Here is a simple test we have performed to show how well charcoal inhibits mould growth by regulating moisture.

Day 1

Small pieces of home baked bread without any preservatives are covered with glass – one with a piece of bamboo charcoal (approx. 2g) on the left, and the other without.

Day 7

After 7 days mould is clearly visible on the right and the glass is cloudier with moisture.

The glass on the left is much clearer as the charcoal has absorbed the excess moisture. Only a small amount of white mould appears on the bread.

Day 8

The mould now covers most of the bread on the right and the glass is quite cloudy.

On the left, the bread has some white mould but is nowhere near as the one on the right.

Day 8 without glass

The image without glass: quite amazing!

The Charcoal People is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

ESSENTIAL TRADING SHOWS HOW TO

MAKE LOCAL FOOD WORK

Bristol-based wholefood wholesaler Essential Trading is hosting two briefings for co-operatives to show how to make local food work.  The briefings will be held on Thursday September 29, at Essential Trading’s Fishponds HQ.

Essential will be joined by Alison Belshaw from Sustain (the alliance for better food and farming) and Bonnie Hewson from The Soil Association who will share their valuable insight and advice.

Two sessions are being held:

• 10.00am – 1.00pm      Whole Food Co-op Briefing
• 1.00pm – 2.00pm        Networking lunch for both groups
• 2.00pm – 5.00pm        Fresh Food Co-op Briefing

The Programme includes:

• Introduction to Essential Trading: its heritage, ethics and work with co-ops
• Wholefood co-op buyers’ guide to buying fresh food
• Fresh food buyers’ guide to buying wholefood
• Tour of Essential Trading HQ and warehouse
• Demonstration of the online ordering system
• Guidance on promoting a co-op, increasing and retaining customers
• Case study talk by a successful fresh food or whole food co-op

“Entering our 40^th Anniversary Year on September 16, 2011 means we have four decades of experience and knowledge to share with co-ops,” explains Eli Sarre, marketing manager for Essential Trading. “Over those 40 years, the whole food and co-op markets have grown remarkably.  We still think there’s a lot more to come and our briefings will help equip co-ops with plenty of tools to make local food work.”

How to register

A maximum of 30 delegates per session will be set to ensure each person can receive personal advice and discussions.  To register for the morning or afternoon session, email eli@essential-trading.coop or call 0117 9430 809.

For more information or to speak to Eli, contact:

Katherine Selby, Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk 020 8657 4422

Essential Trading, Unit 3 Lodge Causeway Trading Estate, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JB

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Bristol-based wholefood producer and wholesaler Essential Trading is celebrating its Ruby Anniversary year from September 16, 2011 to September 2012.

A variety of themed activities and promotions will run throughout the year, culminating in a celebration in September 2012.

“The last 40 years have seen the wholefood market grow exponentially,” says Eli Sarre, marketing manager for Essential.  “Back in the 1970s health food stores were novel and the foods they stocked relatively limited,” she explains.  “But now, through education, a distinct rise in vegetarian and vegan diets, growth in free-from diets and the shift towards organic and ethical foods, we have a strong and thriving industry.  It has been most gratifying for Essential to see the changes and improvements down the decades, and we are looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring.”

“Essential supplied organic and fairtrade food long before it was trendy to do so, for ethical reasons,” says Eli.  “The last few decades have seen significant turning points and boosters for our market.  Of particular note were the F-Plan Diet in the 1980s that encouraged people to eat more fibre and less processed food and Gillian McKeith created a massive demand for pulses,” she recalls.

Despite the supermarkets moving into the ethical, organic and wholefood markets in the 1990s, Essential has stayed true to its values and supplies only the independent health food trade.  This helps retailers retain many unique lines that they know customers cannot find elsewhere.

Essential adheres to a strong code of ethics that runs through its business, employees and suppliers.  It actively supports organic and fairly traded goods and continues to call for the banning GM crops.  It currently carries over 6,000 products as a wholesaler including over 100 of its own Essential branded goods.

www.essential-trading.coop

For more information, contact:

Katherine Selby, Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk; 020 8657 4422

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

What is the New Forest Food Challenge?

The New Forest Food Challenge is a community based project run by New Forest Transition that is getting people thinking about the food they eat and where it comes from. We want everyone to be more aware of the impact of what they eat, environmentally, economically and health-wise.

Mainly through our interactive web site we have helped develop a number of initiatives from local food markets to community garden schemes. We have organised and attended many events throughout the New Forest including Seed Swaps, a Local Food Summit, School projects, Food Demonstrations and Green Fairs.

