Month: October 2019

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The Queen Still Rules Great Britannia!

Having moved to Peebles in 2002, self-proclaimed ‘stooriefit’ Bosco Santimano gives us his own take on what he feels is the hot topic of the day. This week it’s sovereignty.

Irrespective of the outcome of the EU negotiations, the clocks are spinning towards the breakup of the Union. Many people want to go back to the glory days of this country, where rivers were flowing with milk and honey and the “we are the good guys” image which is so conditioned and brainwashed into the minds of British psyche from early childhood.

Accurate history is not taught in this country but a very sanitised, pleasant version of it, mainly focusing on the grandeur of the monarchy for diversions and World War II.

The recent spectacle of the Queen’s speech beggars belief as the pomp and pageantry of the true rulers of this island was on display for all to see.

This nation removed the kings and queens of the lands it conquered through deceit in the name of bringing democracy to the world but is still hanging on to its outdated traditions! A beacon of democracy which conveniently does not have a written constitution. Such hypocrisy!

But why are we still so gullible and can’t see the obvious truth of where the power lies in this nation? Many people I personally know support this outdated practice and institution and the cost to us the tax payers.

These very same individuals slam people on benefits, migrants and foodbanks, but are happy to give millions away to the queen and the extended royal family all in the name of tradition or a tourist attraction!

This always proved my point that education does not necessarily mean you are aware or informed but conditioned to believe in an obvious lie. People want to go back to the glory days of empire without fully understanding the true meaning of this statement.

This country is responsible for all the major flashpoints around the world today. That’s the legacy of the empire and the monarchy, having committed mass genocide, looting of resources and cultural decimation from which these countries are yet to recover.

If you closely listen to the words spoken during the ceremony of the Queen’s speech, it’s very clear who is in charge. The mace, which is a symbol of the Queen’s authority, is placed in the House of Commons and Black Rod knocks on the door to command the House of Commons, remember the clue is in the name ‘Commons’ because that is what we are commoners. Politicians who then get elected see themselves as servants to the Queen not the electorate who voted them in the first place.

They then go about maintaining the status quo at the expense of people dying because of benefits cuts, foodbanks or parents having to starve in order to feed their children.

What a sorry state of affairs and Brexit is just going to push many citizens over the cliff in order to satisfy the egos of the rich political class of this country. The people of this country got to see first-hand what their ancestors did to over 70 per cent of the world.

It’s time for action.

This column was published in the Peeblesshire news on Friday 18th October 2019

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Food Labelling – A Legal Requirement

Bosco Santimano – Founder/Executive Director

Recent headlines in the media demonstrated the need for food labelling on all prepared and cooked foods in restaurants, take-aways and supermarkets selling ready meals/ready to use sauces, etc. No one should die because they ate food, that had an ingredient that was not meant to be, in the food, in the first place! There have been too many cases of individuals losing their lives while eating out and this has to stop.

Owen Carey, a young man died while out celebrating his 18th birthday in 2017 when he ordered a chicken burger at a famous burger chain. Owen informed staff about his allergy but was not told that the dish contained buttermilk, the hidden ingredient that proved fatal, as he was allergic to dairy. Owen suffered a severe anaphylactic shock after eating only half the chicken and feeling his lips tingling and experiencing stomach problems. He collapsed under an hour later never to wake up again.

A similar case happened to Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died in 2016 after an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette which contained sesame seeds!

Currently the law states that as a food business you must follow the allergen information rules set in EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation. This means that you must;

  1. provide allergen information to the consumer for both pre-packed and non-prepacked food or drink
  1. handle and manage food allergens adequately

Food establishments also need to make sure that all staff are trained about allergens. By law you also need to tell your customers if any food products you sell or provide contain any of the main 14 allergens as an ingredient. Some of the 14 allergens are: celery; cereals containing gluten; crustaceans – such as prawns, crabs and lobsters; eggs; fish; lupin; milk; molluscs – such as mussels and oysters; mustard; tree nuts – including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts; peanuts; sesame seeds; soybeans; sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if they are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million). As you can see it’s a complicated process and more needs to be done to reduce the risk to consumers.

One question that no one is asking is why are so many people having allergies and intolerances to food? Experts have various opinions about this but some independent Scientists and researchers have pointed the finger at our over use of chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides since the 1950’s! Plus the use of synthetic, laboratory made products that have been added to food to increase its shelf life along with additives to increase our consumption of processed foods. Plus can the Tories guarantee that they will not dilute or remove existing laws that were set up by the EU to protect consumers all over Europe?

As an organisation, we set out to focus on cooking food from scratch, as this is the only way to know what truly is in your food. Let’s all get back to basics and take back control of our health from the food lobby.

Published in the Peeblesshire News on 4th October 2019.