Tag Archives: survey

One in Five Mums Feel They’re Doing a Bad Job.

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A fifth of mums (21%) say feeding their child manufactured baby food makes them feel like a bad mum. But should it? An independent report lifts the lid on what goes into those jars

Mums feel under pressure as almost four out of ten (39%) feel they are being ‘judged’ by other parents for not making baby food from scratch and one in five (21%) says it makes them feel like they are a bad mum, a survey by Cow & Gate released today reveals.

Mums heap pressure on themselves because a quarter (23%) are sceptical about manufactured baby food, and two in five (39%) are concerned about added salt or ‘nasties’, like preservatives. The research marks the launch of an independent report, released today, which seeks to expose the truth about one of the baby food industry’s biggest producers.

Lifting the Lid on Baby Foods, which is published today and written by Fiona Wilcock, independent public health nutritionist and food writer, investigates food practices by Cow & Gate. The report examines the manufacturing process, from field to production line to babies’ spoons, following the journey of a jar and detailing what is involved in making it.

Forty one million jars of Cow & Gate baby food are sold every year[i] and every jar meets the rigorous ‘baby grade’ standards, finds Wilcock; “Baby foods had a poor reputation in the past so it’s hardly surprising mums and dads are worried. But my report uncovered that there are no dubious ingredients you might have suspected in today’s baby food. Stringent standards, put in place by Cow & Gate, ensure baby foods are real food made from the best ingredients.”

The organic debate

Almost a fifth (18%) of mums will only feed their baby organic food because they believe this to be better quality food, and one in ten (9%) of those surveyed said they believe manufactured baby food contains pesticides. However, today’s report reveals that there are practically no pesticides residues in baby foods. The maximum permitted level of residues in any baby food is 10 parts per billion, which is equal to approximately one drop of water in two Olympic size swimming pools. It’s a little known fact that pesticides, albeit from natural origin, can be used on organic crops and that they can still carry the organic label. This finding negates the argument for only feeding babies with organic food and gives Wilcock the confidence to state; “In my opinion, they are certainly not inferior to organic foods, and could even, in some instances, be better.”

The survey reveals that more than two thirds (68%) of mums feed their babies manufactured baby food, yet less than one in ten (7%) feels confident that it’s good quality. This is why Cow & Gate encouraged Wilcock to investigate what goes on behind the scenes, to dispel the myths surrounding manufactured baby food and reassure mums of the quality of their products. Wilcock says; “I was astonished to learn about the extra commitment and requirements needed to reach the baby grade standard. I now think that even if I bought the highest quality ingredients, organic or not, I couldn’t match the degree of quality assurance that Cow & Gate baby foods have.”

Baby grade ingredients

From apple orchards in the Czech Republic to beef farming in Ireland, the report outlines the measures taken to ensure all baby food is made from baby grade ingredients, which have to adhere to strict guidelines. These ingredients go through multiple safety tests and have to be completely traceable. Farms are chosen where the food will grow best, away from sources of pollution, and where an absolute minimum of pesticides are used. Each step of the food journey is controlled and managed to the extent that every ingredient can be traced back to an individual field.

Dr Pavel Hejzlar, apple expert for Cow & Gate, comments; “We say it takes at least 18 months to learn how to become a baby food farmer. We work with farmers we’ve developed long term relationships with, people we know and trust. Quality and safety, at every level, is our primary concern. ”

Taste Test

Over a third of mums (36%) surveyed said manufactured baby food tastes bland. Wilcock says; “It’s sometimes easy to forget that we have an adult palate and have grown used to food to which we’ve added salt, sugar or flavoured sauces.” Wilcock’s report reveals that the adult food tasters at Cow & Gate have to be trained to re-educate their palates and some of them have talked of their reduced tolerance for salt and sugar in their own diet, as a result of testing baby foods.

Wilcock sums her report up by concluding thatmanufactured baby food is made from top quality baby grade ingredients and does not contain ‘nasties’. She concludes that parents should have confidence in Cow & Gate and the care it takes turning great ingredients into great meals for babies.

