worth the wait.
22 May 2006

Disney hesitates over junk-food ban
In May, the national press hinted that Disney might cease to associate its popular children’s characters with junk food, after the entertainment company ended its 10-year partnership with McDonald’s. A change of heart? We fear not.
22 May 2006

Methyl bromide passes its sell-by date
More than 5,000 farms and organisations joined forces with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in April to reinvigorate the phase-out of an agricultural fumigant that damages the ozone layer. Two UK supermarket chains were specifically highlighted in the UNEP publicity for taking a lead role – Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.
22 May 2006

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Aspartame: the litmus test for the FSA and EFSA
Erik Millstone, Professor of Science Policy at the University of Sussex, warns that recent research into the artificial sweetener aspartame is being ignored by food regulators.
22 May 2006

Stopping the rot in nutrition science
Barrie Margetts, Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Public Health Nutrition, examines the issue of commercially motivated and sometime fraudulent nutrition research.
22 May 2006

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January 2006
Chew on this
The Food Commission Research Charity has launched a new children's food website designed to inform young teenagers about processed foods and the marketing techniques used to promote them. The website will also be useful to anyone who is interested in how our food is produced and its effect on our health and the environment. See www.chewonthis.org.uk
30 January 2006

Nutrition, mental health and behaviour
The Food Magazine examines the research which suggests a healthy diet can do more than lead to a healthy body.
30 January 2006

TV ads to be hidden in programmes
Under new proposals from the EU the incidence of covert advertising, known as 'product placement', is set to boom.
30 January 2006

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Terminator is back
'Terminator' technology genetically modifies plants to produce only sterile seeds. This forces farmers to buy new seed each season and allows biotech companies' monopoly control over seeds. International negotiations in Brazil in March will decide on the future of the technology.
30 January 2006

Asda bows to campaign pressure over fish supplies
Supermarket Asda has promised to improve the sustainability of its fish supplies after coming lowest in a list of supermarkets rated by Greenpeace for their fisheries policies.
30 January 2006

Meat and dairy: where have the minerals gone? (PDF)
The mineral content of popular meats and milk products has fallen significantly. Looking at 15 different meat items, research shows that the iron content has fallen on average 47% since the 1930s, with some products showing a fall as high as 80%. The iron content of milk had dropped by over 60% while for cream and eight different cheeses the iron loss was over 50%.
30 January 2006

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National Salt Awareness Week
CASH will be holding its 7th National Salt Awareness Week from 29 January - 4 February 2006
30 January 2006

October 2005
The high cost of cheap food
Everyday food products are implicated in the destruction of forests and sea-life, with untold consequences for wildlife, millions of livelihoods and our health. What can be done to reverse the destruction?

Milk - with extra oestrogen?
Two-thirds of our milk supply comes from pregnant cows, but we don't know what that means for our health.

EC butter scandal continues
Whilst consumers are urged to cut back on their consumption of saturated fat, around half a million tonnes of cheap, subsidised butter and cream are added to processed foods every year in the UK.

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August 2005
Food companies snare children in their webs
Makers of soft drinks, sweets and sugary cereals are designing websites to catch the attention of children barely six or seven years old.
Food industry dishes up desserts full of salt
A Food Magazine survey reveals high levels of salt where consumers might least expect to find it - in desserts, cakes and biscuits.
Nutrition labels are designed to confuse
It’s more than 20 years since a senior government committee recommended clear and simple nutrition labelling. We still don’t have it, and the government is proposing yet another voluntary labelling initiative. Will consumers ever get the information they need?

April 2005
Processed meats are pumped up with water
The Food Magazine went looking for watery meat, and found the shelves awash. Children encouraged to advertise food to themselves (1MB, pdf format)
Advertisers have responded to growing criticism of food advertising by shifting into new marketing methods designed to encourage children to advertise food to themselves

What should children know about food?
We're building a new website to educate 11-13 year olds about the food they eat. What do you think we should tell them?

January 2005
A new year's revolution?
Will the big food manufacturers really stop targeting children?
Scrambled labels:
Despite a tightening of the labelling rules last year, the labels on egg boxes can still leave consumers befuddled.
Checkouts still failing the junk test
A survey of supermarkets has found Morrisons to be the worst chain for promoting junk food at the checkouts, knocking ASDA out of its long held first place in our league table.
Plants lose their value
Continuing our look at the impact of modern farming on diet, we report on the loss of nutrients in plant foods. (PDF document)

November 2004
Thirst for bottled water fuels food miles
Fish - made of soya?
Regulators say Frosties are not healthy
Do we need plant sterols?

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July 2004
Kids' restaurant meals 'worse than school dinners'
Will traffic light labelling turn red for Tesco?
Nestlé gives children little choice in fuel
Trust me, I'm a doctor!

