The pancake is a breakfast staple with our friends across the pond, but how often do we Brits actually eat pancakes? For many the answer is on a single day, Shrove Tuesday, when we tuck into a huge stack of pancakes with various toppings – lemon juice and sugar, golden syrup, banana, chocolate spread, jam – or even savoury fillings.

So why eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday in particular? The answer lies in a tradition that goes back centuries and is linked to the religious festival of Lent. Incidentally, ‘Shrove’ comes from the old English ‘Shrive’ which means to confess or do penance. This is fitting since Shrove Tuesday immediately precedes Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent, a traditional fasting period when rich foodstuffs such as eggs, flour, sugar and fat were restricted – hence the pancakes. Pancakes themselves have been around since Roman times, but the first recorded ‘Pancake Day’ was in 1445 in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

Pancakes are available at American-style diners all year round and in fact there are various restaurants which serve only pancakes. Perhaps the reason that we don’t make so many at home is that we’re under the impression that they are high in calories. In fact the average pancake made at home is around 170 calories minus filling, whereas thicker pancakes from McDonalds are 350 calories, for example.

These statistics pale into insignificance when compared with the largest pancake ever cooked, which measured 15 metres in diameter, weighed 3 tonnes and had an estimated 2 million calories. This monster was prepared and cooked in the Lancashire town of Rochdale. The highest pancake toss was by celebrity chef Aldo Zilli at 3.29 metres.

Plain pancakes are of course classed as carbohydrates and contain few essential vitamins or minerals however, like bread and pasta, they can still provide a balanced diet through the choice of fillings. Examples of pancake fillings include spinach and ricotta in a tomato sauce; mixed vegetables, seafood, minced beef, chicken, or fruits such as oranges, apples, blueberries or bananas.

For those working in catering our online nutrition course will provide you with an introduction to all the essential elements of a healthy balanced diet and offer guidance on special diets for those with allergies, intolerances, health issues and also diets related to age.

It is produced in an easy modular format, so can be taken in bite-sized chunks in your spare time if you have a busy work schedule.

For information on our other nutrition courses, please click here

Happy Pancake Day!

Valentine’s Day is a little bit like Marmite – you either love the chance to be romantic for a day or you hate the commerciality of it. One group of people who must surely love Valentine’s Day is florists. I’m guessing that today and Mother’s Day are amongst their most profitable of the year.

Here’s an impromptu Valentine’s Day rhyme:

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

They both look great

But they taste good too

Not all flowers have to be destined for a vase or water or a block of foam. Lately there appears to be something of a revival of edible flowers, with various elegant establishments offering rose water meringues or lavender cream. Many master confectioners already produce rose and violet crème chocolates and rose flavoured Turkish delight. And who hasn’t been given rose hip syrup as a toddler?

But did you know that you can pep up a salad with some pansies or dandelions, or put the finishing touch to a celebratory cake with some crystallised lilac? Courgette flowers also taste good deep-fried and nasturtium buds can be pickled and used as an alternative to capers. Refreshing drinks can also be made from flowers – elderflower cordial, dandelion and burdock, chamomile or hibiscus tea. Edible flowers, many of which are the flowers of herb plants, can also be used as decoration or a garnish.

A list of edible flowers can be found here but as with many other foods, you need to be mindful of allergens  – for example primroses, whilst on the edible flowers list can cause contact dermatitis in some. As a precaution, if you or anyone you are preparing food for are susceptible to allergies or suffer from asthma it’s best to steer clear of using flowers in food.

For others, you need to be careful in their preparation. In the majority of cases it is only the petals which can be consumed safely. Heavily scented roses are the most flavoursome, but you need to make sure that you remove the bitter white portion before you serve them up. Also, unless the flowers are from your own garden, be aware that pesticides may have been used during the growing process and select only flowers that are disease-free and have not been attacked by insects.

So now that you know that a Valentine’s Day bouquet of roses is flowers and a meal in one, why not start experimenting? Here are some recipes to get you started

If floral food isn’t quite your cup of chamomile tea, why not check out our online nutrition course instead?

If you are interested in learning more about unusual flavours and how to create them and develop new products why not try our course in Understanding Flavours? Next course 3-4 April 2012 in Skipton. This new course which is a combination of lab work and lectures is ideal for trainee and junior flavourists.

Contact Claire Lennon on 01756 700802 or email claire.lennon@vwa.co.uk for further details on any of our courses.

The Food Standards Agency stated recently that, according to their latest public attitudes tracker, the main food safety issue the public are most concerned about is food hygiene when eating out.

