Search

A late start, then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> Some 50 years ago, on March 1 1975, Australian television stations officially moved to colour. Networks celebrated the day, known as “<a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/c-day-and-the-colour-monster-national-archives-of-australia/LAWRcgnnNY1cKA?hl=en">C-Day</a>”, with unique slogans such as “come to colour” (ABC TV), “Seven colours your world” (Seven Network), “living colour” (Nine Network) and “first in colour” (<a href="https://televisionau.com/feature-articles/network-ten">0-10 Network</a>, which later became Network Ten). The ABC, Seven and Nine networks also updated their logos to incorporate colour. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7gZdYVZJNc?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> For most viewers, however, nothing looked much different. The majority owned a black and white TV, while a coloured broadcast required a colour TV set. Advertisers were initially reluctant to accept the change, which required them to re-shoot black and white commercials with colour stock at a significantly higher cost. Many reasoned viewers were still watching the ads in black and white. And initially this assumption was correct. But by nine months later, 17% of Australian homes <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110829595?searchTerm=colour%20television%20in%20australia%201975">had a colour receiver</a>. This rose to 31% by July 1976. By 1978, 64% of Melbourne and 70% of Sydney households owned colour TV sets, making Australia one of the world’s fastest adopters of colour TV. According to the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations (FACTS) annual report for 1975–76, colour TV increased overall viewership by 5%, with people watching for longer periods. The 1976 Montreal Olympics also led to an <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/96836-olympic-games-coverage-colour">increase in TV sales</a>, with the colour broadcast shared between the ABC, Seven and Nine. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L-75iIoshak?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Highlights from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games marathon event.</figcaption></figure> <h2>A late start</h2> With the United States introducing colour TV from 1954, it’s peculiar that Australia took so long to make the transition – especially since conversations about this had been underway since the 1960s. In 1965, a report outlining the process and economic considerations of transitioning to colour was tabled in parliament. Feedback from the US highlighted problems around broader acceptance in the marketplace. Colour TV sets were expensive and most programs were still being shot in black and white, despite the availability of colour. Networks were the most hesitant (even though they’d go on to become one of the most major benefactors). In 1969, it was <a href="https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/colour-tv-introduced/">estimated transitioning to colour</a> would cost the ABC A$46 million (the equivalent of $265,709,944 today) over six years. The federal government, led by then prime minister Robert Menzies, decided to take a cautious approach to the transition – allowing manufacturers, broadcasters and the public time to prepare. The first colour “test” broadcast took place on June 15 1967, with <a href="https://televisionau.com/2025/03/tv-50-years-in-colour.html">live coverage</a> of a Pakenham country horse racing event in Victoria (although few people would have had coloured TV sets at this point). Other TV shows also tested broadcasting in colour between 1972 and 1974, with limited colour telecasts aired from mid-1974. It wasn’t until March 1975 that colour TV was being transmitted permanently. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIqqiK4ncfs?wmode=transparent&start=40" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>‘Aunty Jack Introduces Colour’ was a one-off television special of The Aunty Jack Show, broadcast on the ABC on February 28 1975.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The cinema industry panics</h2> <a href="https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/vietnam-war-1962-1975/events/withdrawal-from-1971">Australia’s involvement</a> in the Vietnam War created further urgency to televise in colour. With the war ending in April 1975, Australians watched the last moments in colour. Other significant events broadcast in colour that year included the December federal election, in which Malcolm Fraser defeated Gough Whitlam after the latter was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXq056TJhU4">dramatically dismissed</a> as prime minister on November 11. With the public’s growing interest in colour TV, local manufacturers began lobbying for higher tariffs on imports to encourage domestic colour TV production. In the mid 1970s, a new colour set in Australia cost between $1,000 and $1,300, while the average full-time annual income was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6302.0Main+Features1Sep%201975?OpenDocument=">around $8,000</a>. Still in the throes of a financial recession, customers began seeking out illegally-imported colour TV sets – which were appearing at car boot markets across the country. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wTKMqPg4hM8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>British childrens show The Wombles came to Australian screens shortly after colour TV was introduced.</figcaption></figure> The government also created an advertising campaign warning the public of scammers who would offer to convert black-and-white TVs to colour. These door-to-door “salesmen” <a href="https://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/instant_color_tv#google_vignette">claimed to have</a> a special screen which, when placed over a TV, would magically turn it colourful. By 1972, the estimated cost of upgrading broadcasting technology to colour <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/colour-tv-part-1">had reached $116 million</a>. The cinema industry, in a panic, even questioned whether colour TV could damage a viewer’s eyesight. The industry had previously suffered huge losses in cinema attendance with the introduction of black-and-white TV from 1956. Cinemas had a monopoly on colour and were petrified over what the introduction of colour to television could do to their attendances. Such fears were founded. In 1974 Australia had 68 million admissions to the cinema. By 1976, there were just 28.9 million admissions. Never again would yearly cinema admissions reach <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/historical-admissions">above 40 million</a>. But despite the complaints – from the cinema industry, advertisers, broadcasters and manufacturers – audiences were ready for colour. And any network that dared to program in black and white would subject itself to a barrage of annoyed viewers. Colour TV was here to stay.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/251363/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-gaunson-265553">Stephen Gaunson</a>, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-late-start-then-a-big-boom-why-it-took-until-1975-for-australians-to-finally-watch-tv-in-colour-251363">original article</a>. Image: Youtube/Austvarchive </div>

Are eggs good or bad for our health?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karly-bartrim-2317677">Karly Bartrim</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161868/">again</a>, and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7400894/">again</a>, and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10304460/">again</a> – largely debunking the claim. A <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/2/323">new study</a> suggests that, among older adults, eating eggs supports heart health and even reduces the risk of premature death. Let’s unpack the details. <h2>What was the study?</h2> Researchers examined data from a large, ongoing study that is following older adults and tracking their health (the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/48/4/1048/5280817">ASPREE study</a>). In their analysis of more than 8,000 people, they examined the foods people usually eat and then looked at how many participants died over a six-year period and from what causes, using medical records and official reports. Researchers collected information on their diet through a food questionnaire, which included a question about how frequently participants ate eggs in the past year: <ul> <li>never/infrequently (rarely or never, 1–2 times per month)</li> <li>weekly (1–6 times per week)</li> <li>daily (daily or several times per day).</li> </ul> Overall, people who consumed eggs 1–6 times per week had the lowest risk of death during the study period (29% lower for heart disease deaths and 17% lower for overall deaths) compared to those who rarely or never ate eggs. Eating eggs daily did not increase the risk of death either. <h2>How reputable is the study?</h2> The research was published in a peer-reviewed journal, meaning this work has been examined by other researchers and is considered reputable and defensible. In the analysis, factors such as socioeconomic, demographic, health-related and clinical factors, and overall dietary quality were “adjusted” for, as these factors can play a role in disease and the risk of early death. Researchers received funding from a variety of national funding grants in the United States and Australia, with no links to commercial sources. <h2>What are the limitations of this study?</h2> Due to the type of study, it only explored egg consumption patterns, which participants self-reported. The researchers didn’t collect data about the type of egg (for example, chicken or quail), how it was prepared, or how many eggs are consumed when eaten. This analysis specifically looked for an association or link between egg consumption and death. Additional analyses are needed to understand how egg consumption may affect other aspects of health and wellbeing. Lastly, the population sample of older adults were relatively healthy, limiting how much findings can be applied to older adults with special needs or medical conditions. <h2>What is ASPREE?</h2> <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/48/4/1048/5280817">ASPREE</a> (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) is an ongoing, large, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving more 19,000 participants in Australia and the US. This means some people in the trial were given an intervention and others weren’t but neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received the “placebo”, or dummy treatment. ASPREE started in 2010 to investigate whether low-dose aspirin (100 micrograms daily) could help prolong older adults’ health and lifespan, specifically by preventing heart disease and stroke. The <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1803955">first findings</a> were published in 2018. One of the fundamental conclusions of the ASPREE trial was there was no benefit from taking aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease (heart disease or stroke). ASPREE is still ongoing as a longitudinal study, which means it provides information on other aspects of healthy living and long-term outcomes in older adults – in this case, the link between egg intake and the chance of death. <h2>Why the focus on eggs?</h2> Eggs are a good source of protein, and contain B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), choline, and minerals. The fuss over eggs comes down to their cholesterol content and how it relates to heart disease risk. A large egg yolk contains approximately <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0828-282X(10)70456-6">275 mg of cholesterol</a> — near the recommended daily limit of cholesterol intake. In the past, medical professionals <a href="https://onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(10)70456-6/abstract">warned</a> that eating cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs could raise blood cholesterol and increase heart disease risk. But newer research shows the body doesn’t absorb dietary cholesterol <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/9/1272">well</a>, so dietary cholesterol <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161868/">doesn’t have a major effect</a> on blood cholesterol levels. Rather, foods such as saturated and trans fats <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26268692/">play a major role</a> in cholesterol levels. Given these changing recommendations over time, and the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7228817/">nuances of nutrition science</a>, it’s understandable that research on eggs continues. <h2>What does this mean for me?</h2> Whether you prefer boiled, scrambled, poached, baked or fried, eggs provide a satisfying source of protein and other key nutrients. While the science is still out, there’s no reason to limit egg intake unless specifically advised by a recognised health professional such as an accredited practising dietitian. As always, moderation is key.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/249168/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karly-bartrim-2317677">Karly Bartrim</a>, Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-eggs-good-or-bad-for-our-health-249168">original article</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