April 2004
Parents beware: Juice in juice drinks costs up to £34 per litre!
Food Commission publishes new guide to children’s food
Olympic challenge to Coca Cola

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January 2004
Soft drinks or liquid candy?
Boots serves up flavoured water for newborns.
Toddler tops put teeth at risk.
Organochlorines and obesity

November 2003
Parents Jury wins Caroline Walker Trust Award

October 2003
Chuck snacks off the checkout!
Food Standards Agency tells food industry to cut salt
Premium sausages fattier than ever
Trans-fat labelling denied to UK shoppers

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July 2003
Health groups warn: World's children at risk from junk food marketing

May 2003
Salt advice to parents will be hard to achieve

April 2003
Babies' health put at risk by low benefit levels
Cadbury asks children to eat two million calories of fat - to get fit!

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The latest Food Magazine

Thirst for bottled water fuels food miles (4th November 2004)

In a snap supermarket survey, the Food Commission has found bottled water that has travelled more than 10,000 miles (16,000km) to reach UK consumers. Click here for the full story

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Fish - made of soya? (4th November 2004)

Continuing our series on the effects of modern farming on our dietary health we look at fish, and ask whether the feed given to farmed fish reduces their nutritional value. (view PDF version)

Regulators say Frosties are not healthy (4th November 2004)

Kellogg's has been told by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to withdraw advertising implying that Frosties cereal is healthy. (view PDF version)

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Do we need plant sterols? (4th November 2004)

Do healthy people need to eat foods with added plant sterols, like Flora pro-activ or Benecol? (view PDF version)

Children's meals flunk nutrition standards (27th July 2004)

Research finds that the children's meals served in restaurants, cafés and leisure centres are a nutritional nightmare. Click here for the full story

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Traffic lights for Tesco (27th July 2004)

Tesco has promised a 'traffic light' labelling scheme to indicate the levels of fat, sugar and salt in its products. But shoppers may have to prepare for shelves full of red warnings, as we find that even Tesco's 'Healthy Living' range would score plenty of red lights. Click here for the full story

Nestlé attempts to lure schools with 'fuel' for kids (27th July 2004)

Nestlé is rebranding school vending machines as 'Refuel:Pods' which the company claims will 'encourage pupils to have a balanced lifestyle'. Sounds good, until you look at the contents, 85% of which are high fat, high salt, high sugar junk foods. Click here for the full story

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Trust me, I'm a doctor (27th July 2004)

Apparent endorsements by the NHS and celebrity doctors such as Dr Hilary Jones are being used to re-enforce the questionable health claims made by advertisers. Click here for the full story

Parents beware: Juice in juice drinks costs up to £34 per litre! (30th April 2004)

Parents are unwittingly paying up to £34 a litre for fruit juice when they buy it in the form of ‘juice drinks’, according to a survey published today in the Food Magazine. Click here for the full story

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Food Commission publishes new guide to children’s food (30th April 2004)

A new poster guide from The Food Commission explains that simply reading food labels and looking for products with added vitamins is not enough to protect children’s health. Many food products are poorly labelled, and advertisers are happy to promote high fat, high sugar and high salt products as ‘healthy’ and ‘nutritious’. Click here for more information

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Soft drinks or liquid candy? (29th January 2004)

A Food Magazine survey has revealed that a single bottle of Ribena or Lucozade could give you as much sugar as several packets of sweets. Either drink would exceed a child's recommended maximum sugar intake for the whole day - by 30% in the case of Ribena. Click here for the full story

Boots serves up flavoured water for newborns
(29th January 2004)

Contrary to medical advice, the pharmaceutical retailer Boots has launched a new product range of flavoured water designed for babies 'from four weeks'. The ingredients are water, flavouring and citric acid. Not only is this a very expensive way of buying water (over £5 per litre); but do babies really need their first contact with water to be adulterated with peach, blackcurrant, strawberry or apple flavourings? Click here for the full story

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Toddler top puts teeth at risk (29th January 2004)

How one tiny piece of plastic can pose a serious threat to toddlers' teeth. Click here for the full story

Organochlorines and obesity (29th January 2004)

Researchers are increasingly concerned that environmental contaminants that affect hormone function in humans, including the oestrogen-like activity shown by organochlorines such as DDT, may be increasing our risk of excess body weight. Click here for the full story

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Parents Jury wins Caroline Walker Trust Award (6th November, 2003)

The annual Caroline Walker Trust awards recognise the work of those who have sought to improve public health through good food. Previous winners have ranged from scientists with international reputations to local food and community groups endeavouring to improve the health and well-being of local communities, as well as magazines, broadcasters and supermarkets.

Annie Seeley, co-ordinator of The Parents Jury, collected the award at the Caroline Walker Trust's annual award ceremony, where Geoffrey Cannon also delivered a lecture on 'The Fate of Nations: Food and Nutrition Policy in the New World'.

