The secret to China's Olympic success

The Chinese athletes have been victorious in the Olympics winning 100 medals 51 of which gold and winning the overall medal race.

And now I can reveal the secret of the Chinese athletes’ success – Scottish deer penis, regarded as the most virile in the world.

The stars use it to boost stamina and for its alleged anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant and injury-healing properties. The deers penis is also rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, magnesium and hormones and low in cholesterol.

Chinese traders have visited the Highlands to view the deer and have been training dealers on how to process the penises which are frozen or dried before export.

Finlay Clark, of the Association of Deer Management Groups, added: “I have never tried it, but if there are any Scottish athletes who want to give it a go I’m sure we could arrange it.”

Eat veal says the RSPCA

The RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) are joining forces to launch a campaign to get veal back on the British dinner menu. After years or campaigning agianst veal many are thinking why the sudden turn arround.

"Veal shouldn't be a dirty word," said Rowen West-Henzell, food business manager for CIWF. "There is a process of re-education that needs to occur. British rose veal is something we are happy to endorse."

High-welfare veal is known as rose veal, as calves are not fed the restricted, low-iron diet that is needed to produce the traditional white veal meat.

Veal is widely eaten in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy, but currently has a limited market in the UK.

"Over the next year we will be promoting the consumption of rose veal as a way of dealing with the problem of wasted bull calves," said Ms West- Henzell.

Last year around 260,000 young, male dairy calves were condemned as "waste products" in the UK, as they don't produce milk and are rarely used for beef due to their low muscle tone. These animals are either shot at birth or exported to the Continent.

British veal was recently brought to the public attention on the Channel 4 show The F Word, in which the journalist Janet Street-Porter raised veal calves as part of her attempt to encourage people to eat more British veal.

Reducing food wastage

It has been in the press a lot recently that Britons throw away over £8 billion worth of food each year.

Using leftovers is a great way to reduce food wastage and respect the lives of the animals that have been killed for our benefit. And it’s also a good way to save money on the food budget. Consider using leftovers more, but this doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste or variety, meats may even taste better the next day.

These tips will help you find ways to use leftover meat, reduce your food budget and expand your menu.

Make multi-meat meals for more flavour and variety, adding yesterday’s leftover sausages or turkey to a meat loaf will make for a tasty and nutritious meal. You can add just about any meat to a cheesy or creamy casserole made from potatoes or pasta and sauce.

Or how about using the remains of Sunday’s roast chicken to create a stir fry or curry as long as the chickens been kept in a fridge it should be fine. Just add a jar of your favourite sauce and some vegetables and your done.

It might take a bit of forward planning and require a bit of extra work but the results will far out way this.

More people are buyng British

Shoppers buying British produce instead of foreign alternatives have helped to reduce meat imports in the first half of this year.

The number of shoppers choosing British-reared meat over foreign competitors appears to be on the increase, with the amount of beef, lamb and pork entering the country all declining.

The news will be a welcome relief to farmers who faced a torrid 2007, as the devastating impact of the summer floods, foot and mouth disease worries, blue tongue and avian flu all contributed to one of the most depressing years for agriculture in recent memory, leading to meat imports at an all-time high.

Now, new figures from pig, beef and sheep industry groups show a significant reduction in the amount of foreign meat being imported.

Latest statistics from the British Pig Executive (Bpex) show the amount of pork entering the UK between January and May was nearly 20,000 tonnes lower than the same period last year, a reduction of nearly 10 per cent year on year.

Figures from Eblex, the industry body for beef and lamb levy-payers for the UK, revealed the amount of sheep meat being imported fell by more than 2,000 tonnes since the start of the year, nearly four per cent lower than the corresponding period in 2007. And beef imports declined by more than three per cent to 105,000 tonnes, as compared with 109,000 in 2007.

Top tips for avoiding falling ill on holiday

Its that time of year when us Brits start to desert this tiny rain soaked island in search of some sunshine. Here are some top tips to make sure you don`t spend the holiday on the loo.

Don't eat undercooked or raw meat, fish or shellfish - even if they are a local delicacy.

Avoid eating from stalls, buffets or restaurants where food is uncovered and looks as though it's been kept warm (rather than piping hot) for hours on end.

Don't leave food outside at barbecues or picnics. Store food in a cool-box. Make sure barbecued meat, chicken, sausages and burgers are cooked thoroughly - and use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods.

Always drink bottled or boiled water - and use it to clean your teeth - if the tap water is unsafe to drink when you're on holiday. Avoid having ice in drinks, too.

Peel all vegetables and fruits that are eaten raw and avoid salads in countries where tap water is unsafe.

Making the most of your left overs

With food wastage reaching almost four millions tonnes a year, Quality Meat Scotland is encouraging people to get even more out of their roast with some tasty leftover ideas.

Government research found that people could save more than £400 a year if they better utilised the food they bought, and buying high quality meat means that there will be high quality leftovers to use.

With the forecast possibly ruling out a barbecue this weekend for many, QMS has developed three recipes to make tasty, healthy meals from the leftovers from your weekend roast Beef, Lamb and Pork.

The recipes, are good for not only using leftover meat, but are great for utilising those ‘used once’ spices and condiments that clog up cupboards and fridge.

