Do you remember the great egg scandal in Glenroe? Dinny (Joe Lynch ) was caught selling ordinary shop-bought eggs as free range.
His trick was to put a bit of dirt and straw in with the eggs to give them that authentic free range look. I've been suspicious of all those 'natural', 'homegrown', 'organic' or 'free range' tags ever since.
I've tried to spot the difference in taste between an organic carrot and one from the Veg Shop but to no avail. There's a big difference between a fresh bit of fruit or vegetable and something that's been on the shelf for days or weeks, but none that I can spot between the ordinary stuff and the supposedly better, and dearer, organic produce, most of which seems to have travelled half way round the world before arriving at the local shop or market.
Whatever about finding the source of Dinny's free range eggs, it is impossible to check the history of a vegetable that has come from Spain, Holland or further afield.
Which brings us to the case of Neil Stansfield over in the UK. Mr Stansfield had built up a successful business with a turnover of £2.5 million, selling organic pies to upmarket shops and over the internet.
He has just received a 27 month prison sentence. His crime? It turns out that he's been buying perfectly ordinary food (pork pies, salmon, chickens … ) from supermarkets like Tesco, re-packaging it in expensive wrapping, calling it organic, and selling it on at inflated prices to other retailers and via mail order. His firm sold a £20 Waitrose salmon for £51 while pork pies bought from a local butcher for £1.30 were sold for £2.50. Poor old Dinny's reputation was ruined over a few eggs, but he never made a big business out of it like Mr Stansfield.
He called the company “Swaddles Organic Food.” There's still a website listed saying they supply “An extensive range of organic, natural and ethical meat and prepared meals.” It sounds impressive and I'm sure once the pies are put into the new fancy packaging and the price is doubled everyone is convinced that they're eating something lovingly prepared in someone's kitchen and not in a factory on some industrial estate.
I have no doubt the pies tasted fine, but it looks to me as if there's nothing to stop somebody else doing the same thing, that's if they're willing to risk a jail sentence if caught.
I saw a TV programme where free range roast pork was compared with the normal stuff. Again no one could spot the difference between the two. Organic food is meant to taste so much better, but I've never been able to spot the difference, except for the price, or maybe it is just my cooking.
Now Mr Stansfield will have to spend a couple of years in prison, where he'll probably end up eating similar pies to what he used to sell. I doubt if they will bear the organic label.
Yes!
At last it’s over and I hope I don't hear the word “Lisbon” for at least a year. What struck me was the number of young people down at the polling station.
Usually its been rare to spot anyone under 40 out voting, but there's nothing like a recession to get people thinking about the future.
Calamity Coughlan couldn't even persuade her own crowd up in Donegal to vote 'yes'. Maybe it will finally register with her that she's not wanted and it's time to move over or out. The pension is sure to be good. I'm sure her old friend Molloy from FAS can give her advice on that. Bye bye Mary, and take O'Donoghue with you. I'm sure he'll come up with the money for a good going away party and a chauffeur to get you home afterwards.
O2, oh dear
I recently bought one of those little gadgets that you plug into the side of the laptop to get connected to the internet while on the go. It worked very well and was very handy on the trips up and down to Cork until, alas, I lost it after about six weeks.
Back I went to O2 to see what the options were. I'm signed up for 12 months, so, at €20 per month, it's still going to cost me €200, even if I never use it again. To buy a new one I was told will cost me €197. “Can I just cancel it?” I asked. That isn't a problem, but the cancellation fee is €215!
To keep it and not be able to avail of the service will cost me €18 less than cancelling it. I took the cheaper option (I think ) and went around to Meteor and started all over again for €59. I'm not a happy surfer, but I think I'm losing less than I would be if I stayed with O2.
