Tainted pork is not from China. This time a food problem is Ireland’s doing.

by Jamie Rhein on

As the problem with tainted milk from China fades into old news of foods we shouldn’t eat– like White Rabbit milk candy, a new food concern has appeared.

The latest is Irish pork tainted with dioxin. Dioxin, a chemical known to cause cancer and other health problems, ended up in pork in Ireland from contaminated feed. It didn’t end up in all feed in Ireland. Thus, dioxin didn’t end up in all pigs. If you follow that thread, you’ll conclude that the dioxin didn’t end up in all pork either.

It did appear in enough Irish pork to cause alarm. As a result, Irish pork has been pulled from grocery store shelves–not only in Ireland, but in France and Great Britain as well. According to this New York Times article, the pork could be in 20 to 25 countries. If you’re in Ireland in a restaurant and are craving bacon, sausage, a pork meat pie, or anything else like that, there will be no pork for you. Restaurants aren’t serving it either.

The tainted pork problem should be cleared up soon and Irish pork will be back on the shelves. Even if you did eat Irish pork tainted with dioxin, you’d have to eat a lot of it over a long period of time for damage to occur.

Perhaps this latest food recall is more about letting consumers know that there are people in the food industry who are actually paying attention to what happens to what we eat before we put it in our mouths.

Photo of the Day (12.05.08)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

This shot from flickr user Theodore Scott was taken in beautiful Rhossili, Wales, a town which Wikipedia tells me derives its name from the Welsh word for moorland, “rhos.” Use that fact tonight to woo women and impress your friends.

Got a photo you want considered for Photo of the Day? Submit your best shots here.

Photo of the Day (11.29.08)

by Anna Brones on


After a few hectic days of family, traveling and lots of eating, I thought many of us would enjoy a calming photo such as this one. Taken in Brecon Beacons, Wales by Theodore Scott this photo captures the peacefulness of the rolling hills and clouds, giving us a very relaxing image. I also like the rock wall that draws our eye in and pulls it back into the distance, far down the fields; great perspective!

Do you have an excellent travel shot? Submit it to our Gadling Flickr pool to be considered for Photo of the Day.

The sounds of travel 11: Liverpool

by Annie Scott on

Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs. Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the comments below and we’ll post it at the end of the series.

If you’re going to England, you really ought to make a stop in Liverpool. There’s a Tate Museum (with a terrific Auerbach I particularly like), Albert Dock, from whence The Titanic departed, and a music scene you’ll never forget.

The Beatles aren’t the only band to come out of Liverpool. Here’s a list of twelve Liverpool bands from the BBC, which even they confess is “by no means an exhaustive list.” Every one has played the famous Cavern Club, which is a great place to visit, even just for a pint in the afternoon.

If you’re into new music, you’re also in luck. Not only does Liverpool continue to encourage new artists through its music-rich history and welcoming clubs, but there’s also a school there called the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, which was started by Sir Paul McCartney in 1996. LIPA is farming out fresh talent to all over Europe and beyond. You can catch the students at their very own Paul McCartney Auditorium or at the local bars and clubs like The Magnet and Bar Hannah.

Beatles tourism in Liverpool is pretty commercialized, but don’t miss The Magical Mystery Tour, which is conducted by childhood friends of The Beatles themselves. They’ll have all kinds of tidbits for you, for example: Did you know that “Norweigan Wood” was originally titled “Knowing She Would,” and they changed it for the censors?

Have a listen above; it’s sure to give you a smile.

Click here for previous Sounds of Travel.