We have all seen television programmes which follow environmental health inspectors into various restaurants, cafes and take-aways, some of which look perfectly acceptable front of house. It is only when the doors to the kitchens, refrigeration and storage areas are opened that various horrors are revealed.

Scores on the Doors

Many savvy customers already consult a food hygiene ratings database called ‘Scores on the Doors’ before opting to dine or purchase take-away food at a particular establishment. This gives ratings based on the results of Local Authority health inspections and range from Zero – very poor, to 5 Stars – excellent. Unsurprisingly those with 4 or 5 stars often proudly display their certificate in a prominent position, whereas those with poor ratings prefer not to…. More information can be found at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

Basic food hygiene training is a legal requirement

Every person handling food as part of their job is required by law to undertake basic training so that they can learn how to produce safe food in a hygienic environment. Poor hygiene and an ineffective food safety management system can not only cause food poisoning or even fatalities in your customers. As a direct consequence it can also seriously damage the reputation of your business and your income.

Personal cleanliness, protective clothing and clean equipment are high priorities when working with food, but it is also important to have an understanding of how contamination occurs and what can be done to prevent it.

Catering with Confidence

If you work as a supervisor or manager in a catering environment, the best way to ensure that the food you serve is prepared safely and hygienically is to undertake a recognised training course.  The RSPH Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety is an intensive 3 day course which will provide you with the knowledge and expertise to implement food safety procedures with confidence and impart that knowledge to others.

By the end of the course you will be competent in detecting, controlling and preventing contamination and cross-contamination by chemicals, microorganisms, chemicals, foreign bodies and chemicals. You will also be proficient in developing and implementing control measures such as temperature control, preservation techniques and pest control and be able to take corrective actions in the case of breakdowns or failures in these measures.

No time to train?

Taking time out of a busy schedule to undertake training is not always an option, particularly if you are a small business. However, the good news is that we now offer both Level 2 and Level 3 Food Safety training online. The easy-to-follow modular formats of the courses mean that you don’t miss out on essential training and can complete the training in your own time and at your own pace. To find out more about our online courses click here

Last chance to book and save – 5% off selected courses in our January Sale

This offer applies to our specialist training courses including:

• HACCP Validation & Verification 12 – 13 Mar
• BRC Issue 6 update 14 Mar 18 Apr
• Legal Labelling 26 Mar
• BRC Issue 4 Packaging 28 Mar
• Managing Food Allergens in Maufacturing 30 Mar
• Understanding Flavours 3 – 4 Apr
• Creating Savoury Flavours 29 Oct – 2 Nov

Book online using code VWA5PD for 5% discount.

Visit our website for full details and prices www.vwa.co.uk.

We also offer HACCP and Food Safety and Auditing training at all levels at our training centre in Yorkshire, or at your own premises.

Contact Claire Lennon NOW on 01756 700802 or email claire.lennon@vwa.co.uk for further informationand prices or to book your place.

NB: 5% discount cannot be used with any other offer

Back in the day a ‘proper’ fry-up meant bacon, sausages, fried eggs, fried bread, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and possibly black pudding, all fried in lard. In fact it wasn’t unusual for children to be sent on their way to school having consumed bacon and tomato or sausage and egg for breakfast. Nowadays the fashion seems to be for sugary cereals and toast with jam or chocolate spread.

For years, various healthy eating campaigns and the diet industry have made us believe that frying food is bad for us in that it can increase cholesterol levels and clog arteries leading to high blood pressure and heart disease. It is also often cited as a major factor in obesity. The reason for this is that frying food increases its calorific value because the fat seeps into the food during the cooking process. Something which doesn’t occur through alternative methods of cooking – for example, grilling.

Now, the results of an 11 year study into the diets of 40,757 adults by the Autonomous University of Madrid have just been released.  Participants were asked about the type of food they ate in a typical week and how that food was cooked. At the beginning of the programme none of the adults showed any sign of heart disease. At the end of the programme there were 606 heart disease events and 1,134 deaths had occurred.

Interestingly, when investigated, no link to fried food could be found as being the cause of the heart problems – even though participants regularly ate fried food.

So, is it OK to go back to the ‘good old days’ when we thought nothing of melting a pound of dripping to fry up fish and chips? The answer is ‘no’.  In the case of the Spanish study, participants were using olive oil to fry food and were, on the whole, following a typical Mediterranean diet comprising fish, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. The typical British diet, as we know, differs from this.

According to an expert dietician at the British Heart Foundation, it is OK to fry food as long as you are using one of the healthier oils such as olive oil or sunflower oil which are unsaturated, rather than saturated fats such as butter, lard and palm oil. Fried food should also be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy balanced diet.