What’s the difference between Hass and Shepard avocados? It’s not just the colour

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yasmine-probst-235268">Yasmine Probst</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karen-zoszak-1474727">Karen Zoszak</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Whether with crumbled feta or poached eggs, you’d be challenged to find a cafe in Australia or farther afield that doesn’t have avocado somewhere on the menu. This fruit (yep, it’s a fruit from a tree, not a vegetable) is widely associated with brunch culture and other trendy eating habits. The Australian avocado industry developed in the 1960s, 30 years after the start of the first large-scale <a href="https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Avocado-history.pdf">production in California</a>. Orchards producing avocados now span most parts of Australia. Avocados are considered a <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-makes-avocados-bad-for-the-environment-230571">monoculture crop</a>: they’re grown on the same land each year, making them more susceptible to pests and creating a need for increased fertiliser use. The carbon footprint of avos is almost twice as high as that of apples, but much lower than many animal food sources. There are now over 50 different avocado types globally, but only a few are grown commercially. <h2>Not all avos are the same</h2> You may not notice a difference when you get your avocado toast at a cafe. But at the shops or the market, a striking difference occurs each year in Australia. In autumn, the familiar dark purple Hass avocado disappears and is replaced with the lighter green Shepard variety. In Australia, this typically happens between February and May. If you don’t know the difference between the two, you may expect Shepard avos to perform the same way as Hass – and be left disappointed. There are some important differences. <h2>Hass avocados</h2> Hass avocados are known for their dark, pebbly-looking skin that appears almost black when ripe. They have an ovoid shape with a slight pear-like appearance. The thick skin can be a challenge to peel, often requiring a sharp knife or avocado slicer. Hass avocado flavour is rich, creamy and buttery, with nutty undertones. Their texture is ideal for mashing, blending and spreading, creating a creamy texture in dips, guacamole and smoothies. Hass avocados ripen – and darken in colour – slowly over several days. They remain firm to the touch when ripe, and will feel squishy when overripe. A slight give when pressed confirms Hass avos are ready to eat. Available in Australia from May to January, Hass are the dominant variety of commercially grown avocado worldwide. They were <a href="https://modernfarmer.com/2019/08/scientists-crack-the-genetic-code-of-the-hass-avacado/">cultivated by horticulturalist Rudolph Hass</a> in California in the 1920s. <h2>Shepard avocados</h2> Shepard avocados have smooth, green skin that remains green even when they are fully ripe. They are round to slightly oblong in shape and have a slightly milder and sweeter taste, with less pronounced nutty undertones. Shepard avocados ripen more quickly than Hass, but you won’t be able to tell that by the colour. Instead, check for softness – Shepard avocados are very soft when ripe. What might feel overripe when handling a Hass will likely be ideal ripeness if it’s a Shepard. The thin, smooth skin makes them easy to peel by hand or with a gentle squeeze. Their buttery soft texture is firm and creamy, and they hold their shape well when cut, making them ideal for slicing, dicing and spreading despite being structurally firm. Interestingly, Shepard avocados brown much more slowly than Hass, making them perfect for garnishes. Their milder flavour also makes Shepard avos well suited to sweet dishes, such as chocolate mousse. Shepard avos account for approximately 10–15% of Australian avocados and are in season from February to April each year while there is a gap in the Hass season. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-04-13/hass-avocados-more-popular-variety-shepard/102154678">Australia is the only country in the world</a> that grows Shepard avocados commercially. (They are grown in Queensland.) <h2>Avocados and our health</h2> As avocados contain <a href="https://afcd.foodstandards.gov.au/fooddetails.aspx?PFKID=F000162">roughly 13 grams of fat per 100g</a>, people <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-simple-food-choices-that-help-you-lose-weight-and-stay-healthy-112054">wishing to lose weight</a> were previously advised to avoid or limit eating them. We now know that a majority of this fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated (healthy) fat that helps to reduce cholesterol and improve <a href="https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-024-00915-7/tables/1">heart health</a>. Additionally, only 1% of an avocado is made up of carbohydrates, making the fruit popular with people following a ketogenic (keto) diet of low carbs and high fat. People who consume avos also tend to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9361124/">follow a better pattern of eating</a> in general. They eat more whole grains, fruit and vegetables and fewer discretionary or takeaway foods. As an energy-dense food, consuming a whole avocado is about the same as eating 2.5 whole apples. Per 100 grams, avocado actually gives you less energy than an equivalent amount of cooked white rice. As avocado dishes are visually appealing and often featured in food photography, they have become a symbol of modern eating habits. Correction: this article has been amended to clarify that most parts of Australia now have avocado orchards, and that avocados have roughly 13g of fat per 100g, not 53%.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233243/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yasmine-probst-235268">Yasmine Probst</a>, Professor, School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karen-zoszak-1474727">Karen Zoszak</a>, Accredited Practising Dietitian, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-hass-and-shepard-avocados-its-not-just-the-colour-233243">original article</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

Princess Kate makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis

The Princess of Wales has made her first public appearance in almost six months following her cancer diagnosis. Princess Kate, who was last seen in public at a church service on Christmas Day, underwent abdominal surgery in January and has been receiving chemotherapy since late February. The royal took part in Trooping the Colour on Saturday, after taking time away from royal duties, and left Buckingham Palace in a carriage with her children shortly before 11am local time to watch the parade. After the King's Birthday Parade, she appeared at the balcony alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and other members of the royal family. The family waved to the cheering crowd as they watched military aircrafts fly by to mark the monarch's official birthday. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Pt2DrN61b/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Pt2DrN61b/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a> </div> </blockquote> Princess Kate confirmed in a statement on Friday that she would be attending the King's Birthday Parade, as well as a few other public engagements over the summer. However, she also said that her treatment was "ongoing, and will be for a few more months". "On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home," she wrote in the statement on Friday. "I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. "Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal." King Charles, who is also being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, travelled in a carriage with Queen Camilla this year, instead of on horseback as he did last year. He has also been easing back into public duties, and just last week he attended commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Image: Ray Tang/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

