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Cranberry juice really can help with UTIs – and reduce reliance on antibiotics

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-moro-121754">Christian Moro</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/charlotte-phelps-1187658">Charlotte Phelps</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p>Cranberry juice has been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92762/">used medicinally for centuries</a>. Our new research indicates it should be a normal aspect of urinary tract infection (UTI) management today.</p> <p>While some benefits of cranberry compounds for the prevention of UTIs have been suspected for <a href="https://theconversation.com/cranberry-juice-can-prevent-recurrent-utis-but-only-for-some-people-203926">some time</a>, it hasn’t been clear whether the benefits from cranberry juice were simply from drinking <a href="https://bjgp.org/content/70/692/e200">more fluid</a>, or something in the fruit itself.</p> <p>For our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405456924001226">study</a>, published this week, we combined and collectively assessed 3,091 participants across more than 20 clinical trials.</p> <p>Our analysis indicates that increasing liquids reduces the rate of UTIs compared with no treatment, but cranberry in liquid form is even better at reducing UTIs and antibiotic use.</p> <h2>Are UTIs really that bad?</h2> <p>Urinary tract infections affect more than <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1756287219832172">50% of women</a> and <a href="https://bjgpopen.org/content/bjgpoa/5/2/bjgpopen20X101140.full.pdf">20% of men</a> in their lifetime.</p> <p>Most commonly, UTIs are caused from the bug called <em>Escherichia coli</em> (E.coli). This bug lives harmlessly in our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562895/">intestines</a>, but can cause infection in the <a href="http://doi.org/10.33235/anzcj.30.1.4-10">urinary tract</a>. This is why, particularly for women, it is recommended people wipe from front to back after using the toilet.</p> <p>An untreated UTI can move up to the kidneys and cause even more serious illness.</p> <p>Even when not managing infection, many people are anxious about contracting a UTI. Sexually active women, pregnant women and older women may all be at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436013/">increased risk</a>.</p> <h2>Why cranberries?</h2> <p>To cause a UTI, the bacteria need to attach to the wall of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-44916-8">urinary bladder</a>. Increasing fluids helps to flush out bacteria before it attaches (or makes its way up into the bladder).</p> <p>Some beneficial compounds in cranberry, such as <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD001321/RENAL_cranberries-preventing-urinary-tract-infections">proanthocyanidins</a> (also called condensed tannins), prevent the bacteria from attaching to the wall itself.</p> <p>While there are treatments, over 90% of the bugs that cause UTIs exhibit some form of <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance">microbial resistance</a>. This suggests that they are rapidly changing and some cases of UTI might be left <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antibiotic-resistant-utis-are-common-and-other-infections-may-soon-be-resistant-too/">untreatable</a>.</p> <h2>What we found</h2> <p>Our analysis <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405456924001226">showed</a> a 54% lower rate of UTIs from cranberry juice consumption compared to no treatment. This means that significantly fewer participants who regularly consumed cranberry juice (most commonly around 200 millilitres each day) reported having a UTI during the periods assessed in the studies we analysed.</p> <p>Cranberry juice was also linked to a 49% lower rate of antibiotic use than placebo liquid and a 59% lower rate than no treatment, based on analysis of indirect and direct effects across six studies. The use of cranberry compounds, whether in drinks or tablet form, also reduced the prevalence of symptoms associated with UTIs.</p> <p>While some studies we included presented conflicts of interest (such as receiving funding from cranberry companies), we took this “high risk of bias” into account when analysing the data.</p> <h2>So, when can cranberry juice help?</h2> <p>We found three main benefits of cranberry juice for UTIs.</p> <p><strong>1. Reduced rates of infections</strong></p> <p>Increasing fluids (for example, drinking more water) reduced the prevalence of UTIs, and taking cranberry compounds (such as tablets) was also beneficial. But the most benefits were identified from increasing fluids and taking cranberry compounds at the same time, such as with cranberry juice.</p> <p><strong>2. Reduced use of antibiotics</strong></p> <p>The data shows cranberry juice lowers the need to use antibiotics by 59%. This was identified as fewer participants in randomised cranberry juice groups required antibiotics.</p> <p>Increasing fluid intake also helped reduce antibiotic use (by 25%). But this was not as useful as increasing fluids at the same time as using cranberry compounds.</p> <p>Cranberry compounds alone (such as tablets without associated increases in fluid intake) did not affect antibiotic use.</p> <p><strong>3. Reducing symptoms</strong></p> <p>Taking cranberry compounds (in any form, liquid or tablet) reduced the symptoms of UTIs, as measured in the overall data, by more than five times.</p> <h2>Take home advice</h2> <p>While cranberry juice cannot treat a UTI, it can certainly be part of UTI management.</p> <p>If you suspect that you have a UTI, see your GP as soon as possible.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235314/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-moro-121754"><em>Christian Moro</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of Science &amp; Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/charlotte-phelps-1187658">Charlotte Phelps</a>, Senior Teaching Fellow, Medical Program, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cranberry-juice-really-can-help-with-utis-and-reduce-reliance-on-antibiotics-235314">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