She says “Regardless of the cooking methods used, consuming foods with high fat content means a high calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease. A well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and only a small amount of high fat foods, is best for a healthy heart.”

As well as reducing the amount of saturated fat in the diet, those suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure) should aim to reduce the amount of salt in their diet. Current guidelines suggest that we should consume no more than 6g of salt per day. Salt is often used in processed foods to enhance flavour, so look for the Sodium content on the ingredients panel. Some studies have also suggested that garlic can help to reduce blood pressure – this certainly features heavily in a healthy Mediterranean diet.

To find out more about how eating the right kinds of foods can affect health in a positive way, why not take a look at our nutrition courses, some of which are available online.

Did you know that in the UK 4% of adults and 6% of children have a food allergy or intolerance? When we think of products that people are allergic to, it’s often peanuts, shellfish and those containing lactose that spring to mind. However around 1% of the population, known as coeliacs, is intolerant to gluten.

The gluten protein is most commonly associated with wheat, but is also found in rye, barley and other cereals and carbohydrates. For coeliacs the consequences of eating products containing this protein are serious and can cause damage to the digestive tract meaning that foods are not able to be absorbed properly. This can lead to other problems such as anaemia, bone disease and poor growth.

Labelling Laws

Look around any supermarket or health food shop and you’ll find several products claiming to be ‘gluten-free’ or ‘very low gluten’. But what is the difference between the two? And if a product is ‘wheat-free’ does it also mean that it is ‘gluten-free’?  To help with these queries, the Food Standards Agency has just published a set of guidelines entitled ‘Gluten Advice for Consumers’. This also ties in with existing legislation, Commission Regulation 41/2009, which concerns the composition and labelling of foodstuffs suitable for coeliacs. Whilst many companies voluntarily adhered to the Regulation since its introduction in 2009, compliance became compulsory on 1^st January this year.

In order to qualify as ‘gluten free’ there must be no more than 20 parts of gluten per million in a product. Those labelled ‘very low gluten’ must have levels of gluten that are 100mg/Kg or less. Additionally ‘very low gluten’ foods can only contain cereal products that have undergone special processing to reduce gluten levels. Even products that are to be diluted by the consumer must still adhere to the 20 parts per million rule since they must be ‘gluten-free’ as sold.

‘Wheat –free’ versus ‘Gluten-free’

So what of the question of ‘wheat-free’ versus ‘gluten-free’? The answer is that just because a product does not contain wheat it cannot automatically be classed as gluten-free. There are other factors to be considered such as cross-contamination with other gluten-containing products; or the product itself might contain ingredients which contain varying levels of gluten. For example oats, a cereal which does not contain gluten itself, must be produced, prepared and processed in an environment where there is no danger of cross contamination from other products before they can be declared ‘gluten-free’.

Appropriate labelling on products suitable for coeliacs and people with other types of allergies is essential, since misinformation can lead to serious illness and in some extreme cases, death, since ingredients can send consumers into immediate anaphylactic shock. There are other instances where, whilst incorrect labelling is not life-threatening, it will upset consumers who are avoiding certain types of food or ingredients as a lifestyle choice or for religious reasons – for example vegan, vegetarian, halal , kosher, free-range, organic etc.

Specialist Courses

In order to ensure that the food you are producing complies with current labelling and production legislation we offer two comprehensive courses. Managing Food Allergens in Manufacturing is a one-day course designed for those who are responsible for designing, implementing and auditing allergen management system. It covers all aspects of all aspects of allergen control as well as risk assessment processes, testing, validation and verification. To find out more click here.

Our in-depth Legal Labelling course provides delegates with a working knowledge of legislative requirements for food composition and labelling. By the end of the one-day course they will be able to assess confidently product specifications, pack copy and artwork for legality. For more information on this popular course, please click here.

The formulation of special diets for those with allergies, intolerances, or special requirements also forms part of our nutrition courses, Level 2 of which is available online. Please click here for course details.

‘Night of the Radishes’ might sound like second cousin to ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes’ or some other old B Movie, but believe it or not it’s actually the name of a festival which takes place in Mexico on 23^rd December.

Whereas in the UK, the radish is an acquired taste and is often left out of dishes altogether, Mexicans in Oaxaca City have dedicated an entire night to celebrating this hot peppery vegetable since 1897. However we’re not talking about the type of radish that you might enjoy in a salad, OH NO! These are super radishes which can weigh as much as 3 kilos and be up to 50cm long – the result of leaving them in the ground long after the regular harvest is over.

