A TWEET from a Michelin star chef captured it all for me, it read, “I promise I will stop cooking if it comes so far that the soul is going to be taken out of my work…” Kajuiter, executive chef at the Cliff House Hotel might be nicknamed “the Lunatic”, but he made a whole lot of sense when he was responding to one of our own local stars, Lorraine Fanneran aka (@italianfoodie), on the proposals of Government to impose calorie counting on menus in restaurants in Ireland. Both epicurean stars have tweeted concerns and dismay at the manner in which the FSAI proposal has been raised and the possibility of it inextricably affecting the food industry in Ireland. I agree.
That tweet was in the early days of the discussion and this week, RTE’s Frontline held a debate that encapsulated ridiculousness of the issue as well as bridging the topic of minimum pricing for alcohol in this country. Another faux issue as the root of the problem is in education and not pricing.
A quick audience survey found that a very small percentage of the group, with about a dozen hands raising in favour, would like to see a minimum pricing structure put in place for the sale of alcohol in this country.
A second show of hands indicated that close to half of the audience would like to see calorie counts included on menus.
Tom McGuirk, in my opinion, quite rightly pointed out that the results were born from the power of advertising and marketing of the perfect body image.
It’s not about the food it’s about the end result and with Minister for Health Dr James Reilly stating that he wants all restaurants to be involved and not just international fast food chains, he is further promising that the lawmakers in the this land can and will get involved. The end result here is that the minister is seeking to implement change to tackle obesity in Ireland. Minister, the horse has bolted, he never ate the apple, in fact he didn’t even get one in the first place and that is where the point of another superstar chef was well made.
Mickael Viljanen, another of Ireland’s most talented chefs, said that schools should take a look at what children are eating as well as the time they spend eating it adding that a “balanced healthy lunch should be provided by the State as part of education”.
Oliver Dunne, another Michelin star chef based at Bon Appetit in Malahide was on the television discussion panel to oppose the moves of the Minister. Needless to say the man didn’t get enough time argue the point and the fact that his restaurant, operating on three levels has a variety of dishes and many that change daily.
Figures have been mentioned that implementation of such proposal could cost a local cafe up to €10,000.
My own personal experience is all I can draw from and when I went to a nearby hotel eatery last week to have a quick Thai dish I like, to my surprise, that calorie intake was over a third more than many other options on the menu. I was having a rubbish day and I wanted comfort.
The number made me reflect and select a different dish. Comfort was gone and the day didn’t improve. I blame the number.
There is no comparison between the daily intake of children and adults as they go through life and the options that people select on menus at restaurants where the occasionally eat.
Kajuiter’s epicurean delights, Mickeal’s colour and award winning creations or even the honesty of the dishes offered by Lorraine at La Cucina, are in no way comparable to fast food junk where calories are the only useful thing to come out of the Styrofoam.
Attaching calories to any of those treats and eats is an after thought that can only generate income for food scientists and laboratories around the country – hardly an ailing industry.
The government and the minister should get back to basics, appoint knowledgeable people to implement and roll out a tangible strategy on tackling obesity from the early ages.
Lest the Minister think otherwise, adults alike the length and breadth of the country are concerned about their body image. Folly to think otherwise. Many who struggle with weight would like to be of a lesser size, education and educating the greatest resource that our city, county, country and indeed the world has, our children, is paramount.
Itemising calories on menus for restaurants we occasionally eat at is an typical “Irish” solution to a much bigger problem.
“Look at America and see our future” was how a documentary made in recent years as it showed what the cost of obesity was to the US economy. Annually, $100 billion is spent tackling obesity related problems. Many states in the US have calorie counting on menus yet obesity levels soar.
Two “part-resolutions” could be enacted that would have a better result in tackling obesity rather than the somewhat retrograde step of calorie counting. Employ dieticians in the health service and create support groups for obese people. Money well spent as opposed to enacting legislation to line the pockets of the bureaucrats that push these ludicrous ideas upon us.
But in the interest of balance and fairness, I urge you to make up your own mind, read the documentation and proposals set forward by the FSAI on their website and follow the debate from informed sources on social media.