With all this bird flu around, how safe are eggs, chicken or milk?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/enzo-palombo-249510">Enzo Palombo</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Recent outbreaks of bird flu – in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm">US dairy herds</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-06-04/third-victorian-poultry-farm-declares-outbreak-avian-influenza/103932694">poultry farms in Australia</a> and elsewhere, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-is-hitting-australian-poultry-farms-and-the-first-human-case-has-been-reported-in-victoria-heres-what-we-know-230691">isolated cases</a> <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/30/bird-flu-third-case-human-infection-caused-respiratory-symptoms/">in humans</a> – have raised the issue of food safety. So can the virus transfer from infected farm animals to contaminate milk, meat or eggs? How likely is this? And what do we need to think about to minimise our risk when shopping for or preparing food? <h2>How safe is milk?</h2> Bird flu (or avian influenza) is a bird disease caused by specific types of influenza virus. But the virus can also infect cows. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm">In the US</a>, for instance, to date more than 80 dairy herds in at least nine states have been infected with the H5N1 version of the virus. Investigations are <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock">under way</a> to confirm how this happened. But we do know infected birds can shed the virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces. So bird flu can potentially contaminate animal-derived food products during processing and manufacturing. Indeed, fragments of bird flu genetic material (RNA) were found in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bird-flu-virus-fragments-get-into-milk-sold-in-stores-and-what-the-spread-of-h5n1-in-cows-means-for-the-dairy-industry-and-milk-drinkers-228689">cow’s milk</a> from the dairy herds associated with <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/30/bird-flu-third-case-human-infection-caused-respiratory-symptoms/">infected US farmers</a>. However, the spread of bird flu among cattle, and possibly to humans, is likely to have been caused through contact with <a href="https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/contaminated-milk-equipment-potential-source-of-bird-flu-spread-to-cattle/712555/">contaminated milking equipment</a>, not the milk itself. The test used to detect the virus in milk – which uses similar PCR technology to lab-based COVID tests – is also highly sensitive. This means it can detect very low levels of the bird flu RNA. But the test does not distinguish between live or inactivated virus, just that the RNA is present. So from this test alone, we cannot tell if the virus found in milk is infectious (and capable of infecting humans). Does that mean milk is safe to drink and won’t transmit bird flu? Yes and no. In Australia, where bird flu has not been reported in dairy cattle, the answer is yes. It is safe to drink milk and milk products made from Australian milk. In the US, the answer depends on whether the milk is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978184569216250013X?via%3Dihub">pasteurised</a>. We know pasteurisation is a common and reliable method of destroying concerning microbes, including influenza virus. Like most viruses, influenza virus (including bird flu virus) is inactivated by heat. Although there is little direct research on whether pasteurisation inactivates H5N1 in milk, we can extrapolate from what we know about heat inactivation of H5N1 in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22060732?via%3Dihub">chicken</a> and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7481/13/4/60">eggs</a>. So we can be confident there is no risk of bird flu transmission via pasteurised milk or milk products. However, it’s another matter for unpasteurised or “raw” US milk or milk products. A recent <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2405495">study</a> showed mice fed raw milk contaminated with bird flu developed signs of illness. So to be on the safe side, it would be advisable to avoid raw milk products. <h2>How about chicken?</h2> Bird flu has caused sporadic outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry worldwide, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-is-hitting-australian-poultry-farms-and-the-first-human-case-has-been-reported-in-victoria-heres-what-we-know-230691">in Australia</a>. In recent weeks, there have been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-06-04/third-victorian-poultry-farm-declares-outbreak-avian-influenza/103932694">three reported outbreaks</a> in <a href="https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/animal-diseases/poultry-diseases/avian-influenza-bird-flu#h2-0">Victorian poultry farms</a> (two with H7N3 bird flu, one with H7N9). There has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-05-23/bird-flu-detected-western-australia-chicken-farm/103880002">one</a> reported outbreak in <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/avian-influenza">Western Australia</a> (H9N2). The strains of bird flu identified in the Victorian and Western Australia outbreaks can cause human infection, although these <a href="https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/animal-diseases/poultry-diseases/avian-influenza-bird-flu#h2-8">are rare</a> and typically result from close contact with infected live birds or <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/avian-influenza-a-(h7n9)-virus-outbreak">contaminated environments</a>. Therefore, the chance of bird flu transmission in chicken meat is remote. Nonetheless, it is timely to remind people to handle chicken meat with caution as many dangerous pathogens, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, can be found on chicken carcasses. Always handle chicken meat carefully when shopping, transporting it home and storing it in the kitchen. For instance, make sure no meat juices cross-contaminate other items, consider using a cool bag when transporting meat, and refrigerate or freeze the meat within two hours. <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-shouldnt-wash-raw-chicken-before-cooking-it-so-why-do-people-still-do-it-192723">Avoid washing your chicken</a> before cooking to prevent the spread of disease-causing microbes around the kitchen. Finally, cook chicken thoroughly as viruses (including bird flu) <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22060732?via%3Dihub">cannot survive</a> cooking temperatures. <h2>Are eggs safe?</h2> The recent Australian outbreaks have occurred in egg-laying or mixed poultry flocks, so concerns have been raised about bird flu transmission via contaminated chicken eggs. Can flu viruses contaminate chicken eggs and potentially spread bird flu? It appears so. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196655306011862?via%3Dihub">report</a> from 2007 said it was feasible for influenza viruses to enter through the eggshell. This is because influenza virus particles are smaller (100 nanometres) than the pores in eggshells (at least 200 nm). So viruses could enter eggs and be protected from cleaning procedures designed to remove microbes from the egg surface. Therefore, like the advice about milk and meat, cooking eggs is best. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/egg-guidance-regulation-and-other-information/questions-and-answers-regarding-safety-eggs-during-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-outbreaks">US Food and Drug Administration</a> recommends cooking poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature and preventing cross-contamination between raw and cooked food. <h2>In a nutshell</h2> If you consume pasteurised milk products and thoroughly cook your chicken and eggs, there is nothing to worry about as bird flu is inactivated by heat. The real fear is that the virus will evolve into highly pathogenic versions that can be transmitted from <a href="https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-is-hitting-australian-poultry-farms-and-the-first-human-case-has-been-reported-in-victoria-heres-what-we-know-230691">human to human</a>. That scenario is much more frightening than any potential spread though food.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/231280/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/enzo-palombo-249510">Enzo Palombo</a>, Professor of Microbiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-all-this-bird-flu-around-how-safe-are-eggs-chicken-or-milk-231280">original article</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

Run out of butter or eggs? Here’s the science behind substitute ingredients

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paulomi-polly-burey-404695">Paulomi (Polly) Burey</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> It’s an all too common situation – you’re busy cooking or baking to a recipe when you open the cupboard and suddenly realise you are missing an ingredient. Unless you can immediately run to the shops, this can leave you scrambling for a substitute that can perform a similar function. Thankfully, such substitutes can be more successful than you’d expect. There are a few reasons why certain ingredient substitutions work so well. This is usually to do with the chemistry and the physical features having enough similarity to the original ingredient to still do the job appropriately. Let’s delve into some common ingredient substitutions and why they work – or need to be tweaked. <iframe id="IitfH" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/IitfH/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <h2>Oils versus butter</h2> Both butter and oils belong to a chemical class called <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Map%3A_Fundamentals_of_General_Organic_and_Biological_Chemistry_(McMurry_et_al.)/23%3A_Lipids/23.01%3A_Structure_and_Classification_of_Lipids">lipids</a>. It encompasses solid, semi-solid and liquid fats. In a baked product the “job” of these ingredients is to provide flavour and influence the structure and texture of the finished item. In cake batters, lipids contribute to creating an emulsion structure – this means combining two liquids that wouldn’t usually mix. In the baking process, this helps to create a light, fluffy crumb. One of the primary differences between butter and oil is that butter is only about 80% lipid (the rest being water), while <a href="https://www.nutritionadvance.com/types-of-cooking-fats-and-oils/">oil is almost 100% lipid</a>. Oil creates a softer crumb but is still a great fat to bake with. You can use a wide range of oils from different sources, such as olive oil, rice bran, avocado, peanut, coconut, macadamia and many more. Each of these may impart different flavours. Other “butters”, such as peanut and cashew butter, aren’t strictly butters but pastes. They impart different characteristics and can’t easily replace dairy butter, unless you also add extra oil. <h2>Aquafaba or flaxseed versus eggs</h2> Aquafaba is the liquid you drain from a can of legumes – such as chickpeas or lentils. It contains proteins, kind of how egg white also contains proteins. The proteins in egg white include albumins, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5912395/">aquafaba also contains albumins</a>. This is why it is possible to make meringue from egg whites, or from aquafaba if you’re after a vegan version. The proteins act as a foam stabiliser – they hold the light, airy texture in the product. The concentration of protein in egg white is a bit higher, so it doesn’t take long to create a stable foam. Aquafaba requires more whipping to create a meringue-like foam, but it will bake in a similar way. Another albumin-containing alternative for eggs is <a href="https://foodstruct.com/compare/seeds-flaxseed-vs-egg">flaxseed</a>. These seeds form a thick gel texture when mixed with a little water. The texture is similar to raw egg and can provide structure and emulsification in baked recipes that call for a small amount of egg white. <h2>Lemon plus dairy versus buttermilk</h2> Buttermilk is the liquid left over after churning butter – it can be made from sweet cream, cultured/sour cream or whey-based cream. Buttermilk mostly <a href="https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(06)72115-4/fulltext">contains proteins and fats</a>. Cultured buttermilk has a somewhat tangy flavour. Slightly soured milk can be a good substitute as it contains similar components and isn’t too different from “real” buttermilk, chemically speaking. One way to achieve slightly soured milk is by adding some lemon juice or cream of tartar to milk. Buttermilk is used in pancakes and baked goods to give extra height or volume. This is because the acidic (sour) components of buttermilk interact with baking soda, producing a light and airy texture. Buttermilk can also influence flavour, imparting a slightly tangy taste to pancakes and baked goods. It can also be used in sauces and dressings if you’re looking for a lightly acidic touch. <h2>Honey versus sugar</h2> Honey is a <a href="https://resources.perkinelmer.com/lab-solutions/resources/docs/APP_Analysis-of-Sugars-in-Honey-012101_01.pdf">complex sugar-based syrup</a> that includes floral or botanical flavours and aromas. Honey can be used in cooking and baking, adding both flavour and texture (viscosity, softness) to a wide range of products. If you add honey instead of regular sugar in baked goods, keep in mind that honey imparts a softer, moister texture. This is because it contains more moisture and is a humectant (that is, it likes to hold on to water). It is also less crystalline than sugar, unless you leave it to crystallise. The intensity of sweetness can also be different – some people find honey is sweeter than its granular counterpart, so you will want to adjust your recipes accordingly. <h2>Gluten-free versus regular flour</h2> Sometimes you need to make substitutions to avoid allergens, such as gluten – the protein found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley and others. Unfortunately, gluten is also the component that gives a nice, stretchy, squishy quality to bread. To build this characteristic in a gluten-free product, it’s necessary to have a mixture of ingredients that work together to mimic this texture. Common ingredients used are corn or rice flour, xanthan gum, which acts as a binder and moisture holder, and tapioca starch, which is a good water absorbent and can aid with binding the dough. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202036/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paulomi-polly-burey-404695">Paulomi (Polly) Burey</a>, Associate Professor (Food Science), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/run-out-of-butter-or-eggs-heres-the-science-behind-substitute-ingredients-202036">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

