Given that I have written for the Mail group of papers – it’s a few years old, but my article on a lady’s experience with gluten ataxia and coeliac disease is here – I am in some minuscule part a participant in its ongoing success (some might say ‘existence’ …)
But as a long-standing critic of its sometimes alarmist and dangerously misleading coverage of food hypersensitivities – the recent blog here, for example – I can’t deny a sense of satisfaction when someone takes the time to not rant, but to calmly and effectively expose their fabricated silliness for what it is.
Step forward an unnamed representative of the European Commission, with this excellent blog on the Mail on Sunday’s ignorant anti-EU slanted coverage of the new food allergen labelling legislation, coming into effect in December.
The blog explains how the Mail exaggerate the cost to the UK of the rules, and allow the reader to infer the ‘blame’ for it is entirely the EU’s. It isn’t: the UK wanted it and agreed to it and I know few in the allergy community who do not welcome it. It will help save lives, and prevent heartbreaking stories such as this one, which the Mail itself covered.
The blog doesn’t address it, but my frustration is compounded by the input of the Italian chef Aldo Zilli, who speculates that his countrymen and indeed the French are unlikely to comply. How clever of the Mail to find a UK-based non-UK European to diss the non-UK Europeans. He’s not the first foodie to have had a moan in the Mail, of course. Prue Leith did it earlier this year. My colleague Michelle, Director of the new FreeFrom Eating Out Awards, responded to that inaccuracy and alarm in her blog here.
Speaking of the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards – and also to end this brief blog on some positivity – the results of the inaugural Awards are being announced next week at the Food Matters Live show, and are some evidence of the growth, interest and indeed success in the area of ‘free from’ food service. All being well, I will be at the event, live tweeting the results and gossip, via the @FFEatingOutAwds Twitter page, on hashtag #FFEOA14. Join us! And, afterwards, we may send the Mail a press release all about them …