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Can you drink your fruit and vegetables? How does juice compare to the whole food?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-beckett-22673">Emma Beckett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Do you struggle to eat your fruits and vegetables? You are not alone. Less than 5% of Australians eat the recommended serves of fresh produce <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/dietary-behaviour/latest-release">each day</a> (with 44% eating enough fruit but only 6% eating the recommended vegetables).</p> <p>Adults <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups">should aim to eat</a> at least five serves of vegetables (or roughly 375 grams) and two serves of fruit (about 300 grams) each day. Fruits and vegetables help keep us healthy because they have lots of nutrients (vitamins, minerals and fibre) and health-promoting bioactive compounds (substances not technically essential but which have health benefits) without having many calories.</p> <p>So, if you are having trouble <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-your-child-to-eat-more-veggies-talk-to-them-about-eating-the-rainbow-195563">eating the rainbow</a>, you might be wondering – is it OK to drink your fruits and vegetables instead in a juice or smoothie? Like everything in nutrition, the answer is all about context.</p> <h2>It might help overcome barriers</h2> <p>Common reasons for not eating enough fruits and vegetables are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1747-0080.12735">preferences, habits, perishability, cost, availability, time and poor cooking skills</a>. Drinking your fruits and vegetables in juices or smoothies can help overcome some of these barriers.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01760.x">Juicing or blending</a> can help disguise tastes you don’t like, like bitterness in vegetables. And it can blitz imperfections such as bruises or soft spots. Preparation doesn’t take much skill or time, particularly if you just have to pour store-bought juice from the bottle. Treating for food safety and shipping time does change the make up of juices slightly, but unsweetened juices still remain significant sources of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12403253/">nutrients</a> and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00070701111140089/full/html?fullSc=1">beneficial bioactives</a>.</p> <p>Juicing can <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuz031/30096176/nuz031.pdf">extend shelf life</a> and reduce the cost of nutrients. In fact, when researchers looked at the density of nutrients relative to the costs of common foods, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/5771">fruit juice was the top performer</a>.</p> <h2>So, drinking my fruits and veggies counts as a serve, right?</h2> <p>How juice is positioned in healthy eating recommendations is a bit confusing. The <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/fruit">Australian Dietary Guidelines</a> include 100% fruit juice with fruit but vegetable juice isn’t mentioned. This is likely because vegetable juices weren’t as common in 2013 when the guidelines were last revised.</p> <p><a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/fruit">The guidelines</a> also warn against having juice too often or in too high amounts. This appears to be based on the logic that juice is similar, but not quite as good as, whole fruit. Juice has lower levels of fibre compared to fruits, with fibre important for gut health, heart health and promoting feelings of fullness. Juice and smoothies also release the sugar from the fruit’s other structures, making them “free”. The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789241549028">World Health Organization recommends</a> we limit free sugars for good health.</p> <p>But fruit and vegetables are more than just the sum of their parts. When we take a “<a href="https://hal.science/hal-01630639/">reductionist</a>” approach to nutrition, foods and drinks are judged based on assumptions made about limited features such as sugar content or specific vitamins.</p> <p>But these features might not have the impact we logically assume because of the complexity of foods and people. When humans eat varied and complex diets, we don’t necessarily need to be concerned that some foods are lower in fibre than others. Juice can retain the nutrients and bioactive compounds of fruit and vegetables and even add more because parts of the fruit we don’t normally eat, like the skin, can be included.</p> <h2>So, it is healthy then?</h2> <p>A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuae036/7659479?login=false">umbrella review of meta-analyses</a> (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8977198/">a type of research</a> that combines data from multiple studies of multiple outcomes into one paper looked at the relationship between 100% juice and a range of health outcomes.</p> <p>Most of the evidence showed juice had a neutral impact on health (meaning no impact) or a positive one. Pure 100% juice was linked to improved heart health and inflammatory markers and wasn’t clearly linked to weight gain, multiple cancer types or metabolic markers (such as blood sugar levels).</p> <p>Some health risks linked to drinking juice were <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuae036/7659479?login=false">reported</a>: death from heart disease, prostate cancer and diabetes risk. But the risks were all reported in <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/what-are-observational-studies#:%7E:text=Observational%20studies%20are%20research%20studies,over%20a%20period%20of%20time.">observational studies</a>, where researchers look at data from groups of people collected over time. These are not controlled and do not record consumption in the moment. So other drinks people think of as 100% fruit juice (such as sugar-sweetened juices or cordials) might accidentally be counted as 100% fruit juice. These types of studies are not good at showing the direct causes of illness or death.</p> <h2>What about my teeth?</h2> <p>The common belief juice damages teeth might not stack up. Studies that show juice damages teeth often <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00190/full">lump 100% juice in with sweetened drinks</a>. Or they use model systems like fake mouths that <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00190/full">don’t match</a> how people drinks juice in real life. Some <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00190/full">use extreme scenarios</a> like sipping on large volumes of drink frequently over long periods of time.</p> <p>Juice is acidic and does contain sugars, but it is possible proper oral hygiene, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300571207000152?via%3Dihub">rinsing, cleaning</a> and using straws can mitigate these risks.</p> <p>Again, reducing juice to its acid level misses the rest of the story, including the nutrients and bioactives contained in juice that are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352385919300210#:%7E:text=Research%20has%20also%20confirmed%20that,prevention%20of%20oral%20inflammatory%20disorders.">beneficial to oral health</a>.</p> <h2>So, what should I do?</h2> <p>Comparing whole fruit (a food) to juice (a drink) can be problematic. They serve different culinary purposes, so aren’t really interchangeable.</p> <p>The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating">water as the preferred beverage</a> but this assumes you are getting all your essential nutrients from eating.</p> <p>Where juice fits in your diet depends on what you are eating and what other drinks it is replacing. Juice might replace water in the context of a “perfect” diet. Or juice might replace <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/substitution-of-pure-fruit-juice-for-fruit-and-sugarsweetened-beverages-and-cardiometabolic-risk-in-epicnl-a-prospective-cohort-study/B7314F1198109712DE0F2E44D919A6A7">alcohol or sugary soft drinks</a> and make the relative benefits look very different.</p> <h2>On balance</h2> <p>Whether you want to eat your fruits and vegetables or drink them comes down to what works for you, how it fits into the context of your diet and your life.</p> <p>Smoothies and juices aren’t a silver bullet, and there is no evidence they work as a “cleanse” or <a href="https://theconversation.com/lemon-water-wont-detox-or-energise-you-but-it-may-affect-your-body-in-other-ways-180035">detox</a>. But, with society’s low levels of fruit and vegetable eating, having the option to access nutrients and bioactives in a cheap, easy and tasty way shouldn’t be discouraged either.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205222/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-beckett-22673">Emma Beckett</a>, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Dietetics &amp; Food Innovation - School of Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-you-drink-your-fruit-and-vegetables-how-does-juice-compare-to-the-whole-food-205222">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Food & Wine

