Tha an deasbad mu thimcheall feòil dheirg air spionnadh as ùr fhaighinn, le Murray MacLeòid

Nochd aithisg bho chionn ghoirid le eòlaichean meidigeach a rinn sgrùdadh air dè cho fallainn ‘s a tha feòil dhearg ithe, no nach eil, agus a-rèir aon bhuidheann, tha e a’ dol a dh’adhbharachadh atharrachadh bunaiteach.

Chur ceann-suidhe Aonadh nan Tuathanach ann an Alba, Màrtainn Ceannadach, fàilte mhòr air an aithisg.

[English-language version below]

Chan eil fhios a'm nach eil sin beagan ro dhòchasach agus na cheum ro fhada, ach gun teagamh, tha e inntinneach agus a’ tighinn aig àm nuair a tha daoine a’ dèanamh barrachd smaoineachaidh mu bhiadh, bho thaobh na h-àrainneachd agus dè as fhallaine.

Aig a’ cheann thall, tha e mu dheidhinn ar taghaidh fhèin agus tha saorsa againn sin a dhèanamh.

Ach, tha am fiosrachadh a thathar a’ toirt dhuinn, agus cò tha a’ toirt seachad an fhiosrachaidh sin, a’ toirt buaidh mhòr.

‘S dòcha gur e sanasachd an eisimpleir as fhèarr airson seo. Tha fios againn glè mhath nach eil ann ach sgeulachd airson toirt oirnn rud a cheannach, ach tha na milleanan mòra a thathas a' cosg air a’ sealltainn gu bheil e ag obrachadh.

‘S dòcha gu bheil saorsa againn taghadh a dhèanamh ach tha sinn air ar cuairteachadh le nithean a tha a' toirt buaidh air a sin.

San t-seadh seo, tha e follaiseach gu bheil gnìomhachas an àiteachais a’ smaoineachadh g’ eil iad air dheireadh – g’ eil iadsan a tha a’ moladh feòil a sheachnadh ceum air thoiseach nuair a thig e gu bhith a’ toirt buaidh phoblach air daoine.

‘S dòcha gur e sin as coireach gun robh Aonadh nan Tuathanach ann an Alba cho luath leum air aithisg Stanton, a cho-dhùin nach robh dearbhadh sam bith ann gu bheil feòil dhearg dona dha slàinte no g’ eil cunnart aillse na lùib. Thuirt a’ bhuidheann gun cuir seo crìoch air breugan luchd na h-àrainneachd.

Ged a dh’fhaodadh an aithisg a bhith gu math cudromach fhathast, feumar cuimhneachadh nach bi an NFU fhèin air am faicinn cothromach. Chan eil buidheann ann a gheibh buannachd cho mòr a-mach à seo na iad fhèin, agus le sin, bidh gu leòr teagmhach mun bheachd aca air.

Thainig an aithisg às dèidh rannsachaidh fad còig bliadhna le sgioba de luchd-rannsachaidh mheidigeach leis an Ollamh Pat Stanton, bho Chòlaiste Rìoghail nan Lannsairean ann an Èirinn, air an ceann.

Chan eil teagamh g’ eil seasamh cliùiteach aca, ach tha aon rud gu math cudromach air am feumar cuimhneachadh nuair a thig e gu bhith a’ beachdachadh air an aithisg. Cha tug na h-eòlaichean sùil ach air feòil nach eil air a mheasgachadh le rudan eile son a chur ann am pacaidean agus canasdairean (processed).

Le sin air a shoilleireachadh, thuirt an aithisg nach robh dearbhadh sam bith airson an droch chliù a tha aig feòil dhearg am measg chuid agus cheasnaich iad am bonn air an deach aithisgean eile a chlo-bhualadh – gu sònraichte, an aithisg ‘Eat Lancet’ a thuirt gur e feòil dhearg fear de na cunnartan-bidhe as motha san t-saoghal agus a lean gu stiùireadh oifigeil gum bu chòir dhuinn nas lugha dhith ithe.

Gu sònraichte, thuirt iad gun robh am beachd gu bheil feòil dhearg ag adhbharachadh aillse stèidhichte air aon phàipear rannsachaidh anns an robh “laigsean teicnigeach mòra, a bha dol an aghaidh inbhean aithnichte ann an saidheans”.

Ged nach biodh ann ach càil eile, tha an aithisg air spionnadh as ùir' a chur dhan deasbad mu bhiadh agus ann an àite mar Alba, a tha ainmeil airson feòil dhearg àrach aig sàr inbhe air na monaidhean, dh’fhaodadh e a bhith cudromach dha-rìribh.

Fios bhon neach-deasachaidh:

Tapa leibh airson an aithris a tha seo a leughadh. Tha sinn an eismeil ur taic nas motha na bha riamh agus buaidh a’ Choronbhirus air buaidh a thoirt air luchd sanasachd. Mur eil sibh air a dhèanamh mar-tha, ma se ur toil, nach beachdaich sibh taic a chumail ri ar obair-naidheachd earbsach, a tha sinn a’ dearbhadh a tha fìor, le bhith toirt a-mach ballrachd digiteach.

A recently published report by a team of academics into the health properties of red meat was described by one organisation as a “game changer”.

That may be a tad on the hyperbolic side, but it was certainly an interesting intervention as we continue to struggle with what constitutes an ethical diet, both from an environmental point of view and from the perspective of what’s good for our health.

Ultimately, it’s about personal choice, one of the most important freedoms we have. But, within that, is the flow of information and who controls it.

Perhaps the best example is advertising. We know on a conscious level it is merely a sales pitch, yet the billions spent by companies worldwide clearly demonstrates it works. We may have freedom of choice, but we are continually surrounded by influences which impact that choice.

In this respect it is clear that the agricultural sector believe they are a step behind; that those who espouse more of a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle have stolen a march on the message front.

Maybe that’s why NFU Scotland was so keen to jump on the recent Stanton report, which found that there is no evidence to suggest that consumption of red meat contributes to ill-health or cancer. They described it as a “game changer” and claimed it will serve to debunk the myths perpetuated by the “green” lobby.

Important as the report may yet prove to be, the NFU themselves are hardly an impartial bystander. In terms of vested interest, they have the most to gain, so their pronouncements on the matter will meet a sceptical audience, at least in some quarters.

The report came after a five-year-long investigation by a team of international medical researchers led by Professor Pat Stanton of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

There is an important consideration to bear in mind when assessing their conclusions, however. The scientists only focussed on “unprocessed” meats – the pure cuts with greater traceability that are sold direct to consumers without being bulked up with all sorts of muck and preservatives.

With that caveat in mind, the report found time and again there was no evidence for the unhealthy reputation that red meat gets and highlighted “an inexplicable transformation of the background data in the statistical evidence used” in other academic studies – specifically the ‘Eat Lancet’ report that listed red meat as one of the dietary threats to human health and which led to official guidance to reduce our red meat consumption.

It said the evidence, in particular, for red meat being classified as a cancer agent came from a single scientific publication that had “technical shortcomings that violate widely accepted scientific standards”.

While it may not prove to be the game-changer that some hope, it’s an important contribution nevertheless towards a growing trend to seeking greater and more credible information on the food we eat and how it’s produced. In the context of Scotland, renowned for its quality environment for meat production from grass, that should prove no bad thing.