Food for thought for farm cooks

SAFE food is no laughing matter, but panto star June Rodgers caused a few giggles at the National Ploughing Championships when she urged plough persons and the farming community not to get into a pickle when preparing their food.

June performed a number of sketches on the Safefood stand, illustrating how not to prepare or cook food, either to be eaten in the kitchen or as a field lunch.

But expert advice was available from Safefood, Bord Bia and the Health Promotion Unit (HPU) of the Department of Health to keep June in the right furrow.

The aim was to get four easy steps to food safety message across to the public.

Safefood also advised dairy farming families on the risks associated with the consumption of raw milk in light of a recent study, which indicated that 84% of them consume unpasteurised milk.

They also suggested how to transform traditional meals, by cooking the same ingredients in a healthier way, and answered food safety or nutritional queries during the three-day event.