Food 'n' Drink – Food and Drink news |

Ministers have been charged with giving in to the junk food manufacturers by bending out of any strategies that would impose tougher controls on the amount of fat, sugar, and salt content in snacks instead settling to simply lend financial support to healthy eating campaigns.

Yesterday health specialists warned that any proposal to enforce regulation on confectionary makers and drinks in return for money was the same as bribery.

Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, revealed new plans that would include the companies giving cash for the Change4Life campaign run by the Government in which a serious of advertisements are being launched to encourage the public to keep healthy by eating healthy.

In return, Lansley promised that firms will not have to worry about too much regulation.  Despite this fact, food industry companies have not yet offered much money for the campaign which has caused critics of the move to warn that junk food manufacturers are getting off the hook without actually being forced to offer something in return.

Doctors have already responded negatively responded to Lansley’s plans stating that the campaign will do little to help a problem that is quickly rising in intensity which can be seen in people’s health.  Lansley also called the healthy school meal movement by Jamie Oliver  a bomb which stirred up a bit of controversy.

Beck’s Vier and 580 have announced their much anticipated line-up for the “Music Inspires Art”  UK Tour. The incredible quality collection of incredible talent includes Hudson Mohawk, These New Puritans, Metronomy and New Young Pony Club DJ sets.

The The Rest is Noise in Brixton will be the venue on Saturday, July 31st for the Hundred in Hands, Ocelot and Jimmy Edgar gig, which will take a UK tour that will circuit the UK throughout the summer.

Not only will there be an incredible selection of top of the acts great venues entry will be free, to get your hands on tickets you will need to make your way to the Beck’s Vier Facebook page www.facebook.com/becksvier

The gigs are intended to bring out the very best of new music at the best venues such as Bungalows and Bears, The Shipping Forecast, Amersham Arms, and many more. Also getting involved will be the art collectives Future Shorts and Squeaky Hill and Cabinet of Living Cinema, who will be helping to fuse together great sounds with great visuals.

Beck’s Vier have a long history of collaborating with artists and musicians to bring new talent to the forefront and get them noticed by a much wider audience, for example the artist Jamie Brown will be painting the outside of each of the venues with its own unique style so there is not possibility that will have trouble finding the gigs

These are the opening July events

60 Million Postcards, Bournemouth: 1 – 4 July

Featuring: DJ Cheeba, Luke Abbot, Plaid, The Cabinet of Living Cinema, Rudi Zygadlo, The Invisible, Dam Mantle, Squeaky Hill Art & Comedy, Summer Camp, Pariah, New Young Pony Club, Lone Wolf, Minotaur Shock, Sunday Girl DJ set

60 Million Postcards, 19 Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5AF
www.sixtymillionpostcards.com / 01202 292 697

The Kraken Wakes, Portsmouth: 15 – 18 July

Featuring: DJ Cheeba, Plaid, The Cabinet of Living Cinema, Rudi Zygadlo, The Invisible, Dam Mantle, Squeaky Hill Art & Comedy, Summer Camp, Pariah, Lone Wolf, Hudson Mohawke DJ set, Minotaur Shock, Sunday Girl DJ set

1 – 2 St. Michaels Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2EE

www.thekrakenwakes.com

Lock Tavern, London 23 – 25 July

Friday 23 July Metronomy Dj set, Dave ID, The Eyes in the Heat, Modern Romance DJs

Sat 24 July El – B, Rockwell, Pariah + special guest.

Sun 25 July These New Puritans DJ set, Civil Civic, Sunday Girl DJ set, David Lyre

Lock Tavern, 35 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AJ
www.lock-tavern.co.uk / 020 7482 7163

The Rest Is Noise, London: 29 – 31 July

Thurs 29 July These New Puritans DJ set, Standard Planets, Hoodlums, The Eyes in the Heat

Fri 30 July Untold, Ben UFO, Work It, Envy (LIVE MC SET)

Sat 31 July Jimmy Edgar (LIVE), Hundreds in Hands (LIVE), Ocelot (LIVE), P45

Sun 1 Aug Dels, Ghostpoet, United Vibrations, Sunday Girl DJ set, Squeaky Hill Arts Collective

442 Brixton Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8EJ

www.therestisnoise.com

Other acts already signed up to appear include Ariel Pink, Little Boots, Lone Wolf, The Nextmen, Chapel Club, Joakim, Foreign Beggars, Plaid, Young Turks, Mount Kimbie, The Invisible, Hudson Mohawke, Rudi Zygadlo, Silver Columns, Luke Abbott, Andrew Weatherall, Sbtrkt + Sampha, S.C.U.M

580 who brought you Nail the Cross, Adventures in the Beetroot Field, and Field Day will be setting up their own unique program involving filmmakers, artists and DJs to produce a diverse and eclectic mix that will include some of the most blogged about acts like Class Actress and Sampha who have just signed to Young Turks, as well past a whole host of local new talent from each city.