We believe it is especially important to involve young people and to teach them about the creative solutions that exist to help us all out of the difficulties we are facing. By being positive we can change direction. The project has been successful in helping to develop networks and bringing communities across the Forest closer together but there is much to be done.

What are we trying to do?

We want to reach out to a wider audience through the medium of drama and challenge more people to think about, and act on, the vital issue of sustainable food production and consumption.

Shambhu’s is delighted to announce some Valentine’s season treats, lovingly prepared for you to enjoy over those special moments

To find out about our new luxurious Chocolate Hearts and Valentine’s special offers on our cheesecakes and chocolate fudge slices, check out our catering service section:
www.shambhus.co.uk/catering-service

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Shambhu’s is a vegan catering company serving the London region and home counties. We have a wide range of vegan canapés, main meals, snacks, salads, desserts and treats, and provide free delivery to many London locations. Please visit our website for further details:
www.shambhus.co.uk

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Shambhu’s (Vegan Caterers) is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Essential Vegan Pesto has been awarded a Highly Commended certificate in the Best Vegan Product category of The Veggie Awards 2011 – the second annual awards run by Cook Vegetarian! magazine.

The pure pesto comprises just four ingredients: aromatic pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, fresh, fragrant basil and sea salt.  It is a concentrated pesto to which you add extra virgin olive oil to suit your taste and the recipe. 

The Essential Vegan Pesto is sourced from an organic co-operative in Italy that brings together the four fresh ingredients locally to produce this authentic sauce.  It comes in a 175g jar – which when thinned with extra virgin olive oil is enough for 1.5kg of pasta.  It costs £3.99 from www.ethicallyessential.coop, other online retailers and selected independent health food stores.

For more information, pictures or samples please contact:

Katherine Selby on 0208 657 4422 or email Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk

The Veggie Awards 2011 celebrate flavour, versatility and innovation in the world of meat-free foods.  Inviting entries from the biggest supermarket to the smallest producer, the Cook Vegetarian! team of vegetarian foodies tasted a huge number of products and scoured the web to find the best sites for vegetarians. In each category, one Winner was selected with five other top-performing products or services each being awarded a Highly Commended accolade.  For more information about Cook Vegetarian! or the Veggie Awards 2011, contact Fae Gilfillan on 01206 508627 or email fae@cookveg.co.uk

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

EXCLUSIVE – 4 for 3 deal on Yes to Carrots and Yes to Tomatoes. No Parabens, no phthalates and no animal ingredients. Vegetable inspired body and skin care. 4 for the price of 3 until 7th November

FREE FABRIC SOFTENER – Buy a 5: Ecover Laundry Liquid bet a 1L Fabric Softener absolutely free. Click ECOVER for details.

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25% off FAITH IN NATURE – until the 11th November get 25% off selected Faith in Nature products.

This plus lots of exciting new products available at BigGreenSmile.com

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

TOP CHEFS SUPPORT

ESSENTIAL HEALTHY EATING FORTNIGHT 

Eight top chefs have given one of their favourite recipes to encourage people to cook healthy food at home during Healthy Eating Fortnight (October 18-31, 2010).

Rose Elliot, Rachel Green, Annabel Karmel, Nick Nairn, Jo Pratt, Simon Rimmer, Antony Worrall Thompson and Aldo Zilli have each given a healthy eating vegetarian recipe to appear in the Essential Healthy Eating Booklet, published by Essential, the leading independent organic, whole food, vegetarian producer.

Tempting Recipe Ideas

The Essential Healthy Eating Booklet includes a range of tempting dishes.  Aldo Zilli and Nick Nairn have lighter meals with their Lentil, Feta & Roast Pepper Salad and Asparagus with Boiled Eggs & Parmesan.  Rose Elliot’s Lentil Croquettes with Tomato Sauce and Annabel Karmel’s Vegetarian Lasagne are traditional family favourites while Jo Pratt’s Tenderstem Broccoli Biryani and Rachel Green’s Pea Hummus Wraps make for colourful dishes.  To finish off, Antony Worrall Thompson’s Herby Fruit Salad and Simon Rimmer’s Almond Granola Bars will satisfy your sweet tooth while still keeping things pretty healthy at home.

“If you want to eat healthily, home cooking is a good place to start because you know exactly what ingredients are being used and there are no hidden ‘food demons’ such as extra salt, sugar, preservatives, fillers or over-processed, nutritionally poor ingredients,” says leading nutritionist Fiona Hunter.  “It’s terrific that these renowned chefs have given up some of their favourite healthy recipes so people can try some new dishes at home,” says Fiona. 

