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Cyrus Todiwala was among the speakers at a Caterer round table debate on Scores on the Doors sponsored by P&G Professional and Fairy Expert - and you can read about it in the magazine this week.

The chef proprietor of London's Cafe Spice Namaste Indian restaurant was vociferous in his condemnation of the new programme proposed by the Food Standards Agency for highlighting cleanliness in the UK's hospitality outlets.

"How do you tell people what these stars mean?" asked Todiwala. "I went to a restaurant on Brick Lane once and a rat came into the kitchen. The chef's attitude was: 'It's not my rat, it came from next door.' It's the kitchens that feed the bulk of this country at 3am that we should worry about."

Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, criticised the six-tier nature of the scheme, with more stars awarded the cleaner a property is deemed to be. "If I get on a plane, I expect it to be safe. I don't want to see some score suggesting how likely it is to crash."

James Arnold, UK business leader (sales and marketing) for P&G Professional added: "Only a tiny percentage will have interest in what the stars mean. If this is to educate the industry about what they should be doing in an ideal world then fine, but the public just want a red flag or a green flag, not three stars or five stars - they won't understand what they mean."

FSA defends Scores on the Doors decision >>

Six-tier Scores on the Doors plan labelled ridiculous >>

That's the threat according to some British farmers after the latest EU ruling.

Officials in Brussels have banned 22 key pesticides that are used in arable crop growth, including pyrethroid insecticides and pendimethalin herbicides.

They sound a mouthful, and too obscure to matter, but apparently banning these chemicals will significantly raise food prices, and destroy farming communities.

Root vegetables, particularly carrots and parsnips will be particularly affected, say farmers.

And according to Conservative MEP Robert Sturdy, "Banning products that are safe when used correctly will add to already volatile food prices and food shortages."

Using pesticides near schools, parks or hospitals will be forbidden or severely restricted and most aerial crop spraying will be banned.

Well, it doesn't sound like a bad idea to us. And didn't farming communities exist before these 20th century chemicals?

We must work together with the farmers >>

EU directive wins some supporters >>

The news that the Melton Mowbray pork pie is to receive EU protection against imitators from outside the region is welcome, but we've got a long way to go to match other countries in Europe when it comes to regional produce.

There are 170 regionally recognised products in Italy, compared to 37 in Britain, and cumberland sausages or Cornish pasties have yet to make an impact on the EU regulators, let alone Bath chap and Morecambe Bay shrimps.

As from early next year the new legal status will put the Melton Mowbray pork pie alongside Italy's Parma ham, and gorgonzola cheese.

"It is one of the few products where the balance of power lies with producers rather than supermarkets," said Matthew O'Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association.

But Britain has lots of catching up to do, and some would even question the complexity of flavour of a pork pie versus the time and effort that goes into making Parma ham, or stilton versus gorgonzola. Are we really up to the same standard?

Northern Food to fight on in Melton Mowbray pie name battle >>

Pork pie makers to get decision by Christmas >>

I think these make sense - apparently they are sweeping the states and could cross the pond to here soon. Happy riding!

I was sent this from the Netherlands and thought DIGIWATER was worth looking at.

If you are interested then you can see more crazy things from across the channel by viewing Michael van den Dool's website where you can learn more about the mad world of the digiwaiter!