Gold Award for our Blueberry Muesli

The Guild of Fine Foods has just announced that The Ludlow Nut Co's Blueberry Gourmet Muesli has been awarded a Gold Medal in this years Great Taste Awards.

SALSA Accreditation

The Ludlow Nut Co is delighted to announce that it has received SALSA accreditation.
The SALSA scheme is based upon the supplier’s self-assessment against the SALSA Standard followed by a formal audit by a professional SALSA approved local auditor.
Approval will only be granted to suppliers that demonstrate they are able to produce safe food and are committed to continually meeting the requirements of the Standard.
SALSA is a non-profit making joint venture between the four main trade associations that represent the UK Food Chain from farm to fork:-

The National Farmers Union (NFU)

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF)

The British Hospitality Association (BHA)

The British Retail Consortium (BRC)

The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) operate the SALSA throughout the UK.
SALSA is overseen by a governance committee made up of independent parties with mutual interests in local sourcing including the four main partners, Food from Britain, DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency.
The scheme is supported by DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency and is being welcomed by many of the UK’s leading retailer and foodservice buyers who require a robust food safety certification to support their local sourcing needs

Vegetarian Society Approval

The Ludlow Nut Co is delighted to announce that it has gained approval from the Vegetarian Society for 53 of its products included in our Nut, Dried Fruit & Seed range, as well as our Gourmet Muesli & Porridge range.

Extract from an article in The Times February 9th 2008 "Food for Life" supplement.

Is your diet making you stressed?
Nutritionist Juliette Kellow picks the foods to help you stay calm, cool and collected.

Nuts & Seeds

Nuts and seeds are packed with stress-busting vitamins and minerals. In particular, they're a rich source of magnesium. This mineral relaxes muscles, prevents an irregular heartbeat and promotes sleep. Plus nuts and seeds contain a range of B vitamins, which work together to keep the nerve and brain cells healthy. Levels of B vitamins can quickly be depleted in stressful situations, so it's important to top up levels.

Superfoods come to The Ludlow Nut Co

We now selling organically certified:-

Maca Powder
Wheatgrass Powder
Barleygrass Powder
Spirulina Powder
Cacao Nibs
Hemp Seed
and non-organic Goji Berries


Ludlow Nut Co's owner Helen Brassington says "We are really pleased to have secured supplies of such highly regarded health food supplements and we feel that these products blend nicely with our core business of nuts, dried fruits, seeds and our own hand-mixed range of Gourmet Muesli & Porridge mixes".

Extract from an article published in the Yorkshire Post 24th May 2007 about The Lakeside Hotel, Windermere

The other joyous thing in the early morning was the breakfast menu; in particular a fruit compote which was vibrant with nutrition and energising sweetness.

Executive chef Duncan Collinge handed over the recipe without a whimper (unlike some coy cooks with their "secret" ingredients). Duncan suggests quartering the quantities given below to serve a family for several days.

His catering size recipe is: 2kg dried fruit salad, 2kg dried fruit and nut mix, 8 pints of water, 4 lemons juiced, 800g brown sugar, 8 Earl Grey teabags, 4 oranges halved. Bring the liquids, sugar, tea bags and oranges to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Pass through a sieve over the fruit and nuts. Allow to soak for 24 hours before serving. (The Ludlow Nut Company www.ludlownutco.co.uk can supply the dried fruit) .

Daily Telegraph article 6th September 2006

Eating nuts 'cuts risk of heart attacks'

Eating nuts about twice a week can decrease the risk of developing heart disease by a significant amount, doctors were told yesterday. Only two servings a week of eight grams of nuts, enough to cover a small plate, can reduce the risk by as much as 11 per cent, according to a study presented to the World Congress of Cardiology. Almonds, walnuts, cashews and brazil nuts were included in the study, as well as peanuts, which are legumes.Nuts are great for the heart The largest study ever conducted on the relationship between nut intake and heart health, based on European data, has confirmed that regularly eating nuts can help reduce risk of coronary heart disease. The researchers identified that nearly half of Europeans rarely consume nuts, yet an intake of just two servings of nuts per week, where each serving is about a handful (30 g) may reduce risk of death from CHD by 11%. These new results, presented at this year’s World Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain, provide increased validity for the health benefits of nuts. Prof Elio Riboli, professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College, London, the UK arm of the research team said: “The important thing is that very modest consumption is associated with protection. A small plate of nuts with a glass of wine would be a healthy amount. A classic aperitif accompanied by a dish of nuts at least twice a week would be an ideal combination”. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) study was designed to investigate the relationship between diet, nutritional status, lifestyle and incidence of cancer and heart disease across ten European countries, including the UK. Dietary and lifestyle information, including nut consumption was collected from nearly 400,000 people between 1993 and 1999. Surprisingly, eating a small amount of nuts five days a week led to only minimal weight gain, another survey showed.