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Top tips for growing tomatoes

<p>Nothing beats the flavour of home-grown tomatoes, so start your own crop today with our top tips for growing tasty tomatoes.</p> <p><strong>Don’t crowd seedlings –</strong> Crowded conditions inhabit growth so be sure to give your seedlings plenty of room. For each plant, prepare at least a 60 centimetre by 60 centimetre plot.</p> <p><strong>Prime location –</strong> Tomatoes need at least eight hours of direct sunlight daily and shelter from strong wind.</p> <p><strong>Plant a few varieties –</strong> There’s so many different types of tomatoes available so grow a few varieties. You’ll soon find that some types just suit your garden better, while others may be susceptible to disease.</p> <p><strong>Staking –</strong> This is essential for tall-growing varieties of tomatoes. Add the stake at planting time and as the plant grows, tie it to the stake. Use soft ties, such as old stockings rather than string. This trains your plant, keeps it stable, takes up less space, prevent damage from strong winds and escapes the adverse effects of damp soil.</p> <p><strong>Water well –</strong> Tomatoes need regular deep watering, especially during the warmer months. Even letting plants go thirsty for a few days will affect the quality of fruit. Water the soil, not the plant.</p> <p><strong>Inspect often –</strong> Check daily for signs of pest or diseases. Remove dead leaves, unwanted shoots and harvest anything that is ready.</p> <p><strong>Companion plant –</strong> Plant marigolds around tomatoes to reduce whitefly infestations. Or sacrifice some basil which will attract white flies away from your tomato. Garlic, nasturtiums or tagetes will repel aphids.</p> <p><strong>Pot plants –</strong> Tomatoes grown in pots are more likely to dry out than those in the ground. However, if that’s not possible, the small bush type do best in pots. Use a big pot and water well.</p> <p><strong>Yellowing leaves –</strong> Once tomato plants reach around a metre tall, the leaves at the bottom might turn yellow and die. This is normal so just snip them off.</p> <p><strong>When to give up –</strong> If there are many yellowing leaves and the plant on a whole looks unhealthy, it may have contracted a bacterial, fungal or virus disease. The plant generally won’t flourish now and it’s best to be pulled out and disposed of. Don’t attempt to grow tomatoes in the same spot for at least a couple of years.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Home & Garden

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RECALLED: Popular apple juice pulled from shelves over contamination fear

<p>A popular brand of apple juice sold at Coles supermarkets in Victoria and New South Wales has been recalled over contamination fears. </p> <p>A notice issued by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on Wednesday confirmed that <span>Thirsty Brothers Pty Ltd had recalled the Original Juice Co. Black Label Cloudy Apple Juice 1.5L over fears of microbial (Mycotoxin - Patulin) contamination.</span></p> <p>The notice said, <span>“Food products containing Mycotoxin - Patulin may cause illness if consumed.”</span></p> <p><span>“Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.”</span></p> <p><span>Patulin is a mycotoxin most commonly found in rotting or damaged apples, and may not have been detected before the manufacturing process began. </span></p> <p><span>The impacted items have a use-by date of 07/10/2021 and should not be consumed. </span></p> <p><span>Concerned customers are being urged to contact Thirsty Brothers Pty Ltd for more information and advice. </span></p> <p><span>A second recall notice was also issues for Barossa Fine Foods Pastrami 100g due to non-compliant labelling.</span></p> <p><span>The product was </span>available at a range of independent supermarkets across all states and territories, except Tasmania. </p> <p><span>“The recall is due to non-compliant labelling (incorrect printed ‘Use By’ date). The printed Use By date of 09/12/2021 is incorrect. The correct Use By date is 16/09/2021,” the regulator said.</span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“The food may cause illness if consumed after 16/09/2021.”</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">Customers are advised not to eat the product after September 16, and instead, return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock/NSW Food Authority</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Woman’s INSANE tomato hack goes viral

<p><span>It has always been considered a perilous task to peel back the skin of tomatoes, however one chef on TikTok has shown a simple, three-step hack to peeling them with your fingers.</span><br /><br /><span>British home chef Jax Hamilton revealed her "quick skin tomatoes" hack to people online, and claims her method results in "no mess" or "watery toms".</span><br /><br /><span>"Let's get the skins off these bad boys — nice and quick," she says in her video, filming a dozen, robust tomatoes.</span><br /><br /><span>First slicing the tomatoes in half, Hamilton says to drizzle olive oil in a pan over medium heat.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842543/daily-6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6c5b02a80f1c4bb59c63ed3f00e0df28" /><br /><br /><span>"When your oil [is] warm, you want to pack all your tomatoes in and pop on the lid," she adds.</span><br /><br /><span>She says that within five minutes of sizzling on the stove, the skin melts off the tomatoes with her method.</span><br /><br /><span>She then goes on to pinch the loosened flesh between two fingers, and lifts off the shiny skin and discards it to the side, revealing soft, warmed tomatoes.</span><br /><br /><span>"And there we have it, check it out — skin free!" she said.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842542/daily-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8199922710c848e684721c6bc79da8b5" /><br /><br /><span>The hack has been viewed over five million times.</span><br /><br /><span>"This is amazing — tomato skins always make me stop eating when I find them in my sauce and it bothers me so much," one user wrote in the comments.</span><br /><br /><span>Another added: "This video relaxes me so much.”</span></p>

