Coming up for air…

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Cyprus Blog

It may seem like I’ve been gone for a while but I am still here and up to my usual daily goings-on at The Yum Company! The only difference is that I’ve been much busier of late and although I would love to say I’ve just returned from a restful and refreshing holiday, unfortunately for me that’s not the case. That’s the trouble with running a business – you sometimes feel that you’re swimming underwater and need to come up for air! And I figured it was about time…

Those of you who follow what I’m up to at The Yum Company may be aware that I’ve also been busy working on Green Cyprus, The Yum Company’s sister site. I wanted to have an outlet for all things green, organic and eco-friendly covering aspects which stretched beyond the boundaries of food, and so setting up a site to cater for the broader audience seemed like a good thing to do. And that’s why I’ve been busier lately – not just preparing meals, but lots of new content for the Green Cyprus site too!

 

Being a good sister, Green Cyprus also carries news about The Yum Company and vice versa! It’s good to see that many Yum Company followers are now following Green Cyprus too.

 

Back at The Yum Company, life has as usual been pretty hectic and anyone running their own company will identify with this. As we approach the summer and business tends to slow down here in Cyprus, I am looking forward to finding some time to devote to working on some new aspects of the business including the addition of some new recipes to the range. I’ve had that on my to-do list for ages but there always seems to be many other diversions.

 

Developing new recipes may seem like an obvious thing to do and you may wonder why it can take so long to implement. The fact is, it’s a costly exercise. Not only do you have the new packaging costs and sourcing of new organic ingredients – but also nutritional analysis and shelf-life testing for each new addition to the range.

 

Then you have the distribution issue. At the moment, we’re still small and looking for other suitable outlets to place our meals and this takes time as you have to battle through the various organisational layers in the supermarkets! Then there’s all the associated costs with them actually allowing you to place the products on their shelves which can be prohibitive and indeed was for us with one major chain.

 

Fairly recently, some of you may recall that we were about to launch our new organic houmous. It tastes absolutely delicious and we were flooded with compliments when we sampled it at an event but the supermarket in question would not stock it. They explained their reasons but nevertheless, it was disappointing. However, our houmous is waiting in the wings. We hope that once the business grows, we will find an outlet for that too but as you can see, it’s not an easy road!

 

Moving onto a different but food-related subject, I would like to remind readers once again about the importance of avoiding chemical toxins in food. On the Green Cyprus site I recently posted an article about the dangers of 10 widely used chemicals and mixtures of chemicals including lead, methylmercury, organochlorine pesticides, endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol-A and phthalates, exhaust fumes, and flame retardants. You can read more about this and their effects on the developing brain on my site but I wanted to re-iterate once again, the importance of eating organic, unadulterated food since, because as we have come to expect, pesticides are once again implicated in this recent study.

 

The message is clear and as we have access to a fairly good variety of organic foods here in Cyprus we can certainly attempt to eliminate pesticides from our dinner plates. For further information about why you should eat organic, visit The Yum Company’s website 

 

Back at The Yum Company, as the week’s production schedule draws to a close, (and with Green Cyprus just about up and running) things have now calmed down a little… Finally there’s a chance to come up for some air and take a breather!

 

Autism’s Rising Rates Blamed on Toxic Chemicals

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Chat

 

10 widely used chemicals and mixtures of chemicals that are suspected of harming the developing brain, include lead, methylmercury, organochlorine pesticides, endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol-A and phthalates, automobile exhaust, and flame retardants. Chemicals such as these are blamed on the increase in rates of Autism. Based on research from the US, this article makes interesting reading because so many children these days including here in Cyprus, seem to be on ‘the autistic spectrum’. Reason enough to eliminate toxic chemicals from yours and your children’s lives… 

 

Outback Jack Eco-Friendly Insect Repellent Spray

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Cyprus Loves...

 

 

Eco-product spotted today: This organic eco-friendly insect repellent spray for kids on sale at Emily Pantela pharmacy, Limassol. The brand is Outback Jack by ecokid, especially for kids although I’m sure adults can use it too. It is of course, DEET-free. Priced at 13.80 euros, it should last the summer. Definitely a Green Cyprus recommendation!

Oats So Easy…

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Talk About Food

Oats are well documented as being beneficial to your health. They contain a form of fibre called beta-glucan which has the ability to reduce cholesterol, cutting the risk of strokes and heart disease as well as stabilising blood sugar. Other compounds in oats protect the heart and lungs, reduce the risk of cancer and increase the body’s ability to fight of infections. Serving suggestion: Try making porridge using organic oats and organic chocolate rice milk and add chopped berries e.g. cranberries and raspberries or strawberries. You have to try this – it tastes amazing and is a sure way to give your kids a healthy breakfast too!

How to circumvent the cabbies and the buses

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Chat

 A welcome new green concept in Cyprus – carpooling. You can find details about Taksidi.org in our Green Directory.

