Weekend food with Darina Allen

EVERYWHERE I went this week, people were discussing Philip Boucher-Hayes’ RTÉ programme ‘What’s Ireland Eating?’ They seemed shocked by the statistics.

We eat more sugary breakfast cereal than anywhere in the world, and the most shocking revelation was the link between processed meat and bowel cancer — now the second most prevalent cancer in Ireland.

Processed meat, usually ham, is part of the standard school lunch for children — five out of seven boxes that Philip peeped into contained it. Interestingly, there was no comment about the squidgy white sliced pan in virtually every lunch box which, if I were health minister, I would ban on day one for the sake of the health and digestion of the Irish nation.