Retiree threatened with $200,000 fine over home egg business

A Queensland retiree has insisted that he will continue to sell eggs from the chooks in his backyard despite authorities threatening him with a fine up to $200,000. Murray Koina said that when he first received the email about his business he thought it was a scam and ignored it. It wasn't until they pushed for him to stop that he immediately realised things were getting serious. "They said it was a health issue, someone could get poisoned by an egg," Murray told Today show hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo. "Well my mother grew eggs from when I was a baby and we've eaten them and given them away and sold them and I don't think anyone's died yet - and I'm 73." Murray added that he could get a licence to avoid the fine and continue his little business, but that costs $630 upfront and then around $450 every year to renew it, so it's just not worth it. "I sell around a dozen cartons a week at $4 a dozen so that wouldn't make sense," he said. "I can't say what I really feel about it, but I'm really, you know, p---ed off." Image: Today

Caring

“I’m being racist to eggs”: Wellness influencer slammed for innocent comment

An Australian influencer has been forced to address a "racist" comment she made about her son's lunch. Health and fitness influencer Sarah Stevenson, who is known by her millions of followers as Sarah's Day, was filming herself as she made lunch for her son. The 31-year-old stopped herself as she made her child a curried egg sandwich, saying he be dubbed “the smelly boy in the playground” if he took the meal to school. “Do you want to be ‘smelly curried egg boy’?” she asked him. While the seemingly innocent comment went unnoticed by many of her followers, one person sent her a message demanding an apology for her "borderline racist" comment. The entrepreneur and mum-of-two replied to the private message in a video response to her followers explaining that she meant the “egg smell” and didn't mean anything racist. “Didn’t everyone go to school with someone who brought eggs in their lunch and you’re like, ‘ew, you smell like rotten eggs’... not ‘you smell like curry!’,” she said in the video on her Instagram Stories. She said sarcastically, “I’m being racist to eggs.” Stevenson then doubled down on the follower’s outrage, following that with a cooking tutorial for “racist eggs”. The late night social media saga was re-shared by a popular account, where it was dubbed “egg gate” and plenty more people weighed in on the drama. “She should have apologised and taken it down instead she’s made it worse,” one commenter wrote. The general consensus from the public was that the original racism accusation “was a definite reach”, but she went too far with her explanation. “Honestly don’t think there was any malice in the original comment — she definitely scrambled (ha!), way too far in explaining herself afterwards though,” someone wrote. Image credits: Instagram

Food & Wine

How to buy the best eggs

Brown eggs vs. white eggs There are a lot of misconceptions about eggs, and chief among them is that there’s a difference in the health benefits of brown and white eggs. Unlike bread, brown and white eggs are equally nutritious. An eggshell’s hue is simply determined by the breed of hen laying it. Free-run vs. free-range eggs <div> Free run eggs are laid by hens housed in barns equipped with nests and perches. More space to scratch, peck and stretch their wings means less stress for the birds. In the case of free range eggs, the hens can roam inside barns as well as outdoors, weather permitting. Outside, they can sunbathe, dust bathe, and eat bugs, worms and grass. Are organic eggs the best eggs? When a carton of eggs is labelled as “organic,” it means the hens’ feed is free of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and preservatives. A study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that organic eggs tend to have more vitamin A, D and E. What’s more, many pro chefs claim they taste richer. Certified organic farms adhere to specific standards and are inspected regularly, making their products the surest choice. What does it mean when eggs are Omega-3-enriched? The label “Omega-3-enriched” indicates the hens laying the eggs were fed high levels of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids – essential dietary nutrients for human growth, development and general health. In most cases, flaxseed or fish oil has been added to the feed, occasionally lending the eggs a mild fishy flavour and aroma. The best eggs for baking From peewee to jumbo, eggs are graded by weight. Unless otherwise specified, choose large eggs (approximately 60 grams) when following recipes – especially when baking, where precision matters. Health matters Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems should stay away from raw or partially cooked eggs to avoid the risk, however slight, of salmonella poisoning. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/how-to-buy-the-best-eggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