Food & Wine

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How kids are getting positive COVID test results with orange juice

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Teenagers in the UK have figured out how to “fake” positive results on COVID-19 tests - prompting at least one school to issue a warning to parents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trick has taken off on social media, as teens use orange juice or soft drinks to generate a false positive result on lateral flow Covid tests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is not known whether any students have used it to successfully get time off school.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gateacre School in Belle Vale, Liverpool, asked students in years 7-10 to stay home from school after some positive COVID-19 test results were discovered in the school community, and warned parents to be vigilant about the social media trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Nationally, some school students have discovered that placing droplets of orange juice or other fruit juice on an LFD test gets a false ‘positive’ result,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/schools-warning-children-using-fruit-20896618?_ga=2.269013617.1871628857.1625379206-1709235865.1625379206" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the warning email read</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In light of this, can you be extra vigilant when your child is doing their LFD tests. Also, remind them that a positive LFD test must be followed by a confirmatory PCR test.”</span></p> <p><strong>How it happens</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The false positive occurs due to the acidity of the juice or soft drink, rather than the beverage containing the virus, which essentially breaks the test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Mark Lorch, a professor of science communication and chemistry at the University of Hull, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-kids-are-using-soft-drinks-to-fake-positive-tests-ive-worked-out-the-science-and-how-to-spot-it-163739" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it is possible to spot “fake” positive tests by washing them with a buffer solution that restores the correct pH to the testing device. Once this happens, the “positive” line disappears to reveal the negative result.</span></p> <p><strong>A selfish thing to do</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jon Deeks, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, has criticised the practice and discouraged teens from trying it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“False positives affect not just that child but their family and their bubble at school, so [it is a] pretty selfish thing to do. There are less harmful ways to fake a day off school,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Lorch instead encouraged students to help him publish his findings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Children, I applaud your ingenuity, but now that I’ve found a way to uncover your trickery I suggest you use your cunning to devise a set of experiments and test my hypothesis,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then we can publish your results in a peer-reviewed journal.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Mark Loch</span></em></p>

Body

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ALDI shopper’s quirk sparks heated debate

<p>An ALDI shopper has mistakenly sparked a fierce debate regarding her pantry habits after she shared a cool hack to social media.</p> <p>The woman took to the ALDI Mums Facebook group to share a photo of lights she had installed in her pantry supermarket, writing: “Thanks ALDI, lights in my pantry!”</p> <p>Many praised the DIY hack, with one person calling it a “game changer”.</p> <p>Another joked the lights would be “perfect for midnight snacking”.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842333/aldi.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9216edb3a0bd4d7a88bf7e9694b5d359" /></p> <p>However, even the lights could not distract some from noticing the face there was tomato sauce in the pantry.</p> <p>"Who keeps tomato sauce in the pantry?" one user asked. </p> <p>"Who doesn't?" another replied.</p> <p>"We have always kept sauces in the pantry ever since I can remember... We are all still alive," someone else said.</p> <p>"Fridge for me. If it says on the bottle to refrigerate after opening, why would you do differently?" another user took time to point out.</p> <p>"Always in the pantry. Cold sauce on hot food is not my thing. Besides the space in the fridge is premium real estate," a fourth person wrote.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842329/aldi-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0ea1f05974af425caf5d310e5c926504" /></p> <p>One woman noted that there are plenty of preservatives in tomato sauce, revealing she had “never had a problem in 50 years”.</p> <p>Others commented that the soy sauce should also be refrigerated.</p> <p>"This is awesome, but we need to talk! Is the sauce open? If it is plz [refrigerate]! And is that soy sauce? Plz [refrigerate]! But everything else is awesome," one user said.</p> <p>Many also defended the woman and her sauce habits, with one user writing, "All these sauce comments! I keep my in the pantry, haven’t killed anyone yet, lol.</p> <p>“Lights look great!"</p> <p>"Ooohhh look at all the pantry police," another user joked.</p>

Caring

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Charging your phone using a public port is dangerous

