The Week In Food #2: From mixing coffee in concrete to a new waves of recycling
Are you back for second helpings of The Week In food? This longer read might get you through a second cup of coffee.
Welcome to The Week In Food
This is The Week In Food, a written accompaniment to the Ken On Food podcast and a weekly series that brings you five food stories served up in five minutes or less – ideal if you’re looking for something to go with your morning coffee, afternoon tea or just taking five minutes out for yourself.
It’s Sunday January 14th 2024, the second edition for the year and you’re very welcome along – even more so if you managed to grab a listen to or a read of last week’s edition and you’re back for second helpings.
While you’re reading this on Substack, you can also listen to the audio edition. Not only that, but you can find Food In 5 Minutes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts or wherever you do your podcast listening when you search for Ken On Food.
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With all that said, let’s see what I’ve got for you this week…
1. A re-turn to recycling in Ireland
The first story of the week comes out Irish food circles as the county gets ready for the deposit return scheme to go live on February 1st.
If you’ve been to a Lidl or Aldi lately and I’m sure countless other locations at this stage, though they won’t be operational until the start of next month.
So, from February 1 onwards if you buy a drink or anything in an aluminium can that features the Re-turn logo (like in the photo above), you’ll be paying a fully refundable deposit in addition to the price of your drink. Make a note of it now as you may see prices increasing across the board and wonder what it’s all about.
When you’re finished, return your empty undamaged contained to any participating shop or supermarket, pop it in the reverse vending machine (yes, I said that), and you’ll get a voucher back that can be redeemed at the till against purchases or as a cash refund. As such, we’re all being asked not to crush or squeeze plastic bottles and cans - the undamaged part is pretty important.
If it doesn’t have the logo, no deposit will have been paid and you’re not going to get any money back so it’s not just any old plastic bottles and cans that can be recycled. Read all about it on the blog this week or check re-turn.ie for more details.
Read more: Re-turn.ie
2. Turning waste coffee into better concrete
The next story this week ties into some of my coffee posts this month but if you head over to ScienceAlert.com, you’ll an interesting piece by Tessa Koumoundouros.
In it, we find out that researchers in Australia have discovered that we could produce concrete that’s 30 per cent stronger by processing and adding charred coffee grounds to the mix, resulting in a clever recipe that could solve multiple problems at the same time.
Globally, it’s estimated that we produce 10 billion kilograms of coffee waste every year, most of it going to the dump or landfill.
Through the process of pyrolyzing, waste coffee has its organic molecules broken down, leaving a porous, carbon-rich charcoal called biochar that can form bonds with and thereby incorporate itself into the cement matrix
The research is available in the Journal of Cleaner Production but the scientific breakdown makes for some interesting reading. Find all the links on the blog and in this week’s newsletter.
Read more: via ScienceAlert.com
Read more: Transforming spent coffee grounds into a valuable resource for the enhancement of concrete strength
3. Sorting out that January cough with a drop of honey
For my third story this week, I’m going down the health route, much like 99% of the population this weather with sales of honey, lemon and ginger spiking in supermarkets around the country.
But when it comes to a cough, is honey actually any good for you or is it all a myth?
From studies published in JAMA Pediatrics to interviews with Today.com and the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, honey might just be what you’ve been missing out on as we get battered by cold and flu conditions this week.
You might be trying to avoid sugar as part of your New Year’s resolution and while honey may be seen as an added sugar, it’s got some health benefits that ordinary sugar just can’t provide.
Read more: via Today.com
4. Irish food exports declined in 2023 after bumper 2022
Going back to the Irish food scene this week we’ve been hearing that the value of Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports declined in 2023 when compared to a record-breaking 2022.
It’s to be expected somewhat with an economy stabilising post-Covid with export values falling 4% to reach 16.3bn Euro compared to a 22% growth in 2022.
Irish dairy exports are down 8% year on year to a value of 6.3bn Euro, butter and cheese are the top two exports in this sector.
Seafood sales are down too, falling 14% to 552 million Euro with Bord Bia suggesting the market for Irish food, drink and horticulture exports will remain ‘challenged’ this year, according to the summary this week by RTÉ’s Petula Martyn. Again, you’ll find the links on the blog.
Read more: Irish food and drinks exports declined in 2023 - Bord Bia
Read more: Which markets did Irish agri-food exports go to in 2023?
5. Is Spain about to run out of olive oil?
The last one I’ve got for you this week comes from Euro Weekly News on Thursday this week where they’ve been documenting the liquid gold drought as Spain looks set to run out of Olive oil.
It’s not the first time this story has surfaced either with shortages well documented across September and October last year but following a poor December harvest, the article suggests that Spain could run out of olive oil as early as September this year with 2023’s harvest the lowest recorded on 40 years.
It goes on to suggest that while Spanish manufacturers currently have stock of around 115,000 metric tonnes, the country is using about 60,000 tonnes a month.
Extreme weather has also hit producers in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Morrocco leading to increased imports from South America to keep up with demand.
Read more: Spain is running out of olive oil
Read more: Why olive oil prices are soaring and what to do about it? (2023 article)
Also this week…
It’s been another productive week on the blog with a look at events and festivals coming up in Kilkenny (my hometown) this year, some interesting words from Michelin-star chef John Kelly of the Lady Helen at Mount Juliet, while the books have also opened on the future of Kilkenny’s night-time economy with a public survey for patrons and businesses open until 2 February.
Also, if you missed it last week and you’re yet to nip out for lunch in Kilkenny this month, here are 6 spots worth checking - just let me know how you get on.
Alas, it’s not all bells, whistles and rosy stories this week. One of the big ones on the Irish front is the closure of Nash 19 in Cork after over 30 years, taking with it 20 jobs as Cork sees a third restaurant closure in the past week alone.
Even Supermac’s founder Pat McDonagh weighed in during the week, suggesting that 1-in-10 restaurants nationwide may shut their doors this year with rising costs across the board and a general feeling of abandonment from the government.
Something else for your ears…
If you’re looking for an alternative list this week, I’ve another podcast tip for you. This week it’s Crime and Nourishment from Kimberley Wilson.
In 2002 a research paper was published that should have triggered a transformation in the judicial system. Instead, and despite successful replication, nothing has been done.
This special series examines that research paper, explores the implications for society and the justice system and asks why, as yet, nothing has been done. Episode four turns the conversation towards research being conducted around the world showing the profound effects of nutrition on behaviour and mental health including decision-making and protection from stress and PTSD.
Check out the series here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Get in touch, share the love
If you’ve got a story to share, reach out. You can email me at any time to ken@kenonfood.com. You can also find me on X, Instagram and TikTok. Get new episodes of Food In 5 Minutes, along with this email subscription, every Sunday morning.
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