Tasty Bites from Around the World
JANUARY 2006
In this section we highlight some of the more bizarre stories from the world of food and drink .....
Vere is ze Vodka?
Trouble is predicted and riots are feared in Russia after a new law has forced vodka distilleries to halt production meaning shops could soon begin to run out of the nations favourite tipple…
The new law, endorsed by President Putin on January 1, stipulates that every distillery must have computerised equipment for measuring alcohol levels.
The move caught the big distilleries by surprise and brought nationwide production to a standstill reports
www.ananova.comAfter two weeks of no vodka, even respected newspapers such as the economic journal Vedomosti have started to print panicky front-page headlines, such as 'The vodka is running out!'
Some commentators eve fear a revolution as more and more Russians turn to violence on discovering empty supermarket shelves.
The state is also suffering huge losses as it usually collects over £3.4 billion pounds in liquor taxes per annum, which works out at about £95m per day.
The Stresses of modern life are driving the Brits to drink!
I
f you sometimes forget why you moved to Spain…. Read on...
The modern annoyances of automated call centres, mobile phones and crashing computers are driving people to alcohol and cigarettes, reports the bbc.co.uk
The poll by UK charity Developing Patient Partnerships showed more than a third of men and a quarter of women have a drink to cope with stress. 
Of the 1,000 people polled, 27% of men and 23% of women said they would light up a cigarette in such situations.
Almost one third said IT-related problems were a major source of stress.
The majority of those questioned by the DPP said they had felt stressed in the last year.
However, death and divorce are still considered the top causes.
And, while the DPP said it was important to talk about stress to help reduce the stigma that surrounded it, only 23% of people said they would speak to their manager.
A quarter (25%) said they would be so worried about what their boss would think, they would not take time off work because of stress.
But 41% of people said they would seek help from their GP.
The survey also asked people what they thought stress was.
Over two thirds thought stress was simply having a "bad day", 63% said it was dealing with difficult people and 58% saw stress as having too much to do.
And 64% wrongly believed that stress was an illness.
Although stress can lead to illness such as depression, it is not an illness in itself.
The DPP is urging people not to look to smoking, eating junk food and drinking alcohol, as these activities do not help stress levels.
Alison Cobb, from mental health charity Mind, said: "Today's 
competitive and pressured work environments can make it very difficult for people to disclose mental health or work stress problems without the fear of affecting their career prospects.
"There is an urgent need for employers to assist workers in managing stress at work, now a major economical problem."
The survey was published as the charity Turning Point claimed more than a quarter of adults - 8.2m people - suffer from a drink-related disorder.
It said 22,000 people die as a direct result of alcohol, mainly from liver disease - but also because of accidents, fights and other drink-fuelled incidents - with 150,000 people admitted to hospital each year because of drinking alcohol.
Treating people with alcohol-related health problems costs £1.7bn a year, and crime -related costs stand at around £20bn annually.
DPP’s tips for dealing with a stressful lifestyle …..
1. Live a healthy lifestyle
2. Don't take too much on
3. Decide what causes you stress and change it
4. Avoid unnecessary conflict
5. Manage your time better
6. Practice saying "no" without feeling guilty
7. Take time out to "recharge your batteries"
8. Talk about problems so they do not get out of proportion
9. Make time to see friends
10. Do not use alcohol, nicotine or caffeine to cope with stress
Celebrity faddy diets spark real life food fears
Celebrity diets are prompting a growing number of people to cut out key foods because of fears of food intolerances and allergies, a GPs' survey suggests.
The study reported by the BBC, involved 250 GP's and suggested 
many people were self-diagnosing such problems because of celebrity food fads like wheat or gluten-free diets.
Two thirds said more patients reported food intolerances in the last year, the poll for Norwich Union Healthcare said.
But 73% of GPs believed their patients reactions were all in the mind.
A separate ICM telephone poll of 1,000 adults found a fifth of people had first found out about food intolerances and allergies from celebrity interviews, magazines and TV shows.
A similar proportion had heard of these problems through friends and family.