<p>Have you ever used a public charging station to charge your mobile phone when it runs out of battery? If so, watch out for “juice jacking”.</p> <p>Cybercriminals are on the prowl to infect your mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers and access your personal data, or install malware while you charge them.</p> <p>Specifically, <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/2732198.2732205">juice jacking</a> is a cyber attack in which criminals <a href="https://securelist.com/wired-mobile-charging-is-it-safe/74804/">use publicly accessible USB charging ports or cables</a> to install malicious software on your mobile device and/or steal personal data from it.</p> <p>Even a <a href="https://media.blackhat.com/us-13/US-13-Lau-Mactans-Injecting-Malware-into-iOS-Devices-via-Malicious-Chargers-WP.pdf">60-second power-up</a> can be enough to compromise your phone’s data. This is because USB cables allow the transmission of both power and data streams simultaneously. Victims can be left vulnerable to identity theft, financial fraud, and significant stress.</p> <p>USB charging stations are a common sight in shopping centres, airports, hotels, fast-food restaurants, and even on public transport. While juice jacking is neither <a href="https://securelist.com/wi-fi-security-and-fake-acdc-charges-threaten-your-data-at-the-2014-world-cup/63759/">new</a> nor particularly widespread so far, it was recently highlighted by <a href="http://da.lacounty.gov/about/inside-LADA/juice-jacking-criminals-use-public-usb-chargers-steal-data-ff">Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office</a> as a significant threat, especially to travellers who can easily find themselves caught short and in need of a battery boost.</p> <p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p> <p>First, the attackers tamper with the charging stations or cables in public areas, and install malicious software on them. This software then infects the phones of unsuspecting users who subsequently plug into the tampered charger.</p> <p>The software can invade, damage or even disable your phone. It can also steal or delete data from your phone and possibly spy on your usage activity, to the extent of transmitting your personal information such as account numbers, usernames, passwords, photos, and emails to the perpetrator.</p> <p><strong>How can I tell if I’ve been juice jacked?</strong></p> <p>Hacked mobile devices will often go undetected. But there are a few telltale signs that your device may have been hacked. These include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>a sudden surge in battery consumption or rapid loss of charge, indicating a malicious app may be running in the background</p> </li> <li> <p>the device operating slower than usual, or restarting without notice</p> </li> <li> <p>apps taking a long time to load or frequently crashing</p> </li> <li> <p>excessive heating</p> </li> <li> <p>changes to device settings that you did not make</p> </li> <li> <p>increased or abnormal data usage.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>How do I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>The tampering of USB charging stations or USB cables is almost impossible to identify. But there are some simple ways to guard against juice jacking:</p> <ul> <li> <p>avoid USB power charging stations</p> </li> <li> <p>use AC power outlets rather than USB ports</p> </li> <li> <p>use a portable battery power bank (your own, not a borrowed one!)</p> </li> <li> <p>carry your own charging cable and adaptor</p> </li> <li> <p>use a data-blocker device such as <a href="http://syncstop.com/">SyncStop</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Juice-Jack-Defender-Security-purchased-employees/dp/B00XYTQ4Q8">Juice-Jack Defender</a>. These devices physically prevent data transfer and only allow power to go through while charging</p> </li> <li> <p>use power-only USB cables such as <a href="https://www.4cabling.com.au/portapow-fast-charge-micro-usb-cable-300cm.html">PortaPow</a>, which don’t pass any data.</p> </li> </ul> <p>And finally, if you must use a charging station, keep your phone locked while doing so. USB ports typically don’t sync data from a phone that is locked. Most mobile phones will ask your permission to give the USB port access to your phone’s data when you plug in. If you’re using an unknown or untrustworthy port, make sure you decline.</p> <p><strong>I think I might have been juice jacked – what can I do?</strong></p> <p>If you suspect you have fallen prey, there are several things you can do to protect your device’s integrity:</p> <ul> <li> <p>monitor your device for unusual activity</p> </li> <li> <p>delete suspicious apps you don’t recall installing</p> </li> <li> <p>restore your device to its factory settings</p> </li> <li> <p>install anti-virus software, such as <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity&amp;hl=en_AU">Avast Antivirus</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antivirus&amp;hl=en_AU%22">AVG AntiVirus</a></p> </li> <li> <p>keep your mobile device’s system software up to date. Developers continually release patches against common types of malware.</p> </li> </ul> <p>A lot of data is stored on our mobile devices these days, and protecting our privacy is crucial. While juice jacking may not be a widespread threat, it is important to ensure the safety of our mobile devices. So, the next time you consider using a public USB charging station or cable, ask yourself if it is worth it, particularly as your personal information is at stake.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130947/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ritesh-chugh-162770">Ritesh Chugh</a>, Senior Lecturer/Discipline Lead – Information Systems and Analysis, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/charging-your-phone-using-a-public-usb-port-beware-of-juice-jacking-130947">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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Feel fuller for longer with a roast sweet potato and cherry tomato omelette

<p>A perfect breakfast after an early morning walk or workout, this omelette is sure to leave you feeling full and satisfied.</p> <p><strong>Serves: </strong>1</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>3 eggs</li> <li>½ small sweet potato (cubed)</li> <li>¼ bunch of fresh parsley finely chopped</li> <li>6 cherry tomatoes</li> <li>2 large handfuls fresh spinach</li> <li>½ tsp smoked paprika</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <ol> <li>Cut the sweet potato into small cubes and lay onto an oven tray and roast until soft at 180°C. They should only take about 10-12 minutes. Half way through cooking throw the cherry tomatoes onto the tray and roast for the remaining time.</li> <li>Microwave the spinach in a bowl for 30s.</li> <li>Whisk the eggs then season with salt and pepper and smoked paprika, pour into a pan on medium heat. Stir the eggs quickly once or twice then evenly scatter the sweet potato and cherry tomatoes across half of the omelette, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top then carefully fold the other half over the top.</li> <li>Slide onto a plate and serve. I love a little squeeze of spicy sriracha sauce over the top.</li> </ol> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of Richard Kerrigan, <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rkthebeachlife/">The Beach Life</a></u>, Qualified Chef and Personal Trainer. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/roast-sweet-potato-and-cherry-tomato-omelette.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Why does lemon juice lighten the colour of tea?