Eggs are so expensive right now. What else can I use?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> The price of eggs <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-14/egg-shortage-high-prices-blamed-on-shift-from-cage-to-free-range/102474282">is rising</a>. So many of us may be looking for cheaper alternatives. First, the bad news. Nothing can replace a boiled, poached or fried egg. Now, the good news. Lots of other ingredients can make foods puff and rise, give your meal a rich taste, or hold together ingredients. So try using some of these egg substitutes and save the real eggs for your breakfast. <h2>Why are eggs so popular?</h2> Eggs are incredibly <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/pages/default.aspx">nutritious</a>. They’re a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/684">rich source</a> of protein, vitamins A and D, pigments called carotenoids, and minerals. Eggs are also versatile. We use them to make a range of savoury and sweet foods, sauces and drinks, not to mention breakfast. Their popularity and versatility lies in the unique characteristics of the two main parts of the egg – the white and yolk. Each contribute <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Food-Cooking-Harold-McGee/dp/0684800012">different properties</a> in cooking. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/684">Egg yolk</a> is about 55% water, 27% fats, 16% protein (with small amounts of carbohydrate). <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/684">Egg white</a> is about 10% protein and 90% water, with only traces of fat and carbohydrates. Different types of protein in egg white contribute to them foaming when whisked. <h2>Eggs are versatile</h2> Eggs have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268005X2200131X?casa_token=1yXlEb1uvwQAAAAA:s3h5KCozwn-hjIn6kLOEoW45An255V6Z0G8TcJAQgTejfLEwV7nKqkS6VPWXiNkNxR4m5Mr2lHc">different role</a> in different types of cooking. 1. Eggs are a raising agent Beaten or whisked eggs act as a raising agent by creating pockets of air in foods, which expand with cooking, making the foods puff and rise. This gives baked products like cakes, biscuits and muffins volume and an airy feel. Using just the egg white leads to a remarkably light and delicate foam, as we see in meringues. In mousse and souffles the whites and the yolk are beaten separately, then mixed together. This leads to a light, airy and smooth texture. 2. Eggs hold together other ingredients Eggs combine ingredients and hold them together during cooking. This gives foods – such as vegetable or meat patties – their structure. 3. Eggs bind other liquids The liquid from eggs binds other liquids from other ingredients in the recipe into a soft, moist and tender mass. We see this in scrambled eggs, omelettes and egg custard. 4. Eggs act as emulsifiers The egg yolk contains different proteins (livetin, phosvitin) and lipoproteins (lecithin). These act as emulsifiers, allowing fat and water to mix together in foods such as mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce. 5. Eggs boost flavour The fat in egg yolks helps carry and release the flavour of some fat-soluble components of food. These foods <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224401000796">may taste differently</a> without the eggs. Eggs also contribute to foods feeling soft in the mouth. As eggs have different roles in cooking, you may need different egg substitutes depending on the outcome you want. Here are some cheaper (and vegan) options. <h2>Aquafaba</h2> Aquafaba is the liquid drained from cans of bean – typically from chickpeas as it has the most neutral flavour. This is the all-round winner, especially as most of us probably throw it away without realising what a gem it is. Aquafaba is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224421001424?casa_token=P45Z4G2SFdsAAAAA:DRy8adcAU_QHl96LONyWOEhUXvrExVZsJ18xKvc8OiPYeVKHSOkGOKefiixXFPY9UhdscEaHF70">versatile</a>. You can whip it up like egg whites to form a foam that can be used to make meringue (even pavlova), gelato, in baked goods, and for binding ingredients in patties. It also contains emulsifiers and can be used to make mayonnaise. You’ll need different quantities of aquafaba depending on the recipe. Generally, though, you use about two to three tablespoons of aquafaba to replace the volume of fluid from an egg. On the downside, aquafaba can taste a bit beany. So it is best to use it with stronger flavours to overcome this. Nutritionally, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224421001424?via%3Dihub">aquafaba</a> has small amounts of carbohydrate (about 2.6g/100 millilitre), and negligible levels of protein (about 1.3g/100 millilitre). You can also freeze aquafaba. <h2>Vinegar and baking soda</h2> Mixing a teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of vinegar can replace an egg in most baked goods. This produces carbon dioxide, which is trapped into air pockets, and makes foods rise. This is a very cheap option, however its success may be limited by how heavy the rest of the ingredients are. This combination also has very little nutritional value. <h2>Commercial egg replacements</h2> These are available at most supermarkets, are very cheap compared with eggs, have a long shelf life, and are easy to use, with instructions on the packaging. Typically, they contain different starches from potato, tapioca and pea protein (which act as leavening agents and form foams), along with raising agents. They are recommended for use in baked goods. However they have very little nutritional value compared to an egg. <h2>Flaxseed meal and chia seeds</h2> Use either a tablespoon of flaxseed meal, or chia seeds, added to about three tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to form a gel. The gels can be used in baked goods, however this option isn’t as cheap as the others, and has a slight nutty taste. Both these seeds provide nutritional value. They are both rich in the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. We <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/59/6/1304/4715808">can convert</a> this fatty acid into healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but at a slow rate. These seeds also provide fibre, polyphenols and antioxidants. <h2>Tofu</h2> Tofu, which is made from soybeans, is widely available and fairly cheap. It has the most “eggy” appearance and so makes it ideal as a substitute for scrambled eggs and in quiche. However, you will need to use silken tofu and puree it. Tofu is highly nutritious and provides protein, fat, calcium, polyphenols and anti-oxidants. You could also use soy flour. Add one tablespoon to three tablespoons of water, then use immediately in baking and for binding ingredients together. However, soy flour does not contain calcium, which tofu does. <h2>Mashed fruit</h2> Mashed bananas or applesauce are also used as egg substitutes. These mainly act to bind and hold moisture in the food and help carry the flavours. You also get the nutritional value of the fruit. Due to the natural sugar that in fruit, this will sweeten your baked goods so you will need to drop the sugar by about a tablespoon (or more) for each piece of fruit you add.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207837/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/eggs-are-so-expensive-right-now-what-else-can-i-use-207837">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> You may be interested (or possibly horrified) to discover you ingest and inhale thousands of tiny life forms on a daily basis. The air and surfaces around you are home to multitudes of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012394805200004X">bacteria, fungi, viruses</a>, mites, algae and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135400004206">protozoa</a>. Your skin isn’t much better, with a complex ecosystem of organisms called commensals which aren’t necessarily good or bad, but will shift in their composition depending on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11053">where you live</a>, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/6/1/2">the products you use</a> and <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/458">the pets you have</a>. Most of these creatures are generally undetectable due to their microscopic size and low concentrations. But when they find a niche they can exploit, you might notice them by their smell, or the appearance of unwanted staining and colour changes. A lot of this fungal growth is what we call mould. We’ve all been disappointed in ourselves at one time or another, lifting a neglected orange out of the fruit bowl to discover the bottom half is covered in a velvety blue-green growth. But what do the myriad colours that appear on our stuff tell us about the world we try not to think about? <h2>Black</h2> Often black staining is quite a disturbing occurrence. The concept of toxic black mould is one many people have become aware of due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fungi-after-the-floods-how-to-get-rid-of-mould-to-protect-your-health-111341">flood impacts</a>. A quick online search will likely terrify you, but not all black discolouration is due to the same organisms, and almost none of it will outright cause you harm. Stachybotrys is the one known as toxic black mould. It often turns up on <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/ehp.99107s3505">building materials that have been wet for a long time</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A severely mouldy wall covered in grey and black blotches" /></a><figcaption></figcaption>When the grout in your shower turns black though, that’s a different fungus called <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/130453">Aureobasidium</a>. It’s slimy, sticky and somewhere between a filamentous mould, which grows threadlike roots through whatever it’s eating, and a yeast, which prefer a free-floating, single-celled style of life.</figure> Bleaching will often kill Aureobasidium, but the dark pigmentation will likely hang around – harmlessly, but stubbornly. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A close-up of white grout between grey tiles with black spots on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Blue</h2> That blue orange I mentioned before, you can thank Penicillium for that. The organism that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160512000852">gives us blue cheese</a> and the antibiotic penicillin is also responsible for producing a dense growth of mould that almost looks like smoke when disturbed, spreading millions of spores onto the rest of your fruit bowl. Penicillium is a big group with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166061620300129">hundreds of species</a>, ranging from recognised pathogens to species yet to be named. However, the ones that turn up in our homes are generally the same “weed” species that simply cause food spoilage or grow in soil. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of a bright orange with a fuzzy blue mould spot on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Yellow and orange</h2> We often think of fungi as organisms that thrive in the dark, but that’s not always true. In fact, some need exposure to light – and ultraviolet (UV) light in particular – to complete their life cycle. Many plant pathogens use UV light exposure as a trigger to produce their spores, and then protect their DNA by <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0003683814020094">hiding it behind melanin-containing shells</a>. Stemphylium and Epicoccum turn up in our homes from time to time, often hitching a ride on natural fibres such as jute, hemp and hessian. They produce a spectrum of staining that can often turn damp items yellow, brown or orange. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A piece of wood laminate with yellow patches on it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> We’re all fairly familiar with the green spots that turn up on mouldy bread, cake and other food items. Often we try to convince ourselves if we just cut off the bad bit, we can still salvage lunch. Sadly that’s not the case, as the roots of the fungi – collectively called mycelium – spread through the food, digesting and collecting sufficient nutrients to pop out a series of tiny fruiting bodies which produce the coloured spores you see. The green tuft is often from a group of fungi called Aspergillus. Under the microscope they look rather like the puffy top of a dandelion gone to seed. Like Penicillium, Aspergillus is another big fungal group with lots of species that turn up virtually in every environment. Some are <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mmy/article/43/Supplement_1/S87/1748298">heat tolerant</a>, some <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21553769.2015.1033653">love acid</a> and some will happily produce spores that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1749461311000406">stay airborne for days to months at a time</a>. In the green gang is also a fungus called Trichoderma, which is Latin for “hairy skin”. Trichoderma produces masses of forest-green, spherical spores which tend to grow on wet cardboard or dirty carpet. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A pile of green grains on a small round tray" /></a></figure> <h2>Pink, purple and red</h2> There are plenty to speak of in this category. And there is also a common bacterium that makes the list. Neurospora, also known as the red bread mould, is one of the most studied fungi in scientific literature. It’s another common, non-hazardous one that has been used as <a href="https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.1400377">a model organism</a> to observe fungal genetics, evolution and growth. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A block of orange mouldy substance sitting on a banana leaf" /></a><figcaption></figcaption>Fusarium is less common indoors, being <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219416302794">an important crop pathogen</a>, but will sometimes turn spoiled rice purple. It also occasionally turns up on wet cement sheet, causing splotchy violet patches. Fusarium makes large, sticky, moon-shaped spores that have evolved to spread by rain splashes and hang onto plants. However, it is fairly bad at getting airborne and so doesn’t tend to spread very far from where it’s growing.</figure> Finally in this category, that pink scum that turns up around bathroom taps or in the shower? It’s actually a bacterium called Serratia. It will happily chew up the soap scum residue left over in bathrooms, and has been shown to <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/AEM.02632-10">survive in liquid soaps and handwash</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of white tile grout covered in a pink translucent film" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <h2>White</h2> When fungi were first being classified and were eventually given their own phylogenetic kingdom, there were lots of wonderful and not strictly categorical ways we tried to split them up. One of these was hyaline and non-hyaline, essentially referring to transparent and coloured, respectively. One of the interesting non-pigmented moulds you may well catch sight of is a thing called Isaria farinosa (“farinosa” being Latin for “floury”). This fungus is a parasite of some moths and cicadas and is visible as brilliant white, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583150802471812">tree-shaped growths on their unfortunate hosts</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A dead bug on a green forest floor with white and yellow growths sticking out of it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> So when you notice the world around you changing colour, you can marvel with your newfound knowledge at the microscopic wonders that live complex lives alongside yours. Then maybe clean it up, and give the fruit bowl a wash. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207737/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Image credit: Getty / Shutterstock <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, Adjunct academic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-the-different-colours-of-mould-mean-in-my-house-207737">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding horseback in the first Trooping the Colour since he was crowned, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday. Although the King’s birthday is officially in November and typically celebrated privately, the ceremonial event on June 18 showcased all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal celebrations, drawing massive crowds to central London. Accompanying 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians, Charles filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’ Park for the ceremony viewed by members of the royal family. It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years, with Queen Elizabeth II being the last reigning monarch to ride in the procession in 1986. Dressed for the occasion, King Charles was wearing a Welsh Guard uniform, with a leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin. He was followed on horseback by various royal colonels including Prime William, also donning a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December 2022. He rode alongside Princess Anne Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards. Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was joined by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Calary’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals. The traditional military spectacle was flooded with well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags ahead of the parade to claim their prime position along the Mall outside the royal residence. Speaking to CNN, broadcaster and royal watcher Bidisha Mamata, said there was “a real sense of celebration”. "The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military," she said. The ceremony saw Queen Camilla join her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment carried out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing the 2022 musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions from the band written accordingly. After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace following the same route. They there made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters. Image credit: Getty

