Health « Thurles Information

Incorrectly Declared Soya In Lidl Duc De Coeur Salted Caramel & Chocolate Tartlets.

Food Safety Authority of Ireland warning.

Alert Summary dated Thursday, 01 February 2024.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2024.A04
Allergen: Soybeans
Product Identification: Duc De Coeur Salted Caramel & Chocolate Tartlets; pack size: 125g
Batch Code: All batches and best before dates
Country Of Origin: France

Message:
Soya is incorrectly declared on the ingredients list of Duc De Coeur Salted Caramel & Chocolate Tartlets. This may make the product unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of soya.

The product was sold by Lidl.

Undeclared Milk In Batch Of Oishi Wheat Cheese Flavoured Crackers From China.

Food Safety Authority of Ireland warning.

Alert Summary Dated Thursday, 01 February 2024.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2024.03.
Allergen: Milk.
Product Identification: OISHI wheat crackers with cheese flavour.
Batch Code Best before: 17/07/2024.

Message:
The above batch of OISHI wheat crackers with cheese flavour are being recalled as it contains milk which is not declared in the list of ingredients.
This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of milk.

Take Care Of Cents & Euros Will Take Care Of Themselves.

The once quote of ‘Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’, is usually attributed to William Lowndes (1652–1724) an English Whig politician during the reigns of King William, Queen Anne, and King George I. He would become British Secretary of the Treasury in 1695 and bore the nickname “Ways and Means Lowndes”.
Despite our move to euro coin denominations in 2002, the proverb still holds that if you concentrate on saving small amounts of money, you’ll soon amass a larger amount.

But enough ‘history waffling’ from me, let’s take a look at the cost and benefits of two brands of Potato Waffles.

Data hereunder is taken from the free Yuka application (App) available to download to your phone.

Harvest Basket Waffles	Product Rated Good 63/100	Price €1.39	Birds Eye Waffles	Product Rated Good 54/100	Price €2.99
Protein	2.7g		Protein	2.5g
Fibre	2.3g		Protein	1.7g
Saturates	1g		Saturates	0.6g
Sugar	0.4g		Sugar	0.7g
Salt	0.35g		Salt	0.75g
Energy	207kcal		Energy	180kcal
Additives	1		Additives	1

Having digested the above data our readers will note that not only is the Harvest Basket Waffles rated better by the app (63/100), but the packet is larger, containing two more waffles, while the price is €1.60 cheaper than its named rival, so do keep this knowledge in mind when next you visit your local supermarket.

No I am not a paid representative for Harvest Basket Waffles. Maybe I should be!

Thurles New Street Sweeper Machine Needs Better Brushes.

Early this morning two road sweepers made an appearence on Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The big road sweeper machine passed up and down the street at least 3 times, same gathering up the gravel it failed to suck up on Friday last.

**New street sweeper machine continues to be operated, while unable to suck up filth and dirt.** **The waste of taxpayer’s money, by Tipp. Co. Co. continues without any reduction in intensity or strength.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby 29th January 2024.*

The small road sweeper machine with the worn out left hand brush was taxed with sweeping the footpaths; in an attempt to remove the gravel flung at the fronts of homes of street residents and unsuspecting pedestrians, by the daily heavy traffic.

You will note that this editor didn’t use the word ‘cleaned’ in any of the above text, since this small machine only collected and left a ridge of dirt and filth behind it; same neatly piled in the centre of the footpaths. (See image shown above).

Something we have learned over the years here in Co. Tipperary is that politicians, councillors and their officials are chosen mainly by their ability to provide spin. Such silence is also displayed by our local newspapers and some local radio broadcasters; latter who are supposed to generate a certain power and remain important to our democracy, but no longer can be perceived as promoters of community responsibility.

In the interests of openness and transparency, Tipperary Co. Council senior officials have been notified.

Major Decline In Tipperary River Water Quality.

A Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) representative has informed Nenagh Municipal District councillors, last week, of a major decline in the water quality of Tipperary’s rivers and streams.

Ms Catherine Seale-Duggan the newly appointed Community Water Officer with LAWPRO has warned that the quality of watercourses in Co. Tipperary has dropped substantially and worryingly over the past 10 years.

**State of River Suir just 100 meters from Barry’s bridge in Thurles Town centre.**
*Pic: G. Willoughby, 2019.*

Ms Seale-Duggan confirmed that only 1/3 of rivers in Tipperary were in the category of “Good and High Status”, whereas ten years previously almost 2/3 of the counties rivers fell into that same stated category. She stated that the Nenagh River (Irish: An Ghaothach) which rises in the Silvermine Mountains in Co.Tipperary, and flows east of Nenagh into Lough Derg, north of Dromineer village, falls into the “Moderate Status” category.

**River Suir at Barry’s Bridge, Thurles town centre**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby, 2021.*

“What we are aiming for in the case of every river and stream,is the Good and High Status”, Ms Seale-Duggan stated, “We are targeting those areas where the water quality is adversely impacted, and agriculture is part of that concern and focus. Inspectors will visit farms and look at opportunities to stop pollutants getting into rivers and streams”.

This work will now be heavily subsidised through a €60 million project and advisers from Dairy Co-ops will be engaging directly with farmers. Alas, the farming community will continue in the mindset of “I have rights” and no indigenous mindset showing that “I have obligations” in serving present and future generations, not to mention the health of the very planet itself.
Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) is also working to reduce the loss of nutrients in farms and to prevent nutrients from these same areas, gaining access to watercourses and polluting them.
According to ICBF data, accurate up to June 1, 2023 the county with the second-largest dairy herd is Co. Tipperary with 194,018 cows, which is an increase of 59,259 head, since 2013. (Largest is Co. Cork).
There is a difference of 69,544 head of cattle, between Co. Tipperary and Co Kilkenny, latter in third place on ICBP’s list.

Thurles.Info has continuously, over the past eleven years, raised this same issue (first on November 7th, 2013, in relation to the River Suir).

We hope that Ms Catherine Seale-Duggan, the newly appointed Community Water Officer with LAWPRO, has better success with Municipal District officials than we had.