This French Life

Horsemeat tests show 13% of French beef products has equine DNA

RANDOM tests for horsemeat in beef products carried out by the European Commission, found that in France more than one in every eight samples tested contained horse DNA.

Across the EU there were less than five percent of beef products found to contain horse DNA, with the UK and Ireland receiving a clean bill of health.

However, in France the figures showed that after 353 tests 47 were positive for horse DNA giving a rate of more than 13%, the highest in the EU.

The EU believes that the contamination of beef products with horsemeat is more a 'matter of food fraud and not of food safety' and has said that controls will be strengthened all the way along the food chain.

Something the French authorities have pressed for alongside higher fines and longer prison sentences for those convicted of food fraud.

Related: Around €3.5m wiped off sales of prepared beef meals

Say bye bye to Bordeaux wines due to climate change

ARE the days of Bordeaux producing some of the world's most popular wine numbered, will we see bottles from Yellowstone, China and the UK instead?

It is a possibility after a study into climate change and its impact on growing grapes by Conservation International predicts a major geographic shift in the wine industry.

The study expects to see a fall in wine production from Bordeaux and Rhone regions in France, Tuscany in Italy and Napa Valley in California and Chile by 2050, as a warming climate makes it harder to grow grapes in traditional wine country.

In their place will be wines from areas once thought of as unsuitable for production, meaning varieties from northern Europe, including Britain, the US north-west and the hills of central China.

Small traces of pollutants found in drinking water

SMALL traces of pesticides and even cancer drugs have been found in French tap water as well as bottled water, according to research by 60 Millions de Consommateurs.

The consumer watchdog undertook tests for 85 different chemicals and pollutants, with the herbicide Atrazine most often found, despite it being banned by the EU since 2001 it has remained in the ground over the years.

One surprising finding in the research was the presence of anti-cancer drug, Tamoxifen, which is used in the treatment of breast cancer.

Editor of 60 Millions de Consommateurs, Thomas Laurenceau, said that while their findings showed very small traces of pollutants, and that in the short term there was no problem with drinking water, it highlighted the impact that we are having on natural resources.

Related: Nitrate levels in water in France

Around €3.5m wiped off sales of prepared beef meals

THE sale of prepared meals containing beef in France has fallen by around €3.5 million in just two weeks following the horse meat scandal.

BFM TV features research by consumer analysts, Nielsen, who estimate the value of frozen meals made of beef has fallen by €2 million between February 11 and 24.

While other types of beef based meals have fallen by €1.3 million, and ravioli type meals have dropped by €400,000 over the same period.

One positive Nielsen has noticed is that people are turning to their local butcher to purchase meat with 39% of those questioned saying they would use them for some purchases.

Harveys look to keep things local on the menu

THE idea of an English couple setting up a restaurant in France may have some thinking of the phrase 'taking coals to Newcastle'.

But for Peter and Tracey Robshaw the long days spent going through paperwork and red tape has been worthwhile and seen them establish Harveys, close to St Emilion and Bergerac, to become recognised in the local area.

So much so that there name now appears in a guide to some of the best restaurants in Aquitaine, here Tracey tells how the couple found themselves in south west France.

What brought you to France and in particular the Dordogne?

Peter and I met in August 2002, we both separately had a desire for the French life as London was dominating and too demanding on our life. We both appreciate and enjoyed French food, wine, its culture and family values.

We chose the south west corner of the Dordogne for several reasons such as access to St Emilion, Bordeaux, Bergerac and the superb wine region with wonderful views and micro climate.

But it was also within easy reach of Bordeaux and Bergerac airports in case we had to return to the UK.

The French drink too much booze, claims study

A STUDY by the Institut Gustave Roussy claims that alcohol consumption was responsible for around 49,000 deaths in 2009 in France.

It was found that 36,500 male deaths were due to alcohol, 13% of the total mortality rate for men, while for women there were 12,500 deaths, which accounts for 5% of the mortality rate in women.

The resultant illnesses are commonly cancer and heart related problems, with the researchers claiming the 'French drink too much'.

Despite the amount of alcohol consumed falling in France over recent years, the number of deaths amongst men due to drink is still higher than, for example, Switzerland (5%), Italy (3%) and Denmark (1%).

Numbers enjoying daily glass of wine on slide

THE number of French people who enjoy a glass of wine each day has fallen to less than one in five, a study has found.

Research for the Vinitech exhibition found that in 2010 just 17% of people drank wine on a daily basis, down from 21% five years earlier.

The number of occasional drinkers, those who enjoy a glass once or twice a week, rose from 41% to 45%. While those who never touched a drop of wine stayed stable at 38%.

Overall there has been a dramatic decrease in the amount of wine drunk in France, with figures from 2010 showing on average 46.6 litres of wine were consumed per person, which compares to a figure of 104 litres in 1975.

Warmer weather threatens Périgord truffles

INCREASINGLY warm and dry summers pose a threat to the Périgord black truffle, claim scientists who have studied declining harvests.

A team from the Swiss Federal Research Institute said that in Périgord and in Spain's Aragon region the amount harvested fell at around the same pace from 1970 to 2006, and this trend was in line with an overall decline in summer rainfall.

When they looked at harvests in northern Italy's Piedmont and Umbria they were also on decline, but not as badly as in France and Spain, and this correlated with relatively higher levels of summer rain in those regions.

The scientists believe questions hang over the future of the Périgord black truffle.

"Considering a variety of climate models, the researches predict incessant Mediterranean summer drying until the end of the 21st century, associated with a continuation of fading Spanish, French and Italian truffle harvests," they said.

Related: Get set for Lalbenque truffle market

Trooping the grapes at Les Domaine des Sangliers

AFTER passing an innocuous signpost near a small hamlet called Loupiac, in the Lot, I am en route for Les Domaine des Sangliers, vignoble biologique, in the Cahors valley, south west France.

Veering past a red rock face, upward through a leafy canopy to a hilltop driveway which opens out on to ten cars, several vans and mobile homes, writes Carol Miers.

I can see another sign to ensure there is no mistake, and as I walk toward some building works, I see a farmhouse and an open garage complete with grape picking troughs.

What I already know is that all hands are needed for the annual vendange, which will be a few days of grape picking at Kim and Lisa Stanton's organic vineyard.

Beneath the chestnut trees at harvest time

BENEATH the wide canopy of the chestnut trees are spread fine nets scattered with shells and nuts waiting to be collected.

It is a busy time in this corner of the Dordogne for the chestnut growers as they sprint out to collect the nuts between rain showers and strong winds.

Our job for the afternoon was to grab a corner of the nets and pull them across to the other side to gather together all the chestnuts, and then do the same from the other side of the net.