International Travel

“Yolkidding me”: Perfectly round egg goes viral online

In what is perhaps one of the most eggs-traordinary discoveries in Australian grocery history, a perfectly round egg has been found laying in a Victorian supermarket. 3AW Football host Jacqui Felgate shared the remarkable find to her Instagram followers, revealing she had been sent footage of the egg that was taken at a Woolworths in inner-city Melbourne. "From a follower: This is so random, but I thought I would share this eggcellent find," the post read. "In our egg carton we found a round egg. "After a quick google realised it was one in a billion, literally one in a billion eggs are round and the last one that was found sold for over $1400!” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtgX__fhbdH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtgX__fhbdH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by JACQUELINE FELGATE (@jacquifelgate)</a> </div> </blockquote> Naturally, Instagram users flocked to the post, with a lot questioning how an egg could ever sell for four figures. "Yolkidding me," one wrote. "Folks buying eggs for $1400? That’s eggtortion. 😩," another said. However, many of the comments sympathised with the chicken who created the perfectly round — and relatively large — incredible egg. “All I could think was that poor chicken 🐔 😬,” one said. “The poor chicken that squeezed that one out 😮,” another added. One even questioned the sphere’s authenticity, commenting, “Is it really an egg 🥚??” Considering perfectly round eggs have earned finders big bucks in the past, it was no surprise that someone told Felgate her find was a thing of fortune. “It’s your lucky day get a ticket to the 60 mill tonight.” they said. Only time will tell if Felgate’s fortunate find will bring her prosperity or wind up scrambled, fried or poached. Image credit: Instagram

Food & Wine

Aussies want their parents to spend their nest egg

New research has found that most Australians would rather see their parents and grandparents spend their retirement savings than receive an inheritance. In the last 20 years, inheritances in Australia have totaled almost $1.4 trillion, averaging out to about $67 billion a year. The average inheritance is approximately $125,000 and goes to a recipient of about 50 years of age. The new report from CompliSpace has suggested a shift in attitudes for how Aussies think about inheritances, while also helping to bridge the aged care funding shortfall, which is set to increase. It is estimated that the Australian government spends approximately $24 billion each year on aged care, which is less than half of the global average. Melbourne woman Louise Lucas shared her attitudes on her parents spending their nest egg, telling <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/inheritance-values-changing-parents-urged-to-spend-not-leave-to-kids/3764f9cd-5287-4520-948a-e6de08ce2d1d">9news.com.au</a> she was “heartily all for” her parents leaving her nothing in their will, as long as they had a comfortable retirement. "I'm a mortgage broker and I've met a lot of retired people who are just hanging on and not living very well," she said. Louise went on to say that while it is better for older people to spend their money during their retirement years to live comfortably and stay active, it would also give the economy a boost. "Money's for experiences, you'd like to think, not things," she said. "If you've got more than $100,000 in the bank when you die, you've wasted your time and money." Image credits: Getty Images

Retirement Income

National Duck Day: Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck Peking Duck breast with egg noodles, five spice sauce and fresh cucumber salad

The family owned business and Australia’s leading duck producer Luv-a-Duck has partnered up with MasterChef alum and duck lover Diana Chan, to officially launch National Duck Day, which falls on Tuesday May 23rd, 2023. Diana Chan is a Malaysian-Australian and won the 9th season of MasterChef in 2017. She has since become a well-known TV host, menu designer, product creator and restaurateur, turning her passion for food into her career. Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck Peking Duck breast with egg noodles, five spice sauce and fresh cucumber salad Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins INGREDIENTS: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 x precooked Luv-A Duck peking duck breasts </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 x 400g packet fresh egg noodles (medium thickness) </li> </ul> For the five spice sauce: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp cooking oil </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 cloves garlic, minced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 3 shallots, finely diced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 50g galangal, sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 50g ginger, sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Leftover liquid from the packet </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp five spice powder </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp tapioca starch mixed with 2 tbsp of water </li> </ul> For the cucumber salad: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 continental cucumber, halved and sliced into 5mm thick chunks </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 30g coriander, roughly chopped </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp black vinegar </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp sugar </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp soy sauce </li> </ul> To garnish: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Freshly sliced spring onions </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds </li> </ul> METHOD: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cook the peking duck breasts according to the packet instructions (microwave or oven) and set aside somewhere warm. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Preheat a large braising pot or wok. Add cooking oil. Add the garlic, shallots, galangal and ginger and fry until aromatic - about 3 minutes or so. Add the sauce from the packet and the five spice. Allow to reduce for 10 minutes. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Mix tapioca starch with water. Pour it into the sauce liquid while stirring at the same time and the liquid will start to thicken. You can add more tapioca mixture if you don't think the sauce is thick enough. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> While the sauce simmers, reheat the noodles according to the packet instructions. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> To assemble, remove the cooked duck breasts from the packet and slice them into 5mm thickness. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In a mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients for the cucumber salad and mix to combine. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place the reduced sauce into the serving bowls, divide the noodles into 2 portions, top with the duck breasts and pour over the sauce. Serve with the cucumber salad on the side. Garnish with some spring onions and sesame seeds. </li> </ol> Image credit: Luv-A-Duck

Food & Wine

King Charles' signature coronation dish mercilessly mocked

With the coronation comes one of the most famed traditions in the Monarchy, the creation of a signature dish, made to be shared and enjoyed across the Commonwealth in honour of the new Monarch. The Queen’s coronation made history in 1953, with the ‘Coronation Chicken’, a recipe that has since embedded itself into British culture. Charles’ crowning marks 70 years since the last coronation, and with the event coming up on May 6, the reveal of the signature dish has been highly anticipated. A culinary delight, like Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘Poulet Reine Elizabeth’, that will make its way down from generation to generation. The Royal Family verified Twitter account shared the long-awaited dish. “Introducing… Coronation Quiche!”, the tweet read. “Chosen personally by Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort have shared a recipe in celebration of the upcoming #CoronationBigLunch taking place up and down the country.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Introducing… Coronation Quiche! Chosen personally by Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort have shared a recipe in celebration of the upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronationBigLunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronationBigLunch</a> taking place up and down the country. <a href="https://t.co/aVcw9tNarP">pic.twitter.com/aVcw9tNarP</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1647917367798939648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> King Charles III has officially unveiled his signature coronation offering, which will be served at the palace’s ‘Big Lunch’ event on May 7, also to be served at several community events and street parties across coronation weekend. The coronation quiche recipe consists of spinach, broad beans, cheese and tarragon, although Buckingham Palace’s chef Mark Flanagan says those who want to bake their own can easily make adjustments to suit their preferences. Charles, Camilla and Flanagan chose the dish because it’s a convenient “sharing” dish that can be served either hot or cold. The coronation quiche has left a bad taste in many individuals’ mouths, going viral online and becoming quite the laughingstock for a few reasons. The most profound stems from the well-known egg shortage in the UK, with production at its lowest in over a decade, according to The Guardian. In 2022, almost a billion fewer eggs were packed compared to 2019 due to producers hit by price hikes and a disastrous outbreak of bird flu. Shoppers calling for supermarkets to stock up on the ingredients for the coronation quiche have posted online to point out the obvious issue. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> And what are we supposed to make this Coronation Quiche with? <a href="https://t.co/nEmwQGmV0e">pic.twitter.com/nEmwQGmV0e</a> — Tavern Hoyden (@TavernHoyden) <a href="https://twitter.com/TavernHoyden/status/1648034778032009219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The UK: - There's a shortage of eggs in the supermarkets. Royal Family: - The "Coronation Quiche". <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronationBigLunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronationBigLunch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronationquiche?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronationquiche</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjEtjiUCuS">pic.twitter.com/xjEtjiUCuS</a> — Pauline (@tlnlndn) <a href="https://twitter.com/tlnlndn/status/1648016686937776128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> Aside from supply shortages, many people decided the egg pie wasn’t very fitting. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> whats the matter babe? you've hardly touched your coronation quiche <a href="https://t.co/3FZZwzMEZz">pic.twitter.com/3FZZwzMEZz</a> — Jake Johnstone (@hijakejohnstone) <a href="https://twitter.com/hijakejohnstone/status/1648083477693120512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Quiche?? For a coronation?? <a href="https://t.co/rsmwcicgZQ">https://t.co/rsmwcicgZQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/V8aKgf1ZKL">pic.twitter.com/V8aKgf1ZKL</a> — local swamp gay 🦝🦨🦉 (@localswampgay) <a href="https://twitter.com/localswampgay/status/1648094906957660161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Imagine having 70+ years to think about it and choosing QUICHE. I despair. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronation</a> <a href="https://t.co/jEeXmxP1Ss">https://t.co/jEeXmxP1Ss</a> — Julie Lovell (@ficklishjlo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ficklishjlo/status/1648094645669224452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> Elizabeth’s coronation saw famed culinary school Le Cordon Bleu London’s creation of the ‘Coronation Chicken’, which consisted of cooked chicken meat in a creamy curry sauce with dried apricots. It was served with a simple salad. When it was first produced the dish came as a surprise due to many of the ingredients not being pantry staples and the country was still under post-war ration restrictions. The chicken dish has evolved over the years, with it now commonly served on a brioche bun and garnished with various trimmings from crisp coconut chips to mangetout and sultanas. Quiche the ‘Coronation Chicken’ goodbye and stay occu-pied with the recipe below. Pastry: <ul> <li>125g plain flour</li> <li>Pinch of salt</li> <li>25g cold butter, diced</li> <li>25g lard</li> <li>2 tablespoons milk</li> <li>Or 1 x 250g block of ready-made shortcrust pastry</li> </ul> Filling: <ul> <li>125ml milk</li> <li>175ml double cream</li> <li>2 medium eggs</li> <li>1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> <li>100g grated cheddar cheese</li> <li>180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped</li> <li>60g cooked broad beans or soya beans</li> </ul> Method: 1. To make the pastry: sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until you get a sandy, breadcrumb-like texture. Add the milk a little at a time and bring the ingredients together into a dough. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. 2. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry to a circle a little larger than the top of the tin and approximately 5mm thick. 3. Line the tin with the pastry, taking care not to have any holes or the mixture could leak. Cover and rest for a further 30 minutes in the fridge. 4. Preheat the oven to 190C. 5. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, before removing the greaseproof paper and baking beans. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. 7. Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasoning. 8. Scatter half of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture. 9. If required gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed but be careful not to damage the pastry case. 10. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden. Image credits: Getty/Twitter