To read Wilcock’s report in full visit www.cowandgate.co.uk/liftingthelid

Top research findings;

· 68% of mums have fed their baby manufactured baby food yet only 7% feel confident that the food is of good quality

· 39% of mums feel judged for using manufactured baby food and 21% feel like a bad mum for using it

· 23% of mums feel sceptical about using manufactured baby food because they don’t know what goes in it, and 39% are concerned about added salt or ‘nasties’, like preservatives and colourings, which may be present

· 19% of mums feel that manufactured baby food is a necessity but wish they could do better for their child

· 18% of mums will only feed their baby organic food and 9% of those surveyed said they believe manufactured baby food contains a lot of pesticides

· Babies are more likely to be fed manufactured baby food in Worcester (100%), Chelmsford (100%) and Brighton & Hove (90%). They are least likely to be fed manufactured baby food in London (58%), Aberdeen (58%) and Coventry (54%)

· Mums in Gloucester (42%) and Brighton & Hove (45%) are most judgemental when they see other mums feed their children baby food. Mums in Swansea (7%) and York (9%) are less judgemental

· Older mums (45+) are more likely to feed their child organic food

Leading scientists ask British public to measure their sleep

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· International survey findings to be discussed at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival

· What is sleep, why do we need it and how much of it do we really require?

Researchers from the universities of Oxford and Munich have called on the British public to contribute to an international survey looking at the quantity – and quality – of sleep amongst the population.

Professor Russell Foster, Chair of The Times Cheltenham Science Festival, and Professor Dr Till Roenneberg from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, who are both experts in chronobiology – the study of the circadian rhythms which govern our waking and sleeping patterns, and their interaction with daylight – will discuss the responses to the survey at the Festival in June 2012. The pair will discuss the regenerative powers of sleep as well as comparing and contrasting the sleep patterns of the UK respondents with their continental counterparts.

The survey takes just a few minutes to complete online, and asks questions relating to work schedule, differing sleep habits during the week and at the weekend, consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, exposure to cigarettes and the time taken to fall asleep each night.

So far, more than 65,000 people in Germany have taken Professor Dr Roenneberg’s simple online survey relating their sleeping habits, and the scientists are keen to capture more data relating to the British population.

Russell Foster, a professor of circadian neuroscience at Brasenose College, Oxford, and Chair of The Times Cheltenham Science Festival said, “We felt that the arrival of British Summer Time, with its lighter mornings and longer evenings – plus people perhaps feeling like they’ve ‘lost’ an hour’s sleep – was an excellent moment to get people thinking about the quality and quantity of sleep they get.

“With the help of this questionnaire, we aim to understand the underlying complexity of the biological clock by gathering a picture of everyday behaviour. We all know that individuals show distinct preferences for various activities over the course of a day. A simple example is the time at which an individual prefers to go to bed and get up. Collecting this information will help us understand how and why the biological clock ticks.”

Each participant will receive a personal profile which evaluates their chronotype, and compares their results to those of other participants. A person’s chronotype relates to their preference for mornings or evenings – those who are at their best at the crack of dawn are often described as ‘larks’, whereas people who brighten up in the evenings are known as ‘owls’.

Professor Dr Till Roenneberg, of the Munich Centre of Chronobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, adds, “It will be particularly interesting to gather more information on British sleep patterns in order to compare chronotypes of people living in different geographical locations.

“This will enable us to consider factors such as longitude and latitude, which can make a difference to the amount of daylight to which people are exposed.”

People are encouraged to take the survey online.

Professor Russell Foster will be talking about the regenerative power of sleep at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival on Tuesday 12 June 2012 at 6:30pm.

Priority booking is open to Cheltenham Festivals Members from Monday 26th March, ahead of public booking from 2nd April. The full programme is available at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

Britons are prouder of their history, NHS and army than of the Royals.

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While 2012 celebrates the Diamond Jubilee and London hosting the Olympics, it is history that makes people most proud to be British.

A survey commissioned by Channel 4 from Ipsos MORI found that more people (45%) are proud to be British due to the country’s history than they are because of the Royal Family (28%). And more people cite the NHS (37%) and the armed forces (36%) as a source of pride than they do the Royals. British sports teams come in at a lowly 10%. Bringing up the bottom of the table is British business, with only 4%.

Overall, which two or three of the following, would you say makes you most proud to be British?