BBC News Item 10th October 2006

Walnuts 'combat unhealthy fats'

Eating walnuts at the end of a meal may help cut the damage that fatty food can do to the arteries, research suggests. It is thought that the nuts are rich in compounds that reduce hardening of the arteries, and keep them flexible. A team from Barcelona's Hospital Clinico recommend eating around eight walnuts a day. The study, which appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, also showed walnuts had more health benefits than olive oil. The protective fat from walnuts actually undoes some of the detrimental effects of a high-saturated-fat diet Professor Robert Vogel The researchers recruited 24 adults, half with normal cholesterol levels, and half with levels that were moderately high to the research, which was partly funded by the California Walnut Commission. Each was given two high-fat salami and cheese meals, eaten one week apart. For one meal, the researchers added five teaspoons of olive oil. For the other, they added eight shelled walnuts. Tests showed that both the olive oil and the walnuts helped to reduce the sudden onset of harmful inflammation and oxidation in arteries that follows a meal high in saturated fat. Over time, this is thought to cause the arteries to start to harden - and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, unlike olive oil, adding walnuts also helped preserve the elasticity and flexibility of the arteries, regardless of cholesterol level. Arteries that are elastic can expand when needed to increase blood flow. Lead researcher Dr Emilio Ros said eating high fat meals disrupted production of nitric oxide by the inner lining of the arteries, a chemical needed to keep blood vessels flexible. Key chemical Walnuts contain arginine, an amino acid used by the body to produce nitric oxide. The nuts also contain antioxidants and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with health giving properties. Dr Ros is starting a new trial to see whether the ALA in walnuts can help people with abnormal heart rhythms. He warned against people assuming they can eat what they like so long as they accompany it with walnuts. "Instead, they should consider making walnuts part of a healthy diet that limits saturated fats." Professor Robert Vogel, of University of Maryland in Baltimore, said: "This demonstrates that the protective fat from walnuts actually undoes some of the detrimental effects of a high-saturated-fat diet, whereas a neutral fat, such as olive oil, does not have as much protective ability. "This raises a very interesting issue because many people who eat a Mediterranean diet believe the olive oil is providing the benefits. "But this research and other data indicate that's not true. "There are probably other factors in the diet, including that it is a relatively rich source of nuts. "This is not to say that olive oil is bad, but it's not the key protective factor in the Mediterranean diet." Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/6036409.stm Published: 2006/10/10 09:38:33 GMT © BBC MMVI

Extract from an article in The Sun Newspaper 3rd May 2007

The darling nuts of May

Nuts ... they could keep you fit all year

GO nuts for nuts – they have so many health benefits you should munch a handful every day.
This week scientists announced that 1.5oz of pistachios every day reduced cholesterol levels in just a month. And with 3oz, unhealthy blood fats dropped 12 per cent, according to the US study.
Macadamias were shown to have similar heart-healthy effects, despite their high fat content and calories.
A study last year revealed that 13g of mixed nuts each day could cut your risk of heart attack by 30 per cent thanks to Omega-3 and monounsaturated fats.
Our guide by ANDREA HAMMETT tells how nuts can help your heart, prevent dementia and save your skin. Check how many calories they contain — and which ones not to tuck into.

PISTACHIOS

THE secret to their health success is an antioxidant called lutein, which is also found in green leafy vegetables and brightly coloured fruits.
Pistachios are top of the crop when it comes to lutein, containing more of the essential nutrient than any other nut.
It helps reduce the build up of lousy low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your arteries. Cholesterol can harden arteries, which is one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 280 per 50g (about 2oz).

MACADAMIAS

Macadamia nuts get top marks for their monounsaturated fat content — making them heart heroes.
They contain 85 per cent monounsaturated fat compared to 70 per cent in cure-all olive oil.
In the Pennsylvania study, participants enjoyed a similar lowering of cholesterol as those who ate pistachios.
Macadamia nuts have a good mix of Omega-3, 6 and 9 fats — important for healthy hormone balance and brain function.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 390 per 50g.

WALNUTS

These are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which help lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol.
But walnuts have an added heart-protecting weapon — an amino acid called arginine.
Greasy foods clog and harden arteries but arginine is used by the body to make nitric acid, which helps keep arteries flexible.
Walnuts are also a good source of folic acid, important for pregnant women because it can help prevent defects such as spina bifida.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 345 per 50g.

ALMONDS

A handful of almonds every day could slash your heart disease risk because of cholesterol-lowering omega-3 oils and plant sterols.
A Canadian trial found men and women who ate an ounce a day lowered their LDL cholesterol nearly three per cent. And for every one per cent drop in cholesterol, there is a two per cent drop in the risk of heart disease. Almonds are a great source of antioxidant vitamin E, said to help reduce the chance of mental decline and dementia.
They’re also the nut with the most protein.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 305 per 50g.

BRAZILS

Packed with the antioxidant selenium, Brazil nuts help support your immune system. Just two or three a day should give you all you need.
Selenium is also believed to help men to maintain a healthy prostate.
And zinc in the nuts is vital for a healthy sperm count.
So tell your other half to get cracking, or give him a box of chocolate-covered Brazils.
The layer of dark chocolate delivers heart-healthy flavonoids.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 343 per 50g.

CASHEWS

Cashews are great for bone health because they are rich in calcium, copper, magnesium and iron — all important bone- building minerals.
Magnesium is also important for heart health and cashews contain the most of all nuts — 77mg per 50g serving.
They also have less total fat than most other nuts, so are lower in calories. And three-quarters of the fat they contain is in the form of oleic acid — the same healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 280 per 50g.

PEANUTS

Allergy scares may have pushed the humble peanut out of favour a little, but it is still the most commonly eaten nut in the country.
And for good reason — it’s a good source of protein as well as vitamins B1, B6 and niacin, which is important for the health of the central nervous system.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 310 per 50g.
One in 70 children are allergic to peanuts, causing breathing problems, a rash and swelling to the throat, but deaths are rare - about ten a year. If your child gets any of these symptoms, however mild, get them checked.

HAZELNUTS

Researchers at the University of Portland in Oregon found that hazelnuts contain a chemical similar to the active ingredient in an anti-cancer drug.
The scientists made the discovery while studying the tree’s resistance to a plant disease.
However, there probably isn’t enough of the chemical — called Paclitaxel — to have a significant anti-cancer effect just by eating normal quantities.
CALORIE DAMAGE: 360 per 50g.