We’re all still savages for bacon and cabbage, apparently

The Irish food industry may be undergoing a culinary revolution of tastes and flavours, yet the latest research shows we are still savages for bacon and cabbage.

Research from Bord Bia on what people consider the country's tastiest traditional meal shows 64 per cent of Irish people would choose a dinner of bacon and cabbage, with three out of 10 people claiming to crave the dish while travelling abroad.

The online survey, which was carried out by RedC Research & Marketing on behalf of Bord Bia through interviews with over 1,000 Irish adults, found 54 per cent of Irish people plan to prepare a meal of bacon and cabbage to celebrate this year’s St Patrick’s day.

Speaking at the launch of the Bord Bia Ham and Bacon campaign, Teresa Brophy, Bord Bia consumer and trade marketing manager, said the latest Kantar Worldpanel report carried out in January 2015 found Irish households spend €196 million annually on bacon, with 95 per cent of households regularly buying the meat.

Also speaking at the launch, chef Catherine Fulvio encouraged cabbage lovers to be imaginative with their cooking and branch out when preparing a traditional Irish feed.

“Everyone loves a traditional home-cooked meal, like mammy used to make,” said Ms Fulvio. “There is something so comforting about bacon and cabbage served with lots of fluffy potatoes.”

Ms Brophy encouraged consumers to choose products with the Bord Bia quality mark to ensure high quality food that could be traced back to the farm where it was produced.

Last week, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced a rise of 8 per cent in the number of complaints from consumers about food quality and food premises.

The FSAI said the increase in complaints reflects the growing awareness among consumers of the need to report poor hygiene practices. The authority added that consumers have become more likely to investigate food items’ nutrient content to ensure they purchase the highest quality produce available.

“Consumers have become more vigilant in recent years and are now much more likely to report poor hygiene or food safety standards that they encounter,” said Edel Smyth, information manager with the FSAI. “People are looking at ingredients and use-by-dates more often than before and are becoming more food conscious.”