Fine wine is a delightful experience if the wine is chosen correctly and those that consume it are able to judge its taste and texture.  There is much more to choosing fine wine then simply reading a label, picking it up, and popping the cork.  This is due to the fact that to truly enjoy fine wine there are a few facts that you need to know.

In general, fine wine sells for around thirty to sixty pounds although the top vintages from notable vineyards can easily sell for thousands of pounds.  However, fine wine in general does not have to extremely expensive in order to be enjoyed.  This is due to the fact that the high priced wine is generally for investment purchases and not for those who simply want to enjoy fine wine.

Before opening a bottle of wine it is important to look over the label carefully due to the fact that some will advise you to allow the wine to breathe for a few hours before consumption, while others will prefer that you open the bottle and serve immediately.  This is due to the fact that different wines are distilled in different manners those in order to enjoy fine wine correctly you need to be sure of what type of wine you are serving and consuming.

However, before you get to serving or consuming wine it is important to ensure that you store it correctly in a suitable location in your home.  Wine is a perishable food item that will sour or lose its distinctive tastes if not properly stored.  It is important to keep all types of wine away from areas in which there are fluctuations in humidity and temperature, as well as any areas that are exposed to a great deal of light or heat.

With this in mind, it is also important to understand when to chill and when to leave wine at room temperature before serving.  Many times the bottle  will offer instruction but in cases of doubt the rule of thumb is that red wine should be served at room temperature and white wine should be served chilled in order to properly enjoy fine wine.

Fine wine is now much easier to find as many leading retailers such as The Drink Shop now offer a plethora of bottles on their shelves for easy complements to a dinner.  In fact, Tesco also has a wine club and wine selections of the month in order to help its customers enjoy the best flavours of wine based on the grape growing seasons which is worth exploring for those who enjoy fine wine.

Combine a love of ice cream with a love of fashion.  From the 5th-31st of July, Magnum Temptation will be hosting an online heist.   Those who can be tempted to join in will control a partner-in-crime to raid the Temptation 100 collection – a set of the latest asos indulgences. Once pilfered, fans have to wait until the stroke of midnight to win their stash. If they are unsuccessful, they can rerun the heist again the next day.

To tempt your taste buds and satisfy your insatiable appetite for the latest trends, Magnum and ASOS.com have created ‘The Temptation Top 100’, the definitive guide to the season’s most desirable fashion items and accessories. What’s more, they are giving you a chance to bag the lot from 5th July – 1st August!

To win the carefully selected items, chosen by ASOS’ chief stylist, you have 60 seconds to work with a virtual (elegantly dressed) thief who will help you ‘dash and grab’ as many items as you can from a revolving gallery and place them in box. This selection becomes your prize entry in the daily draw. At the end of each and every day, a winner is selected so there’s plenty of chance to win.

And if you don’t win your box of fashionable treats from ‘The Temptation 100’, you can indulge in another summer ‘must have’ with a money off voucher for Magnum Temptation, an ice cream so luxurious and indulgent that it comes in its very own jewellery style box. There are two mouth-watering flavours to choose from – Chocolate – smooth chocolate ice cream enriched with sumptuous chocolate sauce, white Belgian chocolate chunks and brownie pieces covered in dark Belgian chocolate – and Caramel & Almonds – Madagascan vanilla ice cream with Californian almond pieces smothered in dark Belgian chocolate and luscious swirls of smooth, soft caramel sauce surrounded by a shell of thick milk chocolate.

So whether it’s a delicious treat for your taste buds or your wardrobe, Magnum and ASOS.com have got your favourite pastimes licked!

The Government has ruled out a ban on trans fats in food that may cause danger even though there is strong evidence that trans fats can cause around 7,000 premature deaths annually.

NICE, the official health watchdog, has asked for a veto on the fats that are the culprits often blamed for clogged arteries, high cholesterol, and heart attacks. However, Andrew Lansley the Health Secretary has decided not to follow the advice and instead chose the food industry arguing that the ban is not necessary at this time.

In a separate announcement Lansley also stated to the British Medical Association (BMA) that the Government should not be responsible for any legislation enforcing diet or health issues.  He continued to explain that it is not the Government’s place to lecture people on their eating habits and that even efforts by Jamie Oliver to tackle poor eating habits in children has failed.

