Having landed back in the UK after a couple of weeks touring and hiking in the fantastic canyon lands of southern Utah, Colorado and Arizona, I have a few reflections on eating in the US. First, the good news: that the major Salmonella Saintpaul incident was officially declared over whilst I was there. In total, more than 1200 people were made sick, many of whom were admitted to hospital, and, in the case of two elderly people, the poisoning was thought to contribute to their early deaths. Although the tomato industry was initially implicated – and took a large financial hit – the source was eventually linked to Jalapeno peppers.
Second, and I know I am not the first to observe this, but portion sizes are huge. We really do need to make it easier for consumers to realise just how much energy is contained in meals bought outside the home as it is all too easy to consume way more energy than we burn. This is something that is being considered on both sides of the Atlantic (for example, New York City has recently introduced energy labelling for big restaurant chains) but we all need to do much more to give consumers the information they need to make healthy choices when eating out.
Third, I have a teaser for my labelling colleagues: can salt that is obtained from the ancient seas that formed the sandstone canyons in Utah now be accurately labelled as 'Sea Salt'– despite the fact the sea disappeared many millions of years ago! As a humble scientist, I realised long ago that labelling is a formidably complex subject.
Finally, I would thoroughly recommend this part of the US for a holiday: the scenery is stunning, the people are friendly and you won't go hungry!