They’re not grown to be eaten either. Instead local craftsmen carve the giant radishes into amazing sculptures such as the nativity, saints, famous buildings and party scenes depicting dozens of figures. These are displayed in the plaza in Oaxaca City and are viewed by hundreds of people.

As well as being a great night, the ‘Night of the Radishes’ event is also a contest, with the talented sculptors having a chance to win first prize.  What’s the prize I hear you cry? 2000 Pesos? A holiday? A new television? Alas no, just the chance to have your picture in the local paper!

Did you know?

Did you know that radishes and radish greens:

• Provide an excellent source of vitamin C
• Are a good source of potassium and folic acid
• Help to maintain a healthy gall bladder and liver?

For more information about nutrition, why not check out our online nutrition course?

Christmas time is traditionally a time for indulgence. Many of us partake in a whole host of festive fare including turkey and all the trimmings, chocolate Yule logs, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, chocolates, trifle, stand pies, crackers and cheese and assorted buffet food. Not to mention a liberal amount of festive cheer in the form of alcohol. No wonder gym and slimming club membership peaks in January!

We all want to enjoy ourselves at this time of year, so if you’re in charge of the catering, make sure the food you prepare is safe. Don’t forget that if you or your staff are preparing food for public consumption you should hold a Level 2 Food Safety certificate as a bare minimum.

Here are a few tips to ensure that your turkey dinner doesn’t return to haunt you:

Storage

You should always follow the instructions on pre-packaged turkey. Fresh turkey should be stored in a fridge and consumed within two days. The same applies to defrosted turkeys.

Defrosting

We’ve all seen comedy programmes where somebody has left it too late to defrost a frozen turkey and the family have to eat beans on toast instead. Don’t let this happen to you by leaving plenty of time and making sure the turkey is thoroughly defrosted before you cook it.

Whilst it might be tempting to leave the bird to soak in a bath full of warm water, this should be avoided. Instead, remove the giblets, place the turkey in a deep dish and cover it with foil or cling film. You can then pour away liquid as it defrosts and keeping the turkey contained in this way avoids cross-contamination with other food nearby.

If at all possible you should try to defrost the turkey in the fridge – this should take around 10 to 12 hours per Kg at around 4°C (39°F). If you’re defrosting at room temperature then allow around 2 hours per kilo. If the room is cold i.e. below 17.5°C (68°F) it will take at least 2-3 hours to defrost per kilo.

To make sure the turkey is completely defrosted; stick a fork into the thickest part – between the breast and the thigh. Then when you’re sure there are no ice crystals, put the bird in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.

Cooking

Nobody wants to spend the rest of Christmas week dashing to the loo, but this could be the case if the turkey isn’t cooked properly. Undercooking poultry can result in salmonella food poisoning, which – as anyone who’s had the misfortune to contract it will tell you – is most unpleasant (stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting).

How long a turkey should be cooked for depends upon its weight. You should find this information on the packaging. If not the Food Standards Agency has given the following guidance for unstuffed turkeys at an oven heat of 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4):

• 45 minutes per kg plus an extra 20 minutes for turkeys under 4.5 kg
• 40 minutes per kg if the turkey is between 4.5kg and 6.5kg
• 35 minutes per kg for turkeys over 6.5kg

If your turkey has been stuffed, you will need to allow more cooking time.

There are two ways in which you can check whether the meat is cooked all the way through. If you have a food thermometer or probe, the core should reach a temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes. If not, you can cut into the thickest part of the meat to check that there is no pink colouring. The juices should also run clear when the bird is pierced or the thigh is pressed.

Vegetables and fruit

An epidemic of e-coli food poisoning from bean sprouts hit the headlines earlier this year. This shows that even though fruit and vegetables don’t pose such a serious threat to health as meat or dairy products, if proper food hygiene isn’t observed it can still cause discomfort. Certain people are more susceptible to food poisoning than others e.g. the elderly and very young or those who are recovering from an illness.

The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to ensure the food you serve is safe. Firstly wash your hands to avoid any chance of contamination. Secondly wash the vegetables. This should be done in a bowl of water as running them under the tap can cause any bacteria to be splashed onto other surfaces or into the air. Then peel them if required, give them a final rinse and prepare them on a clean surface or chopping board. If at all possible use separate boards for meat and vegetables.

Many vegetables, especially brightly-coloured ones, can be eaten raw, but we need to exercise caution with others such as potatoes. Raw potato is not only pretty unpalatable, but eating it in this form is essentially eating raw starch, which the human body finds very hard to process. Cooking potatoes kills any pathogens which might be present and breaks the starch down so we can digest it.

Another point to note when preparing potatoes is that you should remove any green areas before cooking. These contain solanine, a toxic chemical which can cause headaches, nausea and even neurological problems – so beware!

