Paws off our pasties
Cornish fury as NHS ‘nannies’ try to get them cased in lower fat filo pastry
THEY are the traditional miner’s lunch that are now loved worldwide.
But Cornish pasties have fallen foul of the nanny state – with health campaigners saying they aren’t worth the calories.
NHS bosses want to replace the traditional shortcrust or rough puff pastry with a lowerfat casing such as filo or pasta.
Jill Venables, managing director of Cornwall Food and head of facilities and contracts at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, says people should be offered healthier alternatives to classic favourites.
But she was accused of ‘nannying’ and trying to interfere with a 500-year- old recipe that has won protected status so it cannot be tampered with.
Speaking at Public Health England’s annual conference this week, Miss Venables said: ‘Everybody loves a Cornish pasty and that will traditionally go on.
‘But to offer something to somebody who may like the taste of a Cornish pasty but does not want all of the calories and fat content, that is the challenge.
‘Cornish people will probably throw me out of Cornwall but I’m working on a few recipes, using a few alternative things to shortcrust pastry, such as filo or pasta. Our aim is to encourage customers to choose healthier options.
‘Some people eat a Cornish pasty three times a day.’
Traditionally produced as an allin-one meal for Cornish tin miners, pasties are typically made from beef skirt, potato and swede, surrounded by a thick layer of pastry crimped at the edges.
A large pasty typically contains around 775 calories and 45g of fat – 21g of it saturated. Using filo pastry could potentially halve the fat content.
But traditionalists say the food, which won protected status from the European Commission in 2011, should never be tinkered with.
Marion Symonds, owner of Portreath Bakery, said: ‘It’s crazy. It will never happen. You can’t bake filo for an hour without it burning, and a pasty takes an hour to bake.’
The Cornish Pasty Association said: ‘Part of the reason the Cornish pasty became so popular is because it can be regarded as a simple, complete, nutritious meal.
‘We see no reason why Cornish pasties can’t still be enjoyed by anyone as part of a healthy, balanced diet, particularly as pastymakers have responded to varying appetites by introducing a wide range of sizes and are always looking at ways of improving products to meet healthy eating guidelines.’
Tourist chiefs said it was wrong to interfere with traditions and suggested the idea would not take off. Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall, said: ‘I for one will be sticking to the good oldfashioned shortcrust pasties as part of a well-balanced diet.
‘Most of us are clever enough to make our own decisions about what we eat – we don’t need the nannying NHS to nag us.
‘The Cornish staples have always been nice, chunky pasties and cream teas – and I can’t see that changing any time soon.’
With around two-thirds of adults and more than half of children in the UK rated overweight or obese, nutritionists are seeking to allow people to enjoy their favourite meals without eating so much fat.
Some NHS hospitals are already serving lightly crumbed baked fish instead of battered cod, and oven chips that are brushed in oil rather than deep-fried.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals said: ‘It is important for us to offer patients, staff and visitors wellbalanced, tasty and nutritious food. In response to requests we’ve had, we are introducing lower fat, lower salt and lower calorie alternatives alongside some of our traditional dishes.’