I think it would be more appropriate if the box bore a large red label : "Warning lark's vomit"

If you don't recognise the line above, it comes from a Monty Python skit - a chocolate maker is being investigated for including peculiar ingredients in the chocolates. When asked why customers are not made more aware of these offensive ingredients, the answer is clear : "Our sales would plummet"


Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on the back of products you get from the supermarket? I think you should and I think you should know what you are looking for.


Most consumers are quite capable of discerning high fat, salt or sugar content. What I would like to draw your attention to is those innocuous looking numbers - E160b, E214 or E507 for example. This is where a little more education would go a long way to help consumers understand whether they are eating (or feeding their children) something which is regularly an allergen, causes hyperactivity in children or is something completely harmless.


Please do yourself and your family a favour :

1. Watch Jamie Oliver's TED Talk on Food Education
2. Read this article about how improved eating led to improved educational results
3. Do some research on E-Numbers, find out what you are eating
4. Download an application to your mobile phone so you can check in the shop before you buy (like this)
5. Don't eat things that are not food (like E-numbers and lark's vomit).

Be smart. Be healthy. Be smart.