1. Our history (45%)

2. The NHS (37%)

3. British Army / armed forces (36%)

4. The Royal Family (28%)

5. Our culture and arts (24%)

6. Our system of democracy (22%)

7. Having a free press / media (15%)

8. British sports teams (10%)

9. Our position in the world (5%)

10. British business (4%)

Timed to coincide with, Make Bradford British, a documentary series exploring what it means to be British, the survey also found that a ‘good sense of humour’ (45%) topped the poll when people were asked what are the best characteristics of British people, followed by friendly (34%) and tolerant to all sections of society (30%).

But while being funny may be the best British characteristic, of those surveyed, half (50%) said the worst was drinking too much. Ignorance of other cultures (33%) and complaining too much (23%) were also cited. And a fifth of respondents thought the worst characteristic was being lazy (20%).

Tea topped the poll not only as people’s favourite drink (38%) but also what they thought was the country’s national drink (65%) proving that we are a nation of tea lovers.

While fish and chips is seen as the national dish by four in ten Britons (41%) just one in ten (9%) say it is their favourite food. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding tops the poll as the nation’s favourite dish (33%).

And while 15% enjoy a curry as their meal of choice, only 8% think it’s the national dish.

Make Bradford British continues on Thursday 8 March at 9pm on Channel 4

How To Not Get Ripped off By a Rogue Trader

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Half of UK Homeowners Have Been Ripped Off by Rogue Traders – Survey reveals

According to Checkatrade.com – the UK’s most trusted website for monitoring the reputation of tradespeople – half of homeowners in the UK have been ripped off by a rogue trader or cowboy builder, while one in seven has been targeted three or more times.

The survey, conducted amongst 2,000 UK homeowners, found that Londoners are most at risk, with 53 per cent having fallen victim to rogue traders. In Northern Ireland just 3 in 10 have suffered at the hands of cowboys.

Despite the perception that older people are more likely to be preyed on by unscrupulous traders, the research highlighted that younger people are almost twice as likely to be ripped off as the over 50s.

Two-thirds of 18-24 year olds have already been ripped off at least once and a quarter three or more times. Only a third of over 55s have been regularly targeted.

Commenting on the findings, Kevin Byrne, founder of Checkatrade, said: “This research highlights the sheer scale of the problem we face in ‘Rip Off Britain’.

“Rogue traders perform substandard work for financial gain, a disgraceful and often lethal practice that ruins properties and costs people thousands of pounds every year.

“It is important that we vet and monitor trades companies to protect homeowners and their families from cowboys.

“Checking up on someone is quick, easy and free. It is an essential precaution that helps avoid accidents, disruption and financial loss.”

Top Tips to avoid rogue traders

* Watch out for contractors who cold call or doorstep you – ask yourself why they need to.
* Make sure you have adequate contact details for your trader in case things go wrong. In addition to a mobile number you should be looking for a landline number, office address and trade association membership details.
* Reputation is everything. Try to use builders who have been recommended to you by people you trust. Take up references from other satisfied customers who have had similar work done and have a look online.
* Have a look at www.checkatrade.com for details of tradespeople who have been vetted to a high standard, and had their insurance, qualifications and professional memberships verified, with scores out of ten from customers.
* Take the time to properly brief tradesmen and put it in writing to avoid any confusion. Be as detailed as possible.
* Obtain quotes from at least three contractors and insist on a written quotation or estimate for the work. Keep them all on file in case of any disagreement.
* To avoid costs spiralling, try and get the job done on a fixed-price basis in case the work takes longer than expected.
* Delayed start dates or long drawn out works can have a major knock on effect on any other buildings works so agree a start date and estimated finish date. However, trades can be delayed by factors outside of their control.
* Avoid anyone who specifically asks for cash – it is illegal to ask for cash payments if the trader does not put it through the books and declare it as taxable income. Cash jobs may result in a receipt not being given, without a receipt you will have no come back if things go wrong.
* Be careful about requests for upfront payments – it may imply they have cashflow problems. In our experience traders who ask for upfront payments often do so because they cannot get credit at their local builders’ merchants, which may indicate they are not financially healthy.
* Once you agree terms and before work starts draw up a simple contract, including the work to be done, the price and the timeframe. Any reputable builder will be happy to sign it, you should sign it yourself and have it witnessed and signed by an independent third party.
* Once work has begun, regularly check that works are on schedule and keep talking your contractor to make sure things are on track.