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| Shona McIsaac: Gherkins, ice cream and Irn Bru |
The decision by former Grimsby MP Melanie Onn to select a foodie photo for the home page of her Twitter account (https://bit.ly/3fOnxPU) has triggered memories of a 'Commons debate back in November 2001. During a lively discussion about food labelling, this is what Shona McIsaac had to say (courtesy of Hansard) when she was Labour MP for Cleethorpes.
As the daughter of a chef, the grand-daughter of a cook and somebody who spent many years on magazines such as Woman, Bella and Chat, editing recipes and producing food writing, let me say that food is a passion is mine.
Whether shopping for it, cooking or eating, it is very much the love of my life.
When I shop I always look for the best-quality products that I can find.
The information given to the shopper or consumer is vital, so I was pleased when I learned that the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Eric Pickles) was introducing a Bill on food labelling.
I decided to do some essential research for the debate, and delved into the nether regions of my larder and freezer to check the food labels.
I wanted to see the countries of origin of the food in my larder and the type of information that was provided on labels.
I realised that, because of my lifestyle as a MP, there were far too many out-of-date products in my larder. They have now been consigned to the bin.
The experience was also educational as it was essentially a tour of the world.
My larder contains Puy lentils, Camargue red rice, borlotti beans and cannellini beans (all of which will soon be out of date as I do not eat many of them), many varieties of pasta, tabbouleh, falafel, couscous and tahina mixes plus jars of cornichons - gherkins to most of us.
The information on the label is vital, regardless of whether it concerns origin or nutritional value. Hon. Members have already mentioned the issue of food allergies, and that information, too, is vital.
Despite the lifestyle that we lead as hon. Members, which seems to necessitate snatching food as we can, there are many very good recipes that we could make using natural ingredients. I could share some of those recipes with hon. Members later. I could put them in the Library.
After I threw out all the food from the back of my larder that I should have thrown out years ago, and because the Bill deals particularly with meat products, I went to my freezer which was slightly more horrific than my larder.
Many of the meat products that were in my freezer have now also been consigned to the bin.
All that seems to be left in my freezer now is something called "Phish Food", which, for those who are not in the know, has nothing to do with fish but is a variety of ice cream.
It is delicious: chocolate, marshmallow, caramel. It is wonderful stuff.
Food, as I said, is my passion, and I hope that hon. Members will forgive me if occasionally I get a little carried away about it.
"Phish Food" could in no way be described as low fat, but it is delicious and, as I have always said, one should be able to eat whatever one likes.
The labelling on that ice cream, which was made in the USA, was far more extensive than that which I have seen on products made in the United Kingdom.
I was gratified to see that amount of detail on nutritional information and welfare standards.
The particular company is also very keen on obtaining its milk from cows that are raised with very high welfare standards.
I want to see honest and unambiguous labelling, and I have some worries about food labelling.
Many people are trying to lose weight or diet, but the nutritional information on labels is absolutely scandalous.
Because of the way in which the information is calculated, the labelling is completely wrong and totally misleading to consumers.
Products in supermarkets often proclaim that they are "lower fat" or "80 per cent fat free", but water is often included in the calculations.
Rather than working out the percentage of calories that is derived from fat, percentages are calculated on the basis of gross weight.
Consequently, manufacturers will say that such products are 80 per cent fat free, whereas in fact, based on dry ingredients alone, products such as "low-fat" mayonnaise are astonishingly high in fat.
That may explain why many foods that are labelled as being healthier, good for dieting and lower in fat are far from it.
Country of origin labels need to be coupled with the promotion of British food, not just to people who live here, but to tourists as well. That would also help farmers.
A few years ago the Scottish tourist board and other agencies produced an initiative called the taste of Scotland. It used the very best products and ingredients, whether from land or sea.
It was promoted so that hotels, restaurants and pubs would get a Taste of Scotland award.
It is now a phenomenally successful strategy which I should like to see extended to many other parts of the United Kingdom.
Ms McIsaac concluded with a comment about the popular Scottish fizzy drink.
All I say about it is that we should drink vast amounts of it.
I adore it. I am reliably informed that it is one of the best hangover cures.
Perhaps we should stock a little more of it in the Members' Tea Room, as some Members may benefit from it at breakfast.
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