Some 94% of GPs believed people did not know the difference between a food allergy and an intolerance.
A food intolerance is defined as an adverse reaction to food such as a like a headache or bloating, while an allergy leads to a response in the immune system.
Some of the most frequently reported conditions were wheat intolerances as suffered by actress Rachel Weisz and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
And dairy intolerances as suffered by actor Orlando Bloom and singer Victoria Beckham.
Practising nutritionist and state-registered dietician Jill Scott said while food allergies and intolerances could be serious for those affected, people should not jump to conclusions based on what they read.
"Excluding particular food groups can upset a balanced and healthy diet.
"Avoiding dairy products, for example, may result in low calcium intake, which can in the long run affect bone health.
"We strongly recommend that anyone with good reason to believe they may be suffering an intolerance or food allergy seeks out professional advice," she said.
However, many doctors are sceptical that food intolerances exist and will not test for them.
Roger Taylor, research director from Dr Foster the independent provider of health care information which carried out the research for Norwich Union Healthcare, said information in magazines can often be misleading.
"People should think first about whether they have a properly balanced diet and if they are concerned about allergies or food intolerances seek the advice of a dietician or their GP."
UK Pub bans Trilby hat …
A trilby-wearing great-grandfather was ordered to remove his hat when he tried to buy a drink in a city centre pub reports the BBC….
Colin Osborne, 64, was told by staff at the Monument pub in Hereford he would have to take his hat off as it obscured his face from CCTV cameras.
Pub chain Greene King has introduced the policy for security reasons. It applies to all hats and hooded tops.
Mr Osborne said: "I was an elderly man having a non-alcoholic drink but I was told there are no exceptions."
Mr Osborne told BBC News he had worn a trilby for 20 years.
"When I started as a journalist it used to be de-facto to have a belted coat and a trilby and in those days I had both," he said.
He had called at the pub after work when he was asked to remove the hat.
"I was annoyed, I was put out and I was surprised. I couldn't understand why my poor old trilby should offend anyone," he continued.
The manager explained to him it was a pub rule to enable CCTV cameras recording any incident in the pub to see people's faces.
Mr Osborne said he had some sympathy for the rule.
"But on the other hand I think pubs and breweries should ask themselves who is under the hat - individuality must retain some significance even in this nanny state in which we live," he said.
The pub chain said the cameras were installed after a refit.
Adam Collett, marketing director at Greene King, said in a statement to the BBC: "CCTV is sensible and welcomed by customers, residents and licensing authorities alike.
"To make it useful we do have to ask all customers to remove their hats, but of course we have sensitivity to individual needs. In order to remain consistent and fair we ask all customers to observe this policy.
"Generally this policy has been welcomed at the Monument and our customers have cooperated with us
Italians believe Gluttony to be the worst sin of all
Gluttony is a deadlier sin than lust, say most Italians.
As reported by Sky News the pizza-loving population feel more guilty about over-eating than they do about cheating on their 
partners.
A magazine survey showed that Italians ranked being sexually unfaithful as the least guilt-inducing of seven deadly sins.
They feel much more ashamed if they have an extra slice of Margarita.
The 1,000 Italians surveyed said they also feel pangs of guilt if they go on a shopping spree or skip too many gym sessions.
And while they might be close to the Pope, only 7% admitted that breaking religious rules made them feel remorse.
BIS MAGAZINE'S FAVOURITE FOOD AND DRINK STORY THIS MONTH ......
Cucumber outlives husband
A Croatian widow has submitted a pickled cucumber for a place in the Guinness Book of Records says ananova.com
Vera Dudas, 73, from Duga Resa, says the cucumber was pickled by her mother-in-law when her late husband was born in 1930, and claims it is the oldest in the world.
She has now had the cucumber insured and says it is her only reminder of her husband Pavao who would have turned 76 this year.
Vera said: "Unfortunately, the cucumber has survived longer than Pavao.
"I remember my entire married life when I look at that cucumber, it was with us everywhere we ever lived and through all our experiences - good and bad."
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