Food & Wine

How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

From the blush pink of royal mistresses to the hot pink of tabloid party girls, pink has gained a reputation for being a provocative colour for those who dare to wear it. Despite its various shades and the complexities of its cultural significance, it is a colour that is often branded with the same connotations of feminine frivolity and excess – whether girlish and innocent or womanly and erotic. So much so that worshippers at a North London church were ordered to remove pink chairs after an ecclesiastical judge claimed that the choice of colour scheme could <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-sees-red-over-bright-pink-chairs-3trg9xpgk">“cause puzzlement”</a>. This pink panic invites the question: why is pink so controversial? A brief glimpse at its rather colourful history in the Western world reveals associations that both shape and challenge what pink means. <h2>Pink’s past</h2> According to historian <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-colour-9780500022269">Valerie Steele</a>, the birth of pink in modern fashion began in the 18th century. By this period, pink had become the colour of choice among courtly elites of the Western world, including royalty and aristocrats. Developments in dye making and the French court’s penchant for cutting-edge garments provided the perfect pairing to begin pink’s success as an emerging fashion staple. Perhaps the most instrumental influence on pink’s power was Madame de Pompadour – the mistress of King Louis XV. She was often portrayed by the painter François Boucher sporting her signature pink gowns and shoes, most notably in his 1759 piece <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/sep/08/art">Madame de Pompadour</a>. In his 1758 painting, <a href="https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303561">Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette</a>, she is shown applying rouge from a box of cosmetics – the blushed cheeks implying female sexuality. For Steele, the colour pink in this period becomes attached to both the frivolity of French high fashion and the eroticising of white femininity. From the 18th century court to the 20th century home, pink gained further traction in the 1950s. As British professor of design history <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/As_Long_as_It_s_Pink.html?id=By0qAAAAYAAJ">Penny Sparke</a> writes: “Linked with the idea of female childhood, [pink] represented the emphasis on distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men.” Whether <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjvufXu-vb7AhVJi1wKHY_RCrIQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lofficielusa.com%2Ffashion%2Fhistory-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk&usg=AOvVaw2gvTMarBjpgCPRBDcV2AwN">adorning first ladies</a>, Hollywood stars or housewives, pink in this era represented a traditional femininity grounded in fixed gender roles. Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pink gown in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/">Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953)</a> paired with her <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stars-9781838718374/">typecast “dumb blonde” film roles</a> and her <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-visual-history-of-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-icon_n_56ba8d67e4b0c3c5504f5ee4">pin-up past</a> work together to reinforce the star as a sex symbol to be desired by audiences. As film scholar <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heavenly-Bodies-Film-Stars-and-Society/Dyer/p/book/9780415310277">Richard Dyer</a> argues, Monroe represented the epitome of sex in conversative 1950s American society. On the other end of the scale, the first lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower – wife of president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) – cultivated an image of the ideal housewife through her famous “First Lady Pink” looks. Her stunning <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/mamie-eisenhowers-inaugural-gown-1953">1953 inaugural outfit</a> was a sparkling pink gown embroidered with more than 2,000 rhinestones. She was well-known for her love of all things pink and transformed the White House with this colourful décor, so much so that the household staff called it a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/eise/Mamie/personal_interests/EISE3765_scale4.html">“Pink Palace”</a>. <h2>Punk and protest</h2> Beyond the 1950s, pink moved away from its associations of conformity and took on a new purpose: resistance. Paul Simonon, bassist for English punk band The Clash, <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/20/in-the-pink-the-fashion-history-of-a-divisive-colour">famously said</a> that “pink is the only true rock and roll colour”. We can certainly see this in the way that punk musicians reappropriate the sweet and girlish connotations of pink to create subversive performances. For her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/image/0,8543,-10704677171,00.html">1999 performance at Glastonbury</a>, Hole’s Courtney Love – notorious for her raw and raucous vocals – unexpectedly swapped her rebellious grunge girl look for a pink costume of ballet slippers and fairy wings. Pink is also the colour of feminist activism. The 2017 women’s march saw protesters taking to streets in pink “pussy hats”. They were responding to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html">a recording</a> of then president Donald Trump, in which he boasted about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiO4Z7P-_b7AhVMEsAKHdtLBAgQFnoECAoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffrom-chaucer-to-trump-sexist-banter-has-been-defended-as-entertainment-for-600-years-84804&usg=AOvVaw0dCQPpZyNUtNJACNJ7CANh">grabbing women “by the pussy”</a>. This explicit connection between pink, female genitalia and activism is a feminist statement that emphasises women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies in a patriarchal society. <h2>Pink reclaimed</h2> The connotations of pink are not fixed, but malleable. Whether worn by film stars, musicians or celebrities, the colour takes on new meanings through irony and reclamation. The 2001 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/">Legally Blonde</a> subverts the gendered <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Neo-Feminist-Cinema-Girly-Films-Chick-Flicks-and-Consumer-Culture/Radner/p/book/9780415877749">“dumb blonde” stereotypes </a>associated with wearing pink by following the successes of a sorority girl who goes to law school. When Madonna donned her pink Material Girl look, she positioned herself as <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-performance-identities-of-lady-gaga/">the new Marilyn Monroe</a>: a blonde bombshell for the era of Second Wave Feminism. She reworked Monroe’s tragic stardom into a narrative about female empowerment and survival. On TikTok, the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/12/10217066/tiktok-bimbo-gen-z-trend">#Bimbo trend</a> involves feminine-presenting content creators finding inspiration in the once derogatory “bimbo” label. Their videos <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/23/the-bimbo-is-back-and-as-a-feminist-i-couldnt-be-more-delighted">reclaim the label</a> as a playful aesthetic and a new feminist lifestyle. Despite its longstanding associations with feminine frivolity and excess, pink consistently proves itself to be a transgressive colour. It moves with the times and does not shy away from parodying its own past. If Paris Hilton’s <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/paris-hilton-versace-show">surprise runway appearance</a> earlier this year in sparkling pink Versace bridal wear tells us anything, it’s that pink should never be underestimated. It still has the power to shock, fascinate and make a statement. Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-pink-became-fashions-colour-of-controversy-a-brief-history-196535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Beauty & Style