<p><strong>I’ve always wondered what happens when pouring a few drops of lemon juice into a cup of tea (no milk added). Why does it lighten the tea’s colour? – Michel, Paris</strong></p> <p>To answer this question, we need to think about the molecules that give a cup of tea its colour - and how lemon juice affects them.</p> <p>Tea is typically made from the plant <em>Camellia sinensis</em>.</p> <p>It is one of the most consumed beverages (second only to water) globally and is ranked as the <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4480e.pdf">most consumed manufactured drink</a>. The origins of its consumption were first recorded more than 5,000 years ago, so it is also one of the world’s oldest drinks.</p> <p>Tea has been used for a variety of health conditions in China since ancient times, and it took time (around 1,000 years) to change from being seen as a medicine to today’s “every day drink”. Some of the health benefits of tea are now receiving <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-five-reasons-to-put-the-kettle-on-and-have-a-cup-of-tea-42419">renewed attention</a>.</p> <h2>The colour of tea</h2> <p>Today, tea varieties are heavily dependent on the processing techniques after harvest. These include oxidation and fermentation of tea leaves, which change their colour and flavour. Use of these manufacturing techniques provides six distinctive categories of tea, based primarily on colour: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong, and black.</p> <p>Black tea and green tea are often (but not always) obtained from the same plant but their chemical makeup is vastly different.</p> <p>The leaves used for green tea production are heated either by steam, pan frying, roasting or baking immediately after harvesting. This process stops chemical reactions driven by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase that would otherwise oxidise coloured chemicals such as polyphenols (catechins).</p> <p>This results in tea keeping its familiar yellow-green colour. Once the leaves are “fixed” they are soft – and are then rolled and dried to become the product we see on supermarket shelves.</p> <p>The production of black tea depends on the enzymes being allowed to oxidise the catechins completely to form new chemicals – these are pigments (theaflavin and thearubigin) that provide the characteristic dark colour.</p> <p>Although thearubigins are less common in your black teabag (around 10-20% of the dry weight), they are more soluble – so when you make a brew these compounds can account for up to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080453828001088">60% of the solids</a> suspended in the solution.</p> <p>In broad terms, all other colour categories of tea fit between green and black. So categorisation of teas based simply on colour mostly depends on the type and amounts of these compounds found in the brewed product.</p> <h2>What happens when lemon juice is added?</h2> <p>The thearubigins in brewed tea are highly coloured (red-brown) molecules that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030881460100108X">change according to the acidity of the liquid used</a>.</p> <p>If the water used for the tea infusion is relatively alkaline (for example, due to limescale found in “hard” water), the colour of the tea will be darker and deeper.</p> <p>However, once an acid such as a slice of lemon or lemon juice is added, tea changes colour because of an increase in acidity (reduction in pH) of the beverage itself. Lemon juice is quite strong as a food acid – a few drops are enough to alter the theaurbigins, resulting in a dramatic change in colour. Interestingly, theaflavins are not that affected by the change in acidity, and still retain their normal dark red colour.</p> <p>In a case of green tea, the addition of lemon juice will also affect the colour through a similar process. This results in a much paler beverage - beyond the level that would occur just by initial tea suspension.</p> <h2>Does lemon juice make your tea healthier?</h2> <p>The beneficial health effects of tea are linked to its total polyphenol content, mainly the catechins. However, one of the problems with these compounds is that they are rather unstable. When alkaline (hard) water is used, they break down relatively quickly (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814603000621">within a few minutes of brewing</a>).</p> <p>Even if they do remain in solution, the absorption of these compounds is low (less than 2%), and can also be inhibited by the <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/4/2/373">food consumed with your cuppa</a>.</p> <p>Increasing the acidity of drinks has been shown to improve the stability of catechins in beverages. This is one of the main reasons why drinks such as iced teas tend to be quite acidic. However, to make them more palatable, relatively high levels of sweeteners (mainly sugars) are also added.</p> <p>So, all up, although the key compounds in your cup of tea tend to degrade quickly, the addition of lemon does protect them temporarily from this breakdown. But it’s not a huge effect. Adding lemon can enhance the flavour and enjoyment of tea, and change its colour, but its best not to expect any extra boosts to your health.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Nenad Naumovski, Asistant Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Canberra and Duane Mellor, Senior lecturer, Coventry University</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/ive-always-wondered-why-does-lemon-juice-lighten-the-colour-of-tea-91324" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Food & Wine

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Enjoy a tasty cherry tomato, macadamia, walnut & silverbeet pasta

<p>Up your nut intake with this easy and simple recipe.</p> <p><strong>Preparation</strong> <strong>time</strong>:<span style="font-weight: 400;"> 5 mins</span></p> <p><strong>Cooking</strong> <strong>time</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 15 mins </span></p> <p><strong>Serves</strong>:<span style="font-weight: 400;"> 4 </span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong> </p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 Tbsp olive oil </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 cloves garlic, crushed </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped (60g) </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1/2 cup raw, unsalted macadamias, roughly chopped (70g) </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 cup fresh breadcrumbs </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">400g dry spaghetti </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">500g cherry tomatoes, halved </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1/2 bunch silverbeet or kale leaves, torn </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">zest of 1 lemon </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1/4 cup chopped parsley </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sea salt and fresh cracked pepper </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warm half the olive oil and half the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all the breadcrumbs, and half the walnuts and macadamias. Cook, stirring regularly for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and toasted. Tip into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook spaghetti according to packet directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While pasta cooks, return the large skillet to medium-high heat and drizzle in remaining olive oil. Add cherry tomatoes and remaining garlic. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until tomatoes begin to break down. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Add reserved pasta cooking water, silverbeet, and remaining walnuts and macadamias to pan with tomatoes. Cook for a minute or two, until greens are just wilted. Remove from heat and stir through lemon zest. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Add parsley to cooled breadcrumb mixture. Serve pasta with generous spoonfuls of sauce, and plenty of nutty breadcrumbs on top. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">
</span></li> </ol> <p><strong>Tips</strong> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can find fresh breadcrumbs at good grocery stores, or make your own by pulsing a slice or two of day-old sourdough in a food processor. </span></p> <p>Recipe and images by Jennifer Jenner for <a href="https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/">Nuts for Life</a> </p>

Food & Wine

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Delicious roast tomato and capsicum soup with crispy chorizo and fresh basil