Leftovers

Christmas leftovers are almost inevitable, but care must be taken to store them properly before serving them up again. Rule number one is to allow turkey or other meats to cool sufficiently before wrapping them and placing them in the fridge or freezer. Cooked meat can be kept refrigerated for up to two days before use. To avoid the risk of cross contamination always store food separately.

If you are going to serve the defrosted turkey or other cooked meat hot, then you must make sure that it is piping hot throughout and never reheat more than once.

Remember also that in order to keep food safe, temperature is vitally important, so try not to overload the fridge or it won’t operate at the right temperature. If it’s too full I’m sure you could find a home for that beer or wine….

Cheers! And Merry Christmas!

VWA trainer and Leeds Metropolitan University food expert, Gill Hooper, is urging aspiring chefs to host a Cook for a Cure dinner party to boost funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. The new initiative has also won support from some of the UK’s top TV chefs.

Gill’s recipes are listed alongside those provided by celebrity chefs who have backed Cook for a Cure, including Rick Stein, Phil Vickery and Mary Berry, to encourage everyone to indulge in some culinary action. Food lovers can give the recipes a whirl or cook their own favourite dishes, and charge their dinner party guests for the privilege, to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Gill Hooper, a lecturer in nutrition at Leeds Metropolitan University, explained her motivation for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK:
“Cook for a Cure is a great way to do some fundraising and help defeat dementia without having to run a marathon or climb a mountain. Nearly everyone seems to know someone affected by this devastating condition but research to find new treatments is desperately underfunded.

“I’ve always had a huge passion for food and its health benefits and I love to cook. So, I’ve been delighted to provide some of my recipes for the Cook for a Cure dinner party pack. I’m also preparing a regular recipe of the month for Alzheimer’s Research UK, which is available online, to make the most of seasonal produce. My husband is a dementia research scientist so this is a subject very close to my heart.

“I recently arranged a Cook for a Cure dinner party and made one of my favourite puds – chocolate mousse cake served with blueberries. I asked my guests to make a donation for the meal and raised £150 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Everyone enjoyed the evening and thought it was fantastic to have a dinner party with a focus.”

Miranda Mays, Community Fundraising Manager for Alzheimer’s Research UK, added:
“Gill’s help with this campaign is invaluable as increasing evidence suggests a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of developing dementia. Every £20 raised through Cook for a Cure dinner parties will pay for one hour of pioneering dementia research, bringing us closer to finding ways to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure dementia.

“There are few things as enjoyable as eating good food with family and friends and a dinner party is a good excuse to get people together. Whether it’s a small gathering or a bigger get together with work colleagues or a community group, a Cook for a Cure dinner party is a fun and easy way to raise money to help defeat dementia.

“Over 7,500 people in Leeds live with the daily reality of dementia but funding for research lags far behind other serious diseases. We rely entirely on our wonderful supporters to fund our world-class dementia research.”

A free Cook for a Cure fundraising pack is available with tasty tips, dinner themed ideas and celebrity recipes to get people started. To request a fundraising pack contact the fundraising team at Alzheimer’s Research UK on 01223 843899 or email cookforacure@alzheimersresearchuk.org.

More information and Gill’s seasonal recipes of the month are available online at http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/cook-for-a-cure/

VWA is counting down the days to Christmas with a special online advent calendar, which gives food manufacturers, processors, caterers, retailers, chefs and anybody else involved in the food industry preferential rates on forthcoming courses.

The VWA Advent Calendar will appear at http://www.vwa.co.uk/advent/advent.htm from 1^st December and every day up to and including Christmas Eve there will be a series of promotions behind the doors. These will offer discounts on selected 2012 training courses running from January to April 2012 including VWA’s range of award-winning Food Safety, HACCP, Nutrition and Specialist courses.

Also featured will be new courses such as Legal Labelling, HACCP Validation & Verification, BRC Auditing and Packaging Update courses, Managing Food Allergens in Manufacturing and Understanding Flavours. Courses booked on a particular day will receive the discount for that day, plus there will also be a number of festive treats to be had in the period leading up to Christmas.

The advent calendar idea is a bit of festive fun, but there are some very attractive discounts hiding behind the doors as well as some ‘buy-one-get-one half-price’ offers on our popular courses. We hope that this promotion will encourage visitors to our website to see the extensive range of courses we offer and to take advantage of the excellent rates – all 2012 course booked by 31st December will be charged 2011 rates.

To view the VWA Advent Calendar, please visit www.vwa.co.uk/advent/advent.htm

Happy Christmas!