Why I live in fear of rapeseed oil . . .
I AM certainly not a fan of the yellow peril, rapeseed, or its oil (Mail). If I ingest even a minute amount of it, I could suffer anaphylactic shock — an extreme and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. When my throat and lips start to swell, I feel as if I am choking and have chest pains. If symptoms continue for more than a few minutes, then using an EpiPen — an injection that contains epinephrine, which opens airways in the lungs — or calling an ambulance is the next course of action. Even the flowers of this crop growing in fields can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as losing my voice, watering eyes, sneezing and coughing. I can smell it before I see it — sometimes up to a mile away. I live in fear of ingesting rapeseed oil because it is used in so many supermarket foods — ready meals, soup, bread, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, crisps and sweets — and can even be wrongly labelled as olive oil. It is a nightmare to eat out. Often, the only thing on the menu I can order is a jacket potato with butter or beans. In order to avoid having to buy food that might contain rapeseed oil, I grow organic food on my allotment.
CAROL NEWBOULD, Otley, W. Yorks. THE fields full of rapeseed in flower do look pretty — from a distance. But if like me you are unfortunate enough to suffer with asthma, hayfever and pulmonary fibrosis, which means I have to use oxygen, it is not such a wonderful crop. I live opposite a farm and during the flowering season I can’t even open my windows. I understand this is a big cash crop for farmers and they have to earn a living, but I wish scientists could make it possible to produce rapeseed without the chemicals that cause breathing difficulties in susceptible people. Like writer Stephen Moss, I would love it to be replaced by 50 shades of glorious green.
LYNNE WALKER, Sutton Coldfield, W. Mids. THANK heavens someone has spoken out about the health dangers in rapeseed pollen. In my area, cars, patio furniture and even inside windowsills have been covered with thick yellow dust for weeks. We are breathing it in all day. What is it doing to our lungs?
JOAN BALLAMS, Poole, Dorset.