Making a few simple food swaps in everyday cooking can also help produce a healthy meal: here are Fiona Hunter’s Top Ten Swaps

*           Swap butter for olive or rapeseed oil when cooking

*           Swap salt for fresh herbs, garlic or lemon zest for seasoning

*           Swap canned fruit in syrup for fruit in water or fruit juice

*           Swap canned beans and lentils in salted water for pulses in water

*           Swap mince beef for turkey or Quorn mince

*           Swap white bread, pasta and rice for whole grain varieties

*           Swap fizzy drinks for fresh fruit juice topped up with fizzy water

*           Swap cream for Greek yogurt

*           Swap sweet biscuits for oatcakes topped with mashed banana

*           Swap sugar for light agave syrup or honey in recipes

The Essential Healthy Eating Recipe Booklet can be downloaded at

(http://www.ethicallyessential.coop/view_page.php?pid=34&ptitle=Healthy+Eating+Fortnight&osCsid=sv0argbhl0rm5tc63nis37k9j4)

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

To mark our Healthy Eating Fortnight (1) from October 18-31, 2010, Essential Trading commissioned further research into healthy home cooking ingredients. 

This revealed some interesting trends in nuts, rice and baked beans…. 

Organic and ethical foods continue to find favour

Food industry specialist Helen Lewis (2) was commissioned by Essential to research further key trends in healthy, home cooking ingredients.  Despite economic difficulties, Helen discovered sales of organic food are still three times higher than in 1999 and over 50% higher than five years ago with 88.3% of households buying some organic food.  Fairtrade sales achieved 12% growth in 2009 compared to 2008 (source: Fairtrade Foundation) showing people are also still keen to make ethical purchases.

We’re Going Nuts!

From her research, Helen forecasts that UK nut sales will rise from £270.5m in 2005 to £473.4m in 2010 – and she predicts they could reach £847.4m in 2015.  “I believe we will see a continued and marked growth in nut sales,” says Helen.  “People clearly have a greater interest in nuts as a healthy snack and they are also using them in more home cooked, authentic Asian recipes,” she explains.

Highly Rated Rice

Rice is a ‘healthy carb’ so it’s no surprise it also enjoys healthy sales.  “But what is interesting is the range of rice being consumed,” says Helen.  “Wild, Arborio and Basmati are all examples of more adventurous varieties being enjoyed.”  Helen believes rice sales overall will increase from £205.2m in 2005 to £368.0m in 2010 – and she predicts they could reach £553.3m in 2015.

Baked Beans a Firm Favourite

Baked beans remain one of the nation’s favourite foods with 81% of Britons buying them (Source: Mintel).  “Finding baked beans in eight out of ten homes is no great surprise,” admits Helen.  “However, what is interesting to see are the lower sugar, lower salt varieties like Essential’s fun, ‘pop art’  baked beans making their mark and enjoying increased sales as people select a healthier version of this firm family favourite,” says Helen.

Viva the Vegetarians!

“Vegetarian and vegan diets continue to prove popular and this trend is further fuelled by the growing number of ‘meat avoiders’ or people who have one or more vegetarian or vegan meals each week,’” explains Helen who predicts that sales are likely to rise from £698.5m in 2005 to £820.9m in 2010 and possibly as high as £1250.5m by 2015. 

1)         During Healthy Eating Fortnight, Essential is inviting people to enjoy a 20% discount across over 100 of its products at its participating high street retailers and www.ethicallyessential.coop.

2)         Helen Lewis is a professionally trained and highly experienced journalist who has written and researched food and drink trends and categories since 2001. Helen’s time as Head of Publishing at leading market research company Reuters Business Insight (owned by Datamonitor) provided the experience and expertise required to write reports for numerous other research agencies during her time as a freelance analyst (2004 to date). As the managing editor and founder of www.foodanddrinktowers.com, Helen has access to numerous secondary resources as well as direct access to food and drink companies. Helen’s experience and contacts have helped her to value and forecast key food categories for Essential Trading.

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

In addition to the excitement, pregnancy can bring all sorts of beauty dilemmas that may not have cropped up before – not just for yourself but also for your newborn. Changing skin complexions, stretch marks, nappy rash, you name it! Jen Marsden provides some top natural tips to combat them.

Photo credit: Libertinus

Photo credit: Robert Whitehead

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more