Easter eggs: their evolution from chicken to chocolate

A lot of Easter traditions – including hot cross buns and lamb on Sunday – stem from medieval Christian or even earlier pagan beliefs. The chocolate Easter egg, however, is a more modern twist on tradition. Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries. Eggs have long symbolised rebirth and renewal, making them perfect to commemorate the story of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the arrival of spring. Although nowadays eggs can be eaten during the fasting period of Lent, in the middle ages they were prohibited along with meat and dairy. Medieval chefs often found surprising ways around this, even making mock eggs to replace them. For Easter – a period of celebration – eggs and meat, such as lamb (also a symbol of renewal), were back on the table. Even once eggs were permitted in fasting meals, they kept a special place in the Easter feast. Seventeenth-century cookbook author John Murrell recommended “egges with greene sawce”, a sort of pesto made with sorrel leaves. Across Europe, eggs were also given as a tithe (a sort of yearly rent) to the local church on Good Friday. This might be where the idea of giving eggs as a gift comes from. The practice died out in many Protestant areas after the Reformation, but some English villages kept the tradition going until the 19th century. It’s not known exactly when people started to decorate their eggs, but research has pointed to the 13th century, when King Edward I gave his courtiers eggs wrapped in gold leaf. A few centuries later, we know that people across Europe were dying their eggs different colours. They usually chose yellow, using onion peel, or red, using madder roots or beetroots. The red eggs are thought to symbolise the blood of Christ. One 17th-century author suggested this practice went as far back as early Christians in Mesopotamia, but it’s hard to know for sure. In England, the most popular way of decorating was with petals, which made colourful imprints. The Wordsworth Museum in the Lake District still has a collection of eggs made for the poet’s children from the 1870s. <h2>From dyed eggs to chocolate eggs</h2> Although dyeing patterned eggs is still a common Easter activity, these days eggs are more commonly associated with chocolate. But when did this shift happen? When chocolate arrived in Britain in the 17th century, it was an exciting and very expensive novelty. In 1669, the Earl of Sandwich paid £227 – the equivalent of around £32,000 today – for a chocolate recipe from King Charles II. Today chocolate is thought of as a solid food, but then it was only ever a drink and was usually spiced with chilli pepper following Aztec and Maya traditions. For the English, this exotic new drink was like nothing they’d ever encountered. One author called it the “American Nectar”: a drink for the gods. Chocolate was soon a fashionable drink for the aristocracy, often given as a gift thanks to its high status, a tradition still followed today. It was also enjoyed in the newly opened coffee houses around London. Coffee and tea had also only just been introduced to England, and all three drinks were rapidly changing how Britons socially interacted with each other. Catholic theologians did connect chocolate with Easter in this time, but out of concern that drinking chocolate would go against fasting practices during Lent. After heated debate, it was agreed that chocolate made with water might be acceptable during fasts. At Easter at least – a time of feasting and celebration – chocolate was fine. Chocolate remained expensive into the 19th century, when Fry’s (now part of Cadbury) made the first solid chocolate bars in 1847, revolutionising the chocolate trade. For the Victorians, chocolate was much more accessible but still something of an indulgence. Thirty years later, in 1873, Fry’s developed the first chocolate Easter egg as a luxury treat, merging the two gift-giving traditions. Even in the early 20th century, these chocolate eggs were seen as a special present, and many people never even ate theirs. A woman in Wales kept an egg from 1951 for 70 years and a museum in Torquay recently bought an egg that had been saved since 1924. It was only in the 1960s and 1970s that supermarkets began to offer chocolate eggs at a cheaper price, hoping to profit off the Easter tradition. With rising concerns over long-term chocolate production and bird flu provoked egg shortages, future Easters might look a little different. But if there is one thing that Easter eggs can show us, it’s the adaptability of tradition. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/easter-eggs-their-evolution-from-chicken-to-chocolate-203074" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

Warning against latest egg-stremely restrictive diet trend

A viral “egg diet” is the latest weight loss trend taking over TikTok as people continue to find ways to drop a few kilos. The #eggdiet has attracted over 68.5 million views, with a lot of people sharing their weight-loss success. Nutritionists warn the egg-stremely restrictive diet is simply unsustainable and just another eggs-ample of why most diets fail. According to TikTok users, the egg diet consists of eating only eggs for every meal, alongside low-carb snacks such as fruit, veggies, and some additional protein. While this diet is capable of boosting your metabolism and burning fat in the short term, it can then slow the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight in the future. One TikTok user trying the diet admitted she had broken it, writing, ”I think the last nine days of eating the bare minimum has caught up with me today. The whole day I just felt nauseous.” A diet focused on one food eggs-cludes many healthy food groups that are otherwise beneficial for your body. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, an unhealthy amount of weight loss, mood changes, muscle weakness, and hair loss. A nutrition eggs-pert from Fitness Volt says most people fail to stick with their diet long enough for it to work sustainably. They make fast progress, but egg-ventually, they fall off the wagon and return to their previous diet plan. "That's why so many of us lose weight only to regain it shortly afterwards, and it seems long-term, sustainable weight loss is rare nowadays," Saini said. "Fortunately, healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or unpleasant, and weight management doesn't have to take over your life. "You don't even have to give up your favourite foods. However, you will need to quit looking for short-term fixes and adopt healthier long-term habits.” It is clear the #eggdiet is not sustainable and the lack of nutrition is likely to leave your brain scrambled. The idea is a bit of a crack-up, but don’t whisk it. Image credit: TikTok

Body

Multi-coloured plants are suddenly a home decor ‘must-have’. Here’s how to keep them alive

Fads and fashion have always influenced the plants we keep. And so it is with variegated plants, which have become <a href="https://thatplantylife.com/affordable-and-gorgeous-variegated-houseplants/">very popular</a>with indoor plant enthusiasts these days. Variegated plants possess multiple colours – typically on their leaves, but in some cases on stems, flowers and fruit. Their patterns include stripes, dots, edges and patches. They’re usually green with either white or yellow, but can also feature red, pink, silver and other colours. Variegated plants can divide opinion. I recall a great aunt telling me many years ago of her great fondness for the variegated Aspidistra elatior growing her garden. But I’ve also heard gardeners and garden designers dismiss variegated foliage because it didn’t fit with their design or colour themes. Now, it seems indoor variegated plants are considered a “<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/variegated-plant-care-tips-36878935">must-have</a>” home decor accessory. But before you rush out and buy one, make sure you know how to keep it happy. <h2>Understanding variegated plants</h2> Most plant species are entirely green but occasionally a variegated individual arises. Some catch the eye of a dedicated plant collector or nursery worker and become a popular variety. Plant variegation can occur for several reasons. In some plants, such as the flowers of tulips, it’s due to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/tulip-mania-how-a-plant-virus-fueled-a-speculative-frenzy">viral infection</a>. The resulting streaks of different colours may be cursed or valued depending on the aesthetic effect. Others plants, such as those in the genus <a href="https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Stories/2019/Coleus-back-in-the-name-game">coleus</a>, are naturally patterned. Groups of cells produce different colour combinations, causing leaves to grow with attractive markings. Plant variegations can also arise from genetic mutation. When growing variegated plants, it’s important to understand how the various colours affect the way it functions. The green part of plants contains chlorophyll, a pigment essential for photosynthesis. (Photosynthesis, of course, is the process by which the leaves convert sunlight into oxygen and carbohydrate that provides energy for plants to grow.) In variegated plants, white parts of leaves do not contain chlorophyll and so do not photosynthesise. Yellow parts of leaves can help send energy to the chlorophyll, but can’t perform photosynthesis on their own. The same goes for some red, orange and pink patches of tissue. But all cells in the leaf – green or not – use the plant’s energy. That means variegated plants are less efficient energy producers than their all-green counterparts, which causes them to grow more slowly. Some plants have mutated into <a href="https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/how_to/science_activity_albino_plants">albinos</a> containing no chlorophyll. These normally die within a few days or weeks of germination. <h2>Caring for your plant indoors</h2> It’s no coincidence many popular indoor plants – such as coleus, philodendrons, monsteras, dracaenas and calatheas – are variegated. Because they’re usually far less vigorous than all-green versions of the species, they won’t be pushing against the ceiling within weeks. The decorative colour and pattern of a variegated indoor plant is an added bonus. Variegated plants can take longer than others to reach a size considered appropriate for sale at a nursery, so may be comparatively more expensive. But there are ways to protect your variegated investment. First, watch out for “reversion”. This can occur when a variegated plant sends up an all-green shoot. The shoot will grow fast compared to the variegated parts and can eventually take over, causing the whole plant to revert to green. To avoid this, vigilantly remove any green shoots before they get big. You don’t want variegated plants quickly outgrowing their space, but remember they’re low on chlorophyll and so need good light. And like any indoor plant, ensure its leaves are kept free of fine dust and you don’t give it too much, or too little, water. <h2>Variegated plants in the garden</h2> The popularity of indoor variegated plants will almost certainly lead to greater use outdoors. Their slow-growing nature means outdoor variegated plants are usually much less likely to be “weedy” and spread where they’re not wanted. This can be an advantage if you’ve avoided planting a species because it will take over the garden. The variegated versions of <a href="https://www.plantmark.com.au/pittosporum-eugenioides-variegata">pittosporum</a>, ficus and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/57250/nerium-oleander-variegatum-(v)/details">nerium oleander</a>, for example, are far less intent on global domination than their all-green counterparts. When planting a variegated plant outdoors, watch that it doesn’t become shaded by other quicker-growing plants. Many variegated plants already struggle to photosynthesise sufficiently. A bit of extra shade can damage or even kill them. So ensure they get enough light – and every so often give them a hand by trimming back nearby plants. <h2>Growing with flying colours</h2> Variegated plants are having their moment in the sun. But their interesting biology is always in fashion! These plants can brighten up your indoor space and provide attractive colour and pattern in the garden. By learning about how variegated plants function and considering their special requirements, you can enjoy them for years to come. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/multi-coloured-plants-are-suddenly-a-home-decor-must-have-heres-how-to-keep-them-alive-181163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home & Garden

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

A late start, then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour

Are eggs good or bad for our health?

What’s the difference between Hass and Shepard avocados? It’s not just the colour

Princess Kate makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis

With all this bird flu around, how safe are eggs, chicken or milk?

Run out of butter or eggs? Here’s the science behind substitute ingredients

Retiree threatened with $200,000 fine over home egg business

“I’m being racist to eggs”: Wellness influencer slammed for innocent comment

How to buy the best eggs

Eggs are so expensive right now. What else can I use?

What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

“Yolkidding me”: Perfectly round egg goes viral online

Aussies want their parents to spend their nest egg

National Duck Day: Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck Peking Duck breast with egg noodles, five spice sauce and fresh cucumber salad

King Charles' signature coronation dish mercilessly mocked

How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

Easter eggs: their evