Food Police

I read with disgust that I live in one of the pilot areas for the ""Food Police,"" these people will be employed on behalf of our local council by a private contractor at the rate of £8.50 per hour. These people will knock on people's doors offering advice about sell by dates, best before dates, waste management and the importance of eating a proper diet. In respect of eating a proper diet and the importance, I thought thats one of the things our health care professionals did.

I do my best to eat healthy but consider my kitchen and my eating habits to be my business and that of any health care professional that looks after me. Its bad enough that every time I use a council service I am expected to fill out a form, stating colour, race, religion and sexuality, information that would be held on a government database. Is nothing private anymore! It sickenings me more that my council are willing to waste money on such a service when they complain that they can not afford various services within Social Services and therefore there are many people in my community suffering, ie. lack of personal care, not enough ""Home Helps."" Familes with severely disabled children with little support. It was only a short while ago many of our rural schools were under threat of closure, due to financial pressure, and wanting to make the local education system more cost effective. And yet Herefordshire Council can find find the money to fund this ""Food Police"" scheme.

What next, you are enjoying a family celebration in a local restaurant, and the Food Police come in and check the menu, and advise you on your choice. I can't see that happening, Restaurant Owners would be up in arms and quite rightly so!

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oh my goodness.....

what kind of world are we living in where everything is monitored and recorded by goverment.... names, race and soon to be calorie consumption lol!!!

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I don't know if these two are linked at all but they have set out that new constitution and that sets out patients rights and responsibilities, one of the responsibilities being to eat a good healthy diet low in fat n sugar high in protein etc, is it anything to do with that do you know?

Personally I think in some areas it could be a good idea to encourage a good diet and discourage obesity and that and I think people should be more responsible about what they shove into their own bodies, most people would feel a lot healthier if they ate and excercised properly. I think Liverpool/Merseyside or doing some big campaign on healthy eating this year and diet and excercise plans, any from round there? is that right? sure I read it somewhere.

Claire x

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Hi Claire

No this a separate scheme.

Whilst I think it is really important that good diet and exercise is promoted, I think that health care professionals are better qualifed to deliver such a service not our local councils. By all means stand outside supermarkets, in town centres and other public places to deliver the message, but to knock on the general public's front door is one step too far. It is also the cost involved that annoys me because our council like many has a huge overspend and cuts back on essential services.