Jump to content

Recommended Posts

General Mills UK Ltd under the trademark Wanchai Ferry has recently launched three Chinese Recipe Kits: Bo Luo Pork, Kung Pao Chicken and Xiang Gu Chicken.


Each kit is packed in an impressively large and colourful box that retails for up to ?3.49 each.


Each box contains a packet of noodles (150g) and three sachets: marinade powder, sauce and a ?key? ingredient for each recipe - pineapple pieces, dried shitake mushrooms or roasted peanuts, respectively.


In the case of the Bo Lou Pork kit, for example:

The active ingredients in the marinade are salt, sugar and black pepper (20g).

The ?Cantonese? sauce is a mixture of tomato paste, sugar, citric acid and water with a little ginger (125g).

The ?key? ingredient is pineapple pieces in syrup (200g).


The buyer has to supply the pork (or chicken) along with three of the following vegetables: carrot, onion, leek, mangetout or red pepper, depending on the recipe.


Preparation is straightforward - it's basically a stir-fry with noodles. Each kit makes two small to medium size servings. As for taste, the list of ingredients contains far too many preservatives, stabilisers and anonymous flavourings for me to actually eat this stuff - I'd be interested to hear what others think of these kits, though.


The individual ingredients in each kit can be purchased separately for less than ?1.00!


More at: http://www.wanchaiferry.co.uk

The individual ingredients in each kit can be purchased separately for less than ?1.00!



But what about the anonymous flavourings?


And HAL, have you ever bought any kind of pre-prepared food before? A jar of Dolmio versus a home made sauce for instance - 9 times out of 10 it's going to be way cheaper to make it yourself (exception being where you don't have the requisite spices in the cupboard and have to start from scratch). Buying convenience is all it is.

RosieH Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But what about the anonymous flavourings?


Choose your preferred 'flavourings' and I'll price them in to the equation, although I doubt they will add more than a penny to my pound.


> Buying convenience is all it is.


Buying convenience is one thing, being ripped-off like a mug is something else.


It so happens that General Mills' Asian division manufactures the sachets and packaging in China and then its Swiss division assembles the product for the European market whereupon a division in Ireland licences local distribution to its UK division!


The massive mark-up, unnecessary trans-continental shipping and convoluted chain of pass the parcel is worthy of a sophisticated tax scam or money laundering operation rather than a legitimate food distribution venture - but, hey, what do I know?

Or how about the new shampoo to repel headlice from our little munchkins? The only problem being that it relies on "active ingredients" Tea tree oil and lemon eucalyptus to deter the pests, and neither of these ingredients are shown to be of any use at all.


I carried out a full search of the current journals and literature, and as a matter of fact, neither ingredient is a proven deterrant, and one study from Australia claims that tea tree oil, used for this purpose, is toxic to children. Mayonaise and wet combing is more effective. Do they think we are idiots? Just because tea tree oil is a trendy mild anti-bacterial preparation, it does not follow that it can repel head lice. No doubt their research, which claims "8 out of ten children" were protected when using it is based on asking questions such as "did your child catch head lice when using this shampoo?"


How incredibly scientific!


There is another brand I shall avoid at all costs from now on.

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The massive mark-up, unnecessary trans-continental

> shipping and convoluted chain of pass the parcel

> is worthy of a sophisticated tax scam or money

> laundering operation rather than a legitimate food

> distribution venture - but, hey, what do I know?



I don't disagree - just wondering why single out Wanchai as opposed to any other processed food on the market. I very much doubt they're any worse...

RosieH Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Lummy - someone's got to drop you off something

> better to read than your cooking boxes!

_____________________________________________


No stick with it & sweat it out HAL


In the morning there's always the "Cereal Packets" to read and dissect


Wheat-a Bix . Contains 100% real wheat



Go on, you can't wait ?




W**F

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • So top of Lane. Local Sainsbury, middle Co Op and M and S and bottom Tesco Express…..now everyone should be happy except those that want a Waitrose as well…0h and  don’t forget M and S near ED Station….
    • Direct link to joint statement : https://thehaguegroup.org/meetings-bogota-en/?link_id=2&can_id=2d0a0048aad3d4915e3e761ac87ffe47&source=email-pi-briefing-no-26-the-bogota-breakthrough&email_referrer=email_2819587&email_subject=pi-briefing-no-26-the-bogot_-breakthrough&&   No. 26 | The Bogotá Breakthrough “The era of impunity is over.” That was the message from Bogotá, Colombia, where governments from across the Global South and beyond took the most ambitious coordinated action since Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza began 21 months ago. Convened by The Hague Group and co-chaired by the governments of Colombia and South Africa, the Emergency Conference on Palestine brought together 30 states for two days of intensive deliberation — and emerged with a concrete, coordinated six-point plan to restrain Israel’s war machine and uphold international law. States took up the call from their host, Colombian President and Progressive International Council Member Gustavo Petro, who had urged them to be “protagonists together.” Twelve governments signed onto the measures immediately. The rest now have a deadline: 20 September 2025, on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly. The unprecedented six measures commit states to:     Prevent military and dual use exports to Israel.     Refuse Israeli weapons transfers at their ports.     Prevent vessels carrying weapons to Israel under their national flags.     Review all public contracts to prevent public institutions and funds from supporting Israel’s illegal occupation.     Pursue justice for international crimes.     Support universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable. “We came to Bogotá to make history — and we did,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro. “Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity. These measures show that we will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable.” The measures are not symbolic. They are grounded in binding obligations under international law — including the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation unlawful, and September 2024’s UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24, which gave states a 12-month deadline to act. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese called them “a momentous step forward.” “The Hague Group was born to advance international law in an era of impunity,” said South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Ronald Lamola. “The measures adopted in Bogotá show that we are serious — and that coordinated state action is possible.” The response from Washington was swift — and revealing. In a threatening statement to journalists, a US State Department spokesperson accused The Hague Group of “seeking to isolate Israel” and warned that the US would “aggressively defend our interests, our military, and our allies, including Israel, from such coordinated legal and diplomatic” actions. But instead of deterring action, the threats have only clarified the stakes. In Bogotá, states did not flinch. They acted — and they invite the world to join them. The deadline for further states to take up the measures is now two months away. And with it, the pressure is mounting for governments across the world — from Brazil to Ireland, Chile to Spain — to match words with action. As Albanese said, “the clock is now ticking for states — from Europe to the Arab world and beyond — to join them.” This is not a moment to observe. It is a moment to act. Share the Joint Statement from Bogotá and popularise the six measures. Write to your elected representative and your government and demand they sign on before 20 September. History was made in Bogotá. Now, it’s up to all of us to ensure it becomes reality, that Palestinian life is not disposable and international law is not optional. The era of impunity is coming to an end. Palestine is not alone. In solidarity, The Progressive International Secretariat  
    • Most countries charge for entry to museums and galleries, often a different rate for locals (tax payers) and foreign nationals. The National Gallery could do this, also places like the Museums in South Kensington, the British Library and other tax-funded institutions. Many cities abroad add a tourist tax to hotel bills. It means tourists help pay for public services.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...