Monday, April 25, 2005
Food on the TV (and Radio)
Jumping on the Jamie Oliver bandwagon-Food on the Brain - A Tonight Special
In the first of a two-part investigation, nutritionist Patrick Holford takes three disruptive youngsters and substitutes their diets of junk food for a strict healthy eating plan, to test the theory that it can improve concentration and sleep patterns. Presented by Trevor McDonald. Concludes on Friday.
The show took three fourteen year olds from Manchester who have each been excluded from mainstream schools because of behavioural problems. It gave an insight into their diet, which was scary, and explained the results of blood and hair tests the kids underwent. Then it gave a brief description of the diets they were to go on for a month- fish, grain, fresh fruit and veg, that sort of thing. As a half hour programme it couldn't really go into great detail and I'd like to see the subject covered in more detail with the effects of the various nutrients and deficiencies the nutritionist kept going on about explained in depth.
Radio 4's Food programme earlier today-
Sheila Dillon examines the rise and rise of interest in locally produced food - according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution , 70% of us want to buy local foods. But to what extent does this rhetoric translate into reality? And what does this mean for the way we shop and eat?
We're still a nation in love with the supermarket, but more and more of us are choosing to get locally produced food direct from the grower - one of the increasingly popular ways to do this is through an organic vegetable box, delivered weekly to your door. There are now 500 box schemes operating in the UK. Sheila visits farmer Tim Deane who with his wife Jan began one of the first organic vegetable box schemes in the UK in 1991.
To find out how the box scheme business has blossomed in the UK, Sheila meets Guy Watson of Riverford Organics who explains how they fill the 20,000 boxes they send out each week. And Sheila discovers a website which will put you in touch with local producers in your area. It's Big Barn , run by Anthony Davison from Bedfordshire who, as Sheila finds out is helping producers like Carol Southall of Southall Farm Fresh Meats .
In the studio Sheila is joined by Tim Lang , Professor of Food Policy at City University in London and Karen Todd , Local Sourcing Manager for ASDA who discuss the future of locally produced food.
Further information
Institute of Grocery Distribution
Tim Deane
Shillingford Organics
Guy Watson
Riverford Organics
Big Barn
Southall's Butchers
Home Farm
Bedford Road
Great Barford
Bedfordshire
Tel:01234 870333
City University
ASDA
My apologies to both broadcasting organisations for copying their information wholesale, but programme listings, by their very nature, are temporary things. You should be able to listen again to The Food Programme if, like me, you missed it today. Thanks to Damian for the tip.
Technorati tag: Nutrition, Organic Food
Labels: Fish, Local Food
posted by I at 5:36 pm