Other award winners included Professor Annie Anderson, Bradford Education Contract Services, Consensus Action on Salt and Health [CASH], and Food Chain. A Lifetime Achievement Award went to Aubrey Sheiham, who has long been an advisor and friend to all of us at The Food Commission, and who also acts as a director for The Food Commission Research Charity. Click here for the Caroline Walker Trust website

click here to visit the Parents Jury website

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Supermarkets told to Chuck snacks off the checkout! (22nd October, 2003)

A new Food Commission campaign will call for supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies to stop displaying snacks at the checkouts, and to put such products out of temptation's reach. Click here for the full story

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Food Standards Agency tells food industry to cut salt by a third (22nd October, 2003)

In a remarkable challenge to the food industry, the government's Food Standards Agency has told manufacturers it wants to see 50% of the salt cut from bacon and ham, 60% cut from sauces and 80% cut from canned vegetables. Click here for the full story

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Premium sausages fattier than ever (22nd October, 2003)

A new survey of sausages finds that the highest quality 'premium' lines have risen in fat content from 15% to 21% since a previous survey in 1991. Salt levels in standard products have also increased. Our survey shows that manufacturers cannot even agree on how sausage fat levels should be declared. Click here for the full story

Trans-fat labelling denied to UK shoppers (22nd October, 2003)

The American Food and Drug Administration has told food companies that from January 2006 they must declare on the label the amount of trans-fat in their products. But UK consumers will still be denied this information, although trans-fat is even worse for heart health than saturated fat. Click here for the full story

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The health of the children around the world is put at risk by the marketing of junk food, says a new report from the Food Commission. See the press release here

Salt advice to parents will be hard to achieve (15th May, 2003)

The Food Commission has warned that new government guidelines for reducing children’s salt consumption will be difficult for most parents to achieve without a significant reduction of salt in processed foods, and better food labelling. Click here for the full story

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In the latest Food Magazine No. 82
Published 8th August 2008

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Fewer than one in 100 eat healthily - there have been significant gains in improving the nation's diet, but a new analysis of data shows that just eight people per thousand are actually eating a healthy diet. More information.

EC to boost kids' fruit - a scheme should provide 90 million Euro (about £75m) to help schools purchase and distribute fresh fruit and vegetables. More information.

Warning labels for coloured foods - the European Parliament has voted in favour of labelling foods containing any of the six food colours E110, E104, E122, E129, E102 and E124 with the words, "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." More information.

Investing in local food - the Manchester grocery which is buying its own land to grow its own produce. More information.

Campaigners say Nestlé hired spy - An anti-globalisation campaign group has lodged a complaint with Swiss authorities and asked them to investigate the Swiss food and drinks giant Nestlé for allegedly hiring a spy to infiltrate the group. More information.

Salt levels fall, but industry needs to do more - salt consumption in the UK has fallen from 9.5 grams (g) to 8.6g since the year 2000, but, the reduction still falls short of the government's target of a 6g daily maximum for adults. More information.

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Flora using schools as a marketing tool - schools are actively encouraging parents to buy the slippery spread in return for 'free' kitchen equipment. More information.

UK's poorest need higher incomes for a decent life - According to a new report a single person in Britain today needs to earn at least £13,400 a year to afford a basic, but decent standard of living, including rent on a modest council home. More information.

Superbugs and food - What part does food play in the spread of antibiotic resistant infections? Richard Young, policy adviser to the Soil Association, takes a look at the issues. More information.

Which fast food meals are healthiest? Anyone's guess! - When The Food Magazine asked nutrition specialists and members of the public which fast foods were most laden with fats or calories. The results were surprisingly poor. More information.

Let the buyer beware - Bee Wilson investigates the rich history of food fraud and swindles. More information.

Food security: leave it to the market? - Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, urges readers to take the current food crisis seriously. More information.

Plastic food waste chokes our seas - Anna Glayzer investigates how discarded plastic food packaging can harm the health of people and animals. More information.

Pesticides on a plate - Nick Mole of the Pesticide Action Network UK investigates pesticide residues in our food. More information.

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FSA may weaken the ban on kids' TV ads - The Food Magazine investigates a proposed change to the rules that could make some sweet and fatty food easier to get under the bar on junk food advertising. More information.

Expanding the baby milk market - Helen Crawley, public health nutritionist, investigates new formula milks that claim to help send your baby to sleep. More information.

Healthier school meals, but why aren't they free for all? - Children from families living on benefits receive lunches free, but those living on low incomes still have to pay the full cost. More information.

Legal, decent, honest and true? Misleading food and drink advertisements are supposed to be regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Here we report on recent adjudications. More information.

Price rises mean poorer diets - Rising prices for basic commodities will not mean we eat less, but rather that our diets will deteriorate even further, argues Tim Lobstein. More information.

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