Good Grub

Soil Association Organic Food Festival 2008
6-7 September 2008
10-6pm on Saturday and 10-5pm Sunday
Harbourside, Bristol
Admission to the Festival is £4 (FREE to under 16s and Soil Association charity members – bring your card)
For more information on the Festival go to www.soilassociation.org/festival

The Soil Association Organic Food Festival, sponsored by Yeo Valley Organic, is Europe’s largest celebration of all things organic and kicks off this year’s Soil Association Organic Fortnight, a nationwide campaign bringing together individuals, communities, retailers, restaurants, schools and organic farms.

Now in its eighth year the festival will be host to over 300 organic companies showcasing the very best organic food, drink, fashion, skincare and homeware products. Visitors will be spoilt for choice with bustling food markets, a green planet pavilion, a demonstration kitchen, an exciting talks programme, food cruises around the harbour, and an arts and entertainment fringe that includes food demos, children’s activities, and music.

Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association said,
“Attending the Soil Association Organic Food Festival is truly memorable and inspiring and has become one of the highlights of my year. Meeting the producers and learning the stories behind the food you eat is a life enhancing experience. Making a commitment to buy local and organic produce is one of the most important actions we can take to build a more secure and climate friendly food future for ourselves and our children against a background of fossil fuel depletion and climate change.”

New to the festival for 2008:

• With rising oil prices fuelling our passion for local production, this year we are showcasing a wealth of organic producers and retailers within a 30-mile radius of the city with our first Local Market in Anchor Square.
• If you really want to focus on eating locally what better than your own back yard! There will be a Grow your own organic garden area featuring a Garden Café, demonstration vegetable plots, talks, and opportunities to pick up useful tips.
• Organic Live! areas across the site will include cookery demos and wine tasting and visitors can engage with exhibitors and environmental experts on a range of fascinating subjects – from their personal stories to big panel discussions on climate change and sustainable fishing. Come along and learn everything from how Transition communities are moving from oil dependency to local resilience to how to be “Self-Sufficient-ish” from Bristol twins and authors Andy & Dave Hamilton.
• For budding Jamie Olivers the Food for Life Partnership cooking buswill be in the Kid’s Zone. There will be free, 90-minute cookery sessions taking place three times a day where 7 to 11 year-olds will be taught how to make delicious organic treats.
• The festival will open on Saturday morning with the Matthew sailing towards the Amphitheatre to the sound of ‘Food Glorious Food’ sung by the amazing People of Note Choir. They will also be performing again later on Saturday on the Millenium Square stage. This will be part of a whole feast of musical entertainment throughout the site over the weekend.

Helen Taylor, Soil Association development director said:
“Every year the Soil Association Organic Food Festival just gets bigger and better. There’s something here for everyone whether you’re looking for help growing your own veg, a chance to try out a new organic beauty product, or just looking for something tasty for dinner.”

This year’s festival is greener than ever

With the introduction of sustainably sourced biofuel (from used cooking oil) to power the festival generators, and an emphasis on travelling to the festival by train, bus and ferry. To keep it green and encourage people to come by train, the Soil Association, in partnership with First Travel, are offering a 2 for 1 offer on festival tickets on presentation of proof of using First Travel transport.
There will be comprehensive recycling facilities provided by Network Recycling, sponsored by Barts Spices, and the Soil Association is supporting WRAP’s ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign with sessions in the Demo Kitchen and interactive talks – highlighting that the food we throw away is a huge waste of energy, water and packaging. Come and learn about easy ways to reduce food waste, help the environment and save money.

Tags: Bristol, festival, food, organic, Soil Association, Yeo Valley

The European Parliament has voted in favour of labelling foods containing the six food colours E110, E104, E122, E129, E102 and E124  with the words “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” The provision was added following evidence generated by research commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency, published in September 2007.

The research, known as the “Southampton Study” showed that a combination of six food colours and one preservative increased hyperactivity in a cross section of children, not just those who had been previously diagnosed with ADHD.

Foods containing the six dyes will have to carry the warning within eighteen months of the official publication of the law, expected within the next few weeks.  Any food placed on the market before the eighteen month deadline will be allowed to stay on the shelf until the sell by date has been reached. 

Anna Glayzer, co-ordinator of the Food Commission’s “Action on Additives” Campaign, which has been lobbying for a ban both in the UK and EU said, “This is in one sense a gain for the consumer, in that it should deter manufacturers from using these ingredients. Our concern is that this will be just one more thing parents are expected to look out for. Even if you do have time to check every label while you shop, you can’t vet everything your child eats outside the home, and if you are eating out you don’t even get to see labels. If we have enough evidence to issue a warning, why not take the burden off the parent and simply ban these colours? They serve no useful purpose in our food.” 

Following its April 2008 board meeting, the UK Food Standards Agency issued advice to the Government to back a mandatory EU ban on the six colours.

The six food colourings which, along with the preservative E211 Sodium Benzoate, were shown by the Southampton Study to increase hyperactivity in children:

• E102 Tartrazine
• E104 Quinoline Yellow
• E110 Sunset Yellow
• E122 Carmoisine
• E124 Ponceau 4R
• E129 Allura Red

Some examples of new products on the UK market containing the colours:

Cadbury’s Creme Egg Twister, manufactured by Cadbury Trebor Bassett conatins E110 Sunset Yellow.

Starburst Choozers, manufactured by Mars, contain E104 and E122.

Sugarfree Trident Splash Apple and Apricot Flavour Gum, manufactured by Cadbury Trebor Bassett, contains E104

Tags: ADD, additives, ADHD, EU, food, food colouring, food colours, food intolerance, labels, sweets