 

Give Up Non-Stick Cookware

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Cyprus Blog, Green Tips

Give up non-stick cookware. Did you know that non-stick pots and pans are coated with certain toxic chemicals which may cause health problems, particularly when they are heated to high temperatures? Fumes are strong enough to cause polymer-fume fever, a temporary flu-like condition marked by chills, headache, and fever. Adults will survive this exposure but they are dangerous for the health of children and pet birds have been known to die from exposure to these fumes. The two chemicals found in non-stick cookware are PFOA and PFOS. PFOA is being phased out in the US due to the associated dangers. Be in the know; choose stainless steel or cast iron cookware instead!

Cyprus has its work cut out on green issues

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Chat

SECRETARY-General of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Jeremy Wates, said yesterday the Cypriot EU presidency was facing a real challenge in leading the bloc to renew its commitment to sustainable development.

It’s all about priorities and here at Green Cyprus we strongly believe this movement needs a lot more commitment and urgent prioritisation. We are sure that most people would welcome the enforcement of green measures and favour eco-friendlier solutions e.g. power, if more options were available.

Read some of the comments after this article too. People are interested and the knowledge is there. No doubt about it, green’s the way to go and we’re hoping to help pave the way!!

An interview with Korres co-founder: Lena Korres

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Chat

 

An inspiring article from The Ecologist talking to Lena Korres about leading Greek natural and organic beauty brand Korres. Korres is available at pharmacies and other outlets across Cyprus.

Conscious Handmade Raw Chocolate

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Cyprus Loves...

 

Organic, ethical raw chocolate! Available at Organic Fusion Boutique….

CONSCIOUS CHOCOLATES – RAW

Health benefits
Organic raw cacao is the primary source of the ALKALOID Theobromine (the botanical name Theobroma cacao literally means ‘food of the gods’); it also contains high levels of the
FLAVONOIDS catechin and epicatechin, which are ANTIOXIDANTS. There is a plethora of information relating to scientific and medical research regarding the health benefits of these substances as well as their therapeutic applications.

Ordinarily these substances, along with other essential vitamins and minerals are broken down by a heating processes. Fortunately Conscious Chocolate’s organic, raw ingredients are all sourced as unheated or sun-dried RETAINING ALL the BENEFICIAL properties of the cacao bean.

A new sister and not a baby in sight!

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Green Cyprus Blog

The one thing that still surprises me a little about Cyprus is how much better we could be in the organic sector and about green matters in general. We have the benefit of an excellent setting for the production of organic foods but it still remains to be exploited.

This may be attributed to the lack of adequate research, education and financial support to encourage farmers to produce organically, as well as the desire for quick profit on the part of most farmers. But I believe there are economic opportunities staring us in the face even as we battle through economic difficulties, but little is being done to promote something that would be great for us and the island.  
 
When I set up The Yum Company I decided from the offset that I would produce organically and because there’s not very much in the way of organic raw materials available, it was a struggle in the beginning to source regular organic ingredients. It has got better but it could be a whole lot better – and that’s not just for me as a manufacturer but for consumers on the whole. It’s not just about the availability of organic products, it’s the prices too which remain on the whole, rather high.
 
Whether things will improve in the near future, it remains to be seen. With the lack of farming subsidies and education on these matters that we have mentioned, as well as the current economic climate, it seems that for now at least, it’s not a priority on our economic agenda.
 
It’s not surprising to hear then that Cyprus stills ranks among the lowest in the EU-27 ranking of area under organic production. Undoubtedly, there’s room for improvement. More in the way of promoting the organic food industry as well as green issues in general too – it all goes hand in hand. I a believer in what I’ve said many times before; green’s the way to go. It’ll be good for the country.
 
And perhaps this is what has inspired me to introduce my new site Green Cyprus, a new ‘sister’ site for The Yum Company! Green Cyprus  is a way of bringing together everything organic, green and eco-friendly in Cyprus under one roof. I wanted to find a way to share the sources of information we have with residents and visitors to the island – a kind of showcase for all things organic and green that we’re good at. And before you ask, of course The Yum Company’s meals are featured on the site too!
 
From regular up-to-date news and articles to a directory of organisations providing green products or services, I am striving to make Green Cyprus, the island’s most comprehensive green guide. In Cyprus, despite our poor organic record, you can still find a good variety of organic food and wine, stay in an eco-hotel, enjoy an organic health spa and participate in green activities.
 
Green Cyprus is for everyone interested in eating organically, living a cleaner, greener lifestyle and those who care about their environment. I am currently busy working on more content which will include a green products & services directory, a regular blog featuring discussions on all things organic & green (which you can of course, still continue to read on Cyprus News Report), green chat, with informative articles in the press and green kids, offering your children an insight into being green. Soon there will be an on-line shop too offering some great green products!
 
If you or anyone you know is in the organic or green business and would like to be featured on the site and included in the Green Directory, please email me at [email protected]
 
I hope that the site will become a one-stop-shop which will help promote local organisations and assist consumers in finding what they’re looking for if it’s related to organic or green matters in Cyprus.
 
For now, there’s still more work to be done – more work on the site and more Yum Company meals to cook. It’s a busy life but I hope what I am doing will at least be one small contribution in helping to promote the organic industry we do have together with providing more accessibility to a green life in Cyprus.