<p>Packed with flavour you’ll be making this soup again and again, it’s perfect for the whole family and really cheap to make.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>4 large capsicums</li> <li>6 large vine ripened mixed tomatoes (yellow, purple, red etc)</li> <li>1 punnet cherry tomates</li> <li>2 garlic cloves</li> <li>2 celery stalks</li> <li>1 red onion</li> <li>1 tbs tomato puree</li> <li>120g chorizo sausage (cut into cubes)</li> <li>½ bunch basil</li> <li>1 tin kidney beans</li> <li>Olive oil</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Cut the top off your capsicums and scoop out the seeds then place upside down onto an oven proof tray lined with greaseproof paper. Slice the large tomatoes into ¼s and place on the tray with the whole cherry tomatoes. Slice your red onion into ¼s and add them to the tray.</p> <p>2. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and make sure all the veg is coated. Roast in the oven at 220°C for 15-20 mins until they start to colour and the skin from the capsicum blisters. Once cooked remove and leave to one side.</p> <p>3. In a pan slowly fry the chopped garlic and sliced celery. Remove the thin skin from the chorizo and dice then add ½ of the sausage and some finely chopped basil stalks to the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins until golden brown.</p> <p>4. Next add the tomato puree to the chorizo and cook for another 2 mins, add a little water so the tomato puree doesn’t burn.</p> <p>5. Once the capsicum has cooled, carefully remove the skin then roughly chop. Add the capsicum, roasted tomato and onion to a large thick bottomed pan along with the chorizo mix in the pan.</p> <p>6. Add 1 litre of boiling chicken stock to the pan and bring back to the boil. Whilst the soup is coming to the boil fry off the other half of the diced chorizo until really crispy then tip onto some kitchen roll to remove some of the grease.</p> <p>7. As soon as the soup starts to boil remove from the heat. Blend until smooth and adjust the seasoning, careful not to add too much salt. Add ½ bunch of basil leaves and blend once more.</p> <p>8. Finally mix in a tin of drained kidney beans into the soup and serve. Top with crispy chorizo.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <p>Double the batch and freeze it until you need a quick dinner one evening. Remember this has meat in it so make sure to remove from the freezer the night before and heat until piping hot before serving.</p> <p>Recipe courtesy of Richard Kerrigan, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rkthebeachlife/">The Beach Life</a>, Qualified Chef and Personal Trainer.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/roast-tomato-and-capsicum-soup-with-crispy-chorizo-and-fresh-basil.aspx"><em>Wyza.com.au.</em></a></p>

Food & Wine

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Mouth-watering kingfish & ocean trout ceviche

<p>If you're cooking for a fancier audience, try this delicious seafood combination.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients: </strong></p> <p>200g Hiramasa kingfish fillets</p> <p>200g Petuna ocean trout fillets</p> <p>50ml apple cider vinegar</p> <p>75ml fresh lime juice</p> <p>30g sea salt</p> <p>50g sugar</p> <p>10 cherry tomatoes, sliced</p> <p>3 pickled turmeric onions (pickled onions, fresh turmeric, turmeric powder and green chilli)</p> <p>Black sesame seeds and baby coriander for garnish</p> <p><strong>Directions:</strong></p> <p>1. Slice the fish fillets into your desired shape. Cubes or sashimi-style will work.</p> <p>2. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and lime juice (check the mixture for taste, as some apple cider vinegars can be sweeter than others) and spoon over cut fish. Leave for 10 minutes to quickly cure.</p> <p>3. For the onions (this is the cheat version): take a standard jar of pickled onions and add 1 knob of fresh grated turmeric, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 2 sliced green chillies and add to the pickling liquor from inside the jar, then spoon over onions. Leave for 10-15 minutes and you're good to go.</p> <p>4. Combine the rest of the ingredients and season with the same juice that has been curing the fish.</p> <p>5. Place the fish on top of the salad/onions and garnish with sesame seeds and coriander.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/hiramasa-kingfish-petuna-ocean-trout-ceviche.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Zesty tomato salad

<p>Seek out the most delicious tomatoes available, preferably sun–ripened on the vine, and you will be rewarded with an incomparable flavour. Lemon, fresh coriander and mint add freshness and zest to the tomatoes in this tangy salad, which can easily be varied with other fresh herbs and flavourings.</p> <div id="ingredients"><strong>Ingredients:</strong> <ul class="no-bullet"> <li>500 g ripe tomatoes, sliced</li> <li>pinch of caster sugar, or to taste</li> <li>1 lemon</li> <li>3 spring onions, thinly sliced</li> <li>1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander</li> <li>1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint</li> <li>sprigs of fresh mint to garnish</li> </ul> </div> <p><strong>Preparation:</strong></p> <div> <ol> <li>Place the tomatoes in a large shallow dish and sprinkle with the sugar.</li> <li>Cut the lemon in half lengthwise.</li> <li>Set one half aside, then cut the other half lengthwise into 4 wedges.</li> <li>Holding the wedges firmly together on a board, skin side up, thinly slice them across, including the peel.</li> <li>Discard the pips.</li> <li>Arrange the pieces of thinly sliced lemon over the top of the tomatoes, then sprinkle with the spring onions, coriander and mint.</li> <li>Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half and sprinkle it over the salad.</li> <li>Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.</li> <li>Garnish with sprigs of mint just before serving.</li> </ol> <p><em>This article first appeared in </em><span><a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/recipes/zesty-tomato-salad"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a></span></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p> </div>

Food & Wine

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The $2 ALDI find Aussies are obsessed with