The recipes include spicy shredded pork shoulder in a baked jacket potato burger, beef & mango curry with a yoghurt salad, the exciting and healthy lamb picadillo with corn kernels & boiled quinoa. They were created by celebrity chef Colin Capon and can be found on www.qmscotland.co.uk/index-consumers.

Healthy eating

Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, such as iron, selenium, zinc, and B vitamins. It is one of the main sources of vitamin B12, which is only found in foods from animals, such as meat and milk.

If you're trying to have less fat, it's a good idea to cut off any visible fat and skin before cooking because fat, crackling and poultry skin are much higher in fat than the meat itself.

The way you cook meat can also have a big impact on how much fat you consume.

For example lean rump steak, grilled, contains half the fat of rump steak with the fat, fried (5.9g fat per 100g and 2.5g saturated fat compared with 12.7g fat per 100g and 4.9g saturated fat).

Burts top tips for eating healthy meat:

Grill meat rather than frying.

Try not to add extra fat or oil when cooking meat.

Roast meat on a metal rack above a roasting tin, so fat can run off.

Beef is best for summer grills!!

Summer's here and the barbecues are being dusted down. Our favourite for a family barbecue is a juicy steak - but, like most royal meats, the cut you choose will determine the taste you get!

So, how do you cook the perfect barbecue steak? Firstly, try to purchase your beef 2-3 days before you plan to cook it. Slightly aged beef is more tender as natural enzymes have had time to soften the muscle fibre.

The best cut for a barbecue steak is a 20mm thick cut of even thickness. The sirloin and scotch fillet are ideal and need little more than a sprinkling of seasoning before grilling.

Larger cuts such as the rump or T-bone are slightly tougher cuts and are best marinated before grilling. Marinades not only preserve and refine your meat’s taste - they also tenderise the meat. Try Red Wine & Garlic Marinade for a rich, succulent bite.

Support our Brighton to Paris charity bike ride

The Burts cycle team has assembled to take part in a charity bike ride from Brighton to Paris.

Our intrepid cyclists will take 3 days to complete the 150 mile trip traveling 50 miles a day in order to raise money for the Argus appeal.

If you would like to sponsor us then please visit www.justgiving.com/teamlaughinggravy2008.

Chefs attack government over school meals

Two celebrity chefs have attacked the government for abandoning promises to spend at least 50p on healthy ingredients for school meals, calling the decision "fatal".

Chefs have attacked the Government for abandoning its promise to spend at least 50p on healthy ingredients for every school meal.

The pledge was made in 2005 by Ruth Kelly, then the education secretary. However, as it was disclosed that many local authorities are not hitting the 50p target, Kevin Brennan, the schools minister, said yesterday that there is no minimum requirement on ingredients for school meals.

Antony Worrall Thompson, the television chef, said: "When the big campaign to get better school dinners was launched, the Government jumped on board to appease Jamie Oliver and now that it has died down they have just ditched it. It is a disgrace really."

It`s summer time.

It`s summertime again (although by looking at the weather you would never guess) and so the Brit's love affair with the barbecue begins again in earnest.



But beware, health experts warn that cooking food outdoors can drastically increase the risk of food poisoning. That's because it is harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean.

So, here are six simple rules to follow to stay safe this barbecue season:

• Light the barbecue well in advance and wait until it is glowing red (with a powdery grey surface) before starting to cook.

• Keep meats, salads and other perishable foods in a cool bag with ice packs or in the fridge until just before cooking or eating them. Serve salads at the last minute

• During cooking, turn food often. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal (dampen coals slightly or partially close air vents)

• Cook poultry, burgers, sausages and pork throughout - no pink bits in the middle. If possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in the oven or microwave then take it straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavour.

• Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times. Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats or put cooked or ready-to-eat food on plates that have held raw meats.

Finally, if you are looking for quality barbecue meats, then look no further than Burts Family Butchers for the finest sausages, burgers, chciken and steaks!

Men v Women - a question of meat?

The differences between the sexes extends to the dinner plate with men preferring meat and women opting for fruit and vegetables, according to a report in today's Daily Telegraph.

Apparently, research has found that women are programmed to choose a healthier diet.

Favourites such as duck, veal and ham are high on men's menus and they are also more likely to eat shellfish such as shrimp and oysters. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to choose vegetables, especially carrots and tomatoes, and love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples. Women also prefer dry foods, such as almonds and walnuts, and are more likely to consume eggs and yogurt compared with men.

However, the study of more than 14,000 Americans found some exceptions to the rules. Women loved fresh burgers while men preferred frozen ones and men were significantly more likely to eat asparagus and Brussels sprouts than women.

Meat foils thief!

A meat thief in Gloucester met his match when a restaurant owner fought off the assault by hitting the thief with a frozen ham.

The owner heard a noise in his restaurant and saw a man fleeing with his arms full of meat from his freezer. That’s when the man raised a five pound log of frozen prosciutto over his head, to attack the owner.

Luckily, he had his own frozen pig product on hand and attacked the thief with a frozen ham - and the thief was so stunned, he dropped the meat and ran.

Police searched the area, but couldn’t find the suspect.