Nutritional Labelling of Caithness Foods

**Rheghead** · 06-Jun-09, 18:25

I see that nutritional labelling of pre-packaged foods seems to be almost mandatory now which is a good thing in my opinion.

However, if we look at our local bakeries, butchers etc there seems to be little in the way of knowing what we're eating. For example, how many calories are in a Johnstone's shell pie? Do we care?

Also, the foods in the vending machines at work are totally void of info as well despite all the glitzy claims that they are selling healthy stuff.

Would people support a campaign of sorts to get our local produce labelled with nutritional information? Even if it was to prove to visitors to our county that coming here is healthy not just for the mind and soul but for the body as well?

I think it could be achieved without much hassle, surely if I can make a reasonable attempt at home to give nutritional info on a meal then surely the local restaurants and shops that are selling to the public have an obligation to do also??

What do you think?

**BINBOB** · 06-Jun-09, 18:30

Once again..i have to say...how on earth did we cope in the past ,without all of this information???????????

**Rheghead** · 06-Jun-09, 18:35

Originally Posted by BINBOB

Once again..i have to say...how on earth did we cope in the past ,without all of this information???????????

Maybe ignorance was bliss back then?

Possibly it should remain so...

**canuck** · 06-Jun-09, 18:37

Cake is cake! Whether it has 325 calories or 400, it is still 350 calories more than any of us need. Still we eat it because we are celebrating. We know what we are doing and the calorie count is not an issue at the moment.

Of course we need to be educated about calories, but, unless one is on a very specific medical diet, the exact number of calories in an item is a bit too much detail for any of us to have to live our lives around.

**wifie** · 06-Jun-09, 18:41

Oh Rheggers for heaven's sake! What do you mean you "give a reasonable attempt at home to give nutritional info on a meal"? My mind is bogglin! Surely if you have used lean meat and have an idea of portion size you don't do that? Do you?

I suppose the likes of bakers and butchers could do this sort of thing but I wouldn't want it - I am fed up of excessive packaging and hermetically sealed-ness which this would probably call for. I have to say too that if I was going out for a meal - the last thing I would wish to see on the menu is the calorific value and fat, etc in what I was eating. An assurance that it was fresh and local mibbe but that is as much as I want to see detailed.

Nanny, nanny, nanny - we are becoming a nation of goats!

**starry** · 06-Jun-09, 18:49

I don't really mind there being no info but I can see it being made compulsary as obesity levels raise.

**shazzap** · 06-Jun-09, 18:50

I would like to see what is in the food i am eating. I am not bothered about the calorie count but i would like to know that the meat in say a meat pie is meat, and not some thing else.

**BINBOB** · 06-Jun-09, 18:51

Originally Posted by starry

I don't really mind there being no info but I can see it being made compulsary as obesity levels raise.

starry..what difference will that make to an obese person???they wil not care about the info.............just eat.!!!

**starry** · 06-Jun-09, 18:56

Yes but the government can tick another box on their how to keep the country healthy list

**joxville** · 06-Jun-09, 19:02

Originally Posted by Rheghead

I see that nutritional labelling of pre-packaged foods seems to be almost mandatory now which is a good thing in my opinion.

However, if we look at our local bakeries, butchers etc there seems to be little in the way of knowing what we're eating. For example, how many calories are in a Johnstone's shell pie? Do we care?

Also, the foods in the vending machines at work are totally void of info as well despite all the glitzy claims that they are selling healthy stuff.

Would people support a campaign of sorts to get our local produce labelled with nutritional information? Even if it was to prove to visitors to our county that coming here is healthy not just for the mind and soul but for the body as well?

I think it could be achieved without much hassle, surely if I can make a reasonable attempt at home to give nutritional info on a meal then surely the local restaurants and shops that are selling to the public have an obligation to do also??

What do you think?

Anyone that eats a Johnston's pie certainly ain't gonna be worried about how many calories it has.....if you have to ask then it's not for you!

Must get back to painting the hallway now, toodle-pip.

**wifie** · 06-Jun-09, 19:06

Originally Posted by joxville

Anyone that eats a Johnston's pie ceratinly ain't gonna be worried about how many calories it has.....if you have to ask then it's not for you!

Hahaha! Do you have some homing device that goes off every time a Johnston's pie is mentioned on the forum?

**joxville** · 06-Jun-09, 19:50

To paraphrase the Proclaimers hit:

I would *walk 700 miles
And I would walk 700 more
Just to be the man who walks 1400 miles
To fall down at their door.

*I wouldn't really, I'd drive there.

**unicorn** · 06-Jun-09, 20:06

I think it is fine as it is, without adding more pen pushing.
The butchers pies with no info taste a whole lot better than Tesco's ones with bumph and packaging.

**Stefan** · 06-Jun-09, 21:18

If food was labeled properly in a bakery or butcher I would actually be able to shop there. I haven't set foot into a bakery in a decade, simply because I don't know what I am buying.
I have several food allergies (lactose and bulb plants) which means I need to know every single ingredient before I buy something.
As much as I hate it, Tesco is the better option as food is labeled and I can decide what to buy and what to avoid.

If there was labeling of some sort available I would be found in a bakery more often than not ;-)
Thank good for my wonderful OH who bakes the most delicious cakes, biscuits, pizza and lots of other things for me!

**MadPict** · 06-Jun-09, 21:32

Simple solution - if you can't stand the thought of eating something that doesn't have every gram of it's content on a label or just how many calories you're going to have to burn off, then don't eat it....

You're thinking way too much Rheghead.......

**Rheghead** · 06-Jun-09, 21:50

Surely we should have a right to know what we're eating?

**canuck** · 06-Jun-09, 22:02

Originally Posted by Rheghead

Surely we should have a right to know what we're eating?

Yes, content is important, but you originally asked about 'nutritional content' which suggests more than what is in the food. It goes to the nutritional value of that content.

**Rheghead** · 06-Jun-09, 22:35

Originally Posted by canuck

Yes, content is important, but you originally asked about 'nutritional content' which suggests more than what is in the food. It goes to the nutritional value of that content.

Shouldn't people with special dietary needs be able to eat local produce with confidence?

**unicorn** · 06-Jun-09, 23:04

Why should shops have to pander to the "few".
Everyone thinks everything they want is a god given right these days what ever happened to the old saying "like it or lump it"