<p>ALDI have released a limited edition find that is looking to replace your beloved tomato and mustard sauce bottles.</p> <p>Cult lovers of the supermarket chain have gone berserk over their latest find – Colway’s Tomusto Sauce.</p> <p>The condiment features a blend of both tomato and mustard sauce.</p> <p>At just $2, hotdog, sausage sizzle and burger lovers can find comfort in knowing there is a condiment so perfectly balanced they’ll never have to reach for any other sauce bottle again.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10155217757086238%26set%3Da.416204656237%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="727" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>The supermarket chain’s website reads: “If you’re the sort of person who takes your burgers with tomato sauce and mustard, then Tomusto will be right up your alley.”</p> <p>“A perfect mix of the two, our Tomusto is available in QLD stores only.”</p> <p>However, it is possible Aussies all over will see the hybrid condiment in their local stores if enough support is given.</p> <p>The online chatter is proving a Tomusto Sauce bottle may become a staple in your home, with many customers going crazy over their find. Scores of fans have taken to social media to praise the German supermarket.</p> <p>“Tomato sauce and Mustard in a merger, a hybrid, a Siamese meshing of condiments?!!! I am intrigued!” one customer wrote.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10215653700842518%26set%3Da.3266608671028%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="593" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>The combo sauce product appears to have been sold throughout Australian stores years prior, proving to be a popular find then too.</p> <p>One eagle eyed consumer pointed out the blended sauce is not a first of its kind to hit shelves.</p> <p>“Errr masterfoods (and other brands) have been doing tomusto for a while. It's not an Aldi invention,” they wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>Masterfoods already produces their own version of the hybrid condiment and is stocked on Coles shelves between $2-$3.</p> <p>Have you tried this BBQ staple? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Money & Banking

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“Paid as little as $1.50 per 100kg” – Dark truth about your tinned tomatoes

<p>Australians are being urged to reconsider buying Italian tinned tomato after the working conditions of farmers in Italy has been exposed.</p> <p>Migrant workers in Italy's $3.5 billion tomato industry have gone on strike after 16 farm workers were killed in two separate incidents over the last two days, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/migrant-workers-who-make-italian-tinned-tomatoes-beg-consumers-to-boycott-brands/news-story/4d368fb1d7d119ef4fae20f263c1f002"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>news.com.au</em></span></a> reported.</p> <p>Four workers were killed in a crash in the Puglia region on Saturday and two days later, 12 more died in a head-on collision near Lesina north of Foggia on Monday.</p> <p>The vans are reportedly operated by illegal gangs, known as the Caporali, who find farm owners cheap labour and take a cut out of the worker’s wages. They also transport the workers to and from their makeshift camps.</p> <p>In both crashes, the vans were overcrowded with workers being transported home after work.  </p> <p>Since the accident workers, who earn as little as a single euro per 100kg of tomatoes, have been on strike holding signs that read “we are not slaves”. </p> <p>“It’s like the return of slavery,” Mohamed Doumbé Keita, an undocumented migrant from Guinea, told <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/xwkp9n/migrants-are-dying-under-the-mafia-like-system-that-controls-italys-tomatoes">VICE News</a>.</strong></em></span></p> <p>“Life is tough here. There’s no medical care, and each man fends for himself. If you don’t put in 10 hours a day, you won’t even make €20 ($31).”</p> <p>Aussies are being encouraged to buy local tinned tomatoes instead of imported cans.</p> <p>“Have you ever wondered why Italian tinned tomatoes are so cheap compared to Australian ones?” one woman wrote on Vice’s Facebook page.</p> <p>“If you buy tinned tomatoes from anywhere other than Australia … you’re funding this brutal exploitation of migrant workers. Support Australian farmers who are doing it tough and try to buy Australian grown food where possible.”</p>

News

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Shark Tank judges surprising confession on The Project

<p><em>Shark Tank</em> star Janine Allis was one of the guests on <em>The Project</em> last night, and the entrepreneur turned reality TV show host was quick to lift the lid on what goes on behind the scenes.</p> <p>When host Waleed Aly asked Allis if her and the other ‘sharks’ were running out of cash to invest in new projects, she conceded that not every deal actually went ahead.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheProjectTV%2Fvideos%2F10155531994393441%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>“Look, not all of them get through due diligence. Sometimes when they actually get a big fright on (TV), they say things that probably aren’t true. And it’s confronting, so sometimes they pull out afterwards. But there’s a lot of people we don’t do deals with on the show, but we still work with them post-show,” she revealed.</p> <p><em>Project</em> Panellist Peter Helliar was quick to follow up, asking Allis, who founded Boost Juice, how her own personal investments fostered on the show were faring.</p> <p>“I’ve absolutely invested money and lost all of it, and I have invested money and making quite a good return. At the moment, we’re about even,” she revealed.</p> <p>In a revelation that surprised some viewers, Allis said the show’s most hot-headed shark, investor Steve Baxter, was probably doing the worst on his investments.</p> <p>“Steve was the one who was really quite aggressive at the start ... I don’t know how well they’re doing,” she said.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you watch Shark Tank?</p>

News

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Prawns, asparagus and cherry tomato linguine

<p>This deliciously light pasta dish is so quick and easy to whip up but also special enough for company.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> 2</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p> <ul> <li>150g linguine pasta</li> <li>135g cherry tomatoes</li> <li>200g green prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact </li> <li>1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut in half</li> <li>2 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>2 cloves garlic, finely chopped</li> <li>Half a lemon</li> <li>1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped</li> <li>⅓ cup dry white wine</li> <li>Fresh oregano, chopped</li> <li>Salt and pepper to season</li> <li>Shaved parmesan to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method: </span></strong></p> <p>1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add pasta and follow packet instructions. Drain.</p> <p>2. Meanwhile, heat oil in frypan over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook and cook for two minutes or until softened.</p> <p>3. Stir in garlic, chilli, asparagus and prawns. Cook for two minutes or until prawns turn pink.</p> <p>4. Add white wine and season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for three to five minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces.</p> <p>5. Add pasta to pan. Squeeze half a lemon and sprinkle with oregano. Toss to combine. Serve with parmesan.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/05/beef-and-barley-stew/">Hearty beef and barley stew</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/05/tuna-and-olive-pasta/">Tuna and olive pasta</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/05/bolognese-stuffed-eggplant/">Bolognese stuffed eggplant</a></strong></em></span></p>

Food & Wine

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