Pass on the salt: Some branded food products contain "huge variations" in salt levels depending on where in the world they are sold, a new campaign group has found.
Among other findings, World Action on Salt and Health (Wash) reported that a box of All Bran had 2.25g of salt per 100g in Ireland and Britain compared to 0.65g per 100g in the US.
A Kellogg's spokesman said the current salt level of All Bran here was 1.55g per 100g and not 2.33g but confirmed that other than that the comparison with the US was correct. "The formulas vary across the world. These formulas are based on geographic taste and expectation for the product," he said. Kellogg's has cut the salt content of its products in the UK and Ireland by around 33 per cent since 1998.
Bread for GI Joes
People on GI diets who miss their white bread fix will no doubt be delighted to learn that a specially created white bread which doesn't break the GI rules is now widely available across the country. Irwin's Low GI White offers GI ratings which are, the manufacturer promises, significantly lower than other white breads on the market as well as many wholemeal breads.
Now dry your hands
Dyson called in to PriceWatch last week to show us its latest invention - a high-speed hand dryer for public toilets which pumps out room temperature air at 400mph and leaves wet hands completely dry in less than 10 seconds.
The Dyson Airblade, which has been on trial in disguise in venues across Dublin for a number of weeks, then sterilises the waste water and releases it back into the air as an invisible mist.
It looks very cool and uses up to 83 per cent less energy than conventional hand dryers. PriceWatch can testify that it works remarkably well and should remove the need for impatient people to resort to their trousers to dry their hands. It also has the blessing of the British Skin Foundation because of its good hygiene.
