FORMER UN OBSERVER CRITICISES PEAS PROCESS

. A recent stock check of the camp site shop revealed that six tins of peas had passed their 'best before' date. WHAT? . The canning process dates back to the late 18th century in France when the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, concerned about keeping his armies fed, offered a cash prize to whoever could develop a reliable method of food preservation. . Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Boney did not loose that little disagreement on the playing fields of Belgium because of an outbreak of food poisoning in the ranks causing an overlong queue at les portaloos de Waterloo? Non! . The tins of food (Heinz tins!) which Captain Scott abandoned in the Antarctic were opened 47 years after his death, and the contents were not only edible, but pleasant. So if it was good enough for RFS then its good enough for me. I intend to consume all six tins over the next six days in defiance of some marketing man's mad scam to get us to throw away perfectly good food every time some arbitrary but 'very safe' date is reached. . I write to you from the loneliness of the east wing of Blogwall Towers where my family have confined me. .