The NICE on the other hand continues to argue that a ban on trans fat is necessary in order to combat up to 40,000 deaths every year that are linked to medical causes of high salt, fat, and sugar that comes from junk food.

NICE stated that it is known that fatty acids that make up trans fat pose a large health issue to many, and although many food companies have made some efforts to remove the fats from their products, there is still a large population that continues to consume much more of these elements on a regular basis than there should be.

The health watchdog also stated that it is important that all social groups are aware of the dangers of IPTFAs.

The results of the 2010 Great Value Wine and Trophy Awards have been announced today.

And there is some great news for England in the shape of Camel Valley Wines (www.camelvalley.com) in Cornwall which has knocked France off its pedestal by scooping top prize, the Sparkling Rosé Trophy, beating other Gold medallists from Champagne and Australia. It also won English Sparkling Trophy for its 2008 Pinot Noir Rosé Brut (£24.95). Overall, France pride was maintained as the top trophy-winning nation, with an impressive 21 trophies.

14 Great Value Awards – judged on style, availability and price – have been awarded in this year’s competition providing consumers with accessible and affordable wines particularly in the supermarkets.  The results are:

• Great Value Sparkling Wine Under £10, Brut Natural 2007, £9.99, South Africa, Marks & Spencer
• Great Value Sparkling Wine between £10 and £15, Lambrusco Reggiano Concerto, 2009, RRP £12, Italy, EH Booth, Everywine.co.uk, Harrods wine shop, Valvona & Crolla, Vinum
• Great Value Sparkling Wine between £15 and £20, Waitrose Champagne Brut NV, £19.99, France, Waitrose
• Great Value White Wine Under £6 Moon Bridge Riesling, 2009, £5.49, Australia, Marks & Spencer
• Great Value Rosé Wine between £6 and £10, Secano Rosé Pinot Noir, 2009, £7.49, Chile, Marks & Spencer
• Great Value White Wine between £6 and £10, Falanghina Campania, 2009, RRP £9.99, Italy, Laytons Wine Merchant, Mondial Wine, Oddbins Fine Wine, Winetraders
• Great Value White Wine between £6 and £10, Domaine Villargeau Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, RRP £9.99, France, Majestic Wine Warehouse, Daniel Lambert Wines, Bristol Wine Co
• Great Value Red Wine Under £6, La Différence Carignan, 2009, £5.81, France, Tesco
• Great Value Red Wine between £6 and £10, Reserve Shiraz, 2008, £8.99, Australia, Waitrose
• Great Value Red Wine between £10 and £15, Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, RRP £12.99, Casa Lapostolle, Chile, Berkmann Wine Cellars, The Vineyard, Slurp.co.uk, Hailsham Cellars
• Great Value Sweet Wine between £10 and £15, Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling, 2007, £13.99, Australia, Waitrose, Vin du Van Wine Merchants, Topsham Wines, Philglass & Swiggot, Bowland Forest Vintners, Adnams Wine Merchants
• Great Value Fortified Wine under £10, La Gitana Manzanilla NV, £8.39, Spain, Waitrose
• Great Value Fortified Wine Under £10, Fonseca Bin 27 NV, £9.99, Portugal, Morrisons
• Great Value Fortified Wine between £10 and £15, Campbells Rutherglen Muscat NV, RRP £11.49, Australia, Adnams Wine Merchants, Bon Coeur Fine Wines, Christopher Piper Wines, Oddbins

Visit the IWC website www.internationalwinechallenge.com for the full list of winners

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has decided that the government has the ability to save around forty thousand lives and millions of pounds if more regulations were placed on the junk food industry.

Some suggestions include offering shoppers better labeling on fat, salt, and sugar in processed foods, controlling advertising of junk food to children, and eliminating trans fat during food manufacturing.

However, the news has come too late as the coalition government has placed public health and food on the back burner and it seems that now every positive argument would be met with those claiming its restriction of freedom.

Treasury estimates that every year health service costs from disease caused by diet have increased up to £6b yearly and are continuing to skyrocket.  This estimate was ten years ago, which paints a picture for how it may look today.

The simple truth in terms of NHS spending is that the government could save large amounts if strokes, cancers, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease were prevented by correcting diets instead of waiting until their health effects were already manifest.

However, efforts by nice which is responsible for offering guidance to the NHS in terms of spending, was told by the Department of Health that it has overstepped its bounds and that eating healthy is still fundamentally a personal choice.

The Food Standards Agency is also likely going to have to take a back seat as well son after angering the junk food industry by mandating clear names for salts and fats on packages and its role has already been shifted towards the Department of Health.