A DOWNPATRICK businessman says the political vacuum at Stormont is impacting on people’s health and wellbeing.
Denis Lynn, chairman of the Finnebrogue Artisan food company, has written to the new Secretary of State, Julian Smith, urging him to intervene to ensure that the province does not fall behind the rest of the UK in terms of health standards and the quality of food in schools and hospitals.
In his letter to Mr Smith, Mr Lynn says “men, women and children in Northern Ireland are currently paying a high price for the failure of our own elected representatives”.
Specifically, Mr Lynn has appealed to Mr Smith to act on the use of nitrite-cured meat in Northern Irish schools and hospitals.
His intervention follows the recent discovery that nitrite-cured meats are served to patients in NHS hospitals and young people in schools across the UK, despite a growing consensus of scientific opinion that has linked the chemicals to cancer.
The World Health Organisation has linked 34,000 cases of bowel cancer every year to consumption of nitrite-cured processed meats.
Finnebrogue, which employs around 450 people, is one of the leading suppliers of top end sausages, bacon and venison products.
Its nitrate-free Naked Bacon is the biggest bacon brand in the UK, despite being launched only 18 months ago.
Mr Lynn points to the political action that is being taken in Scotland to rid carcinogenic chemicals from public service menus – and bemoans a lack of similar initiative from Northern Irish politicians.
He says: “The lack of any political direction in the province means Northern Ireland has and will continue to fall behind the rest of the UK – not least when it comes to health standards and food quality in our public schools and hospitals.
“A perfect example of this is the revelation that nitrite-cured meats – which have been directly linked to bowel cancer by the World Health Organisation and a wealth of other scientific studies – are being served up to patients in NHS hospitals and young people in schools across the UK.
“As was the case for the smoking ban, the Scottish government at Holyrood is taking a lead and showing us what we could also be doing if Stormont was operational.”
He continues: “Ironically, it is Northern Irish innovation that has both turbo-boosted awareness of nitrites and their risks – and made safer nitrite-free bacon and ham alternatives available on the mass-market for the first time.
“Finnebrogue has pioneered this revolution. In the 18 months since its launch, our Naked Bacon is now the biggest brand of bacon in the UK. Across Northern Ireland consumers are buying our safer rashers in their thousands – but in publicly funded schools and hospitals our children and our patients continue to be fed outdated, carcinogenic food. This cannot be right.”
Mr Lynn concludes his letter to the Secretary of State: “It is my hope that you will not allow this injustice to continue.
“Men, women and children in Northern Ireland are currently paying a high price for the failure of our own elected representatives and I implore you to step in.”
Professor Chris Elliott, who chairs the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and is one of Europe’s top food scientists, has hailed Finnebrogue’s food revolution.
He said: “Many forms of processed foods have come under the spotlight over recent years for their unhealthy attributes.
“To have a bacon produced naturally, that doesn’t require such chemicals to be added or formed during processing, is a very welcome development from Finnebrogue.”