AVOID THOSE FOREIGN BODIES IN YOUR FOOD

I am convinced that global economic problems are undermining quality in everything. I am finding more grammatical and spelling errors in The New York Times, including in the editorial column, and errors of fact - as well as grammar - on CNBC business news. And, then, there is the quality of our food.

As food processing companies struggle to maintain a profit margin they are likely to save on maintenance and buying new equipment and tempted to reduce quality control. One of the results is that there are more "foreign bodies" such as bits of plastic, metal, wood, glass, and who knows what else, turning up in our food. Such problems have caused fairly regular food recalls in the U.S. But they also occur in other countries.

A recent one in the UK - Chokablok ice cream, made by R&R Ice Cream Ltd containing bits of "lolly stick." That's British for what Americans refer to as "candy" - nothing to do with money! And, believe me, swallowing a sharp piece of wood can certainly harm you. "Billionaire's Dynamite" - as one of the ice cream products is called - could well turn into "Billionaire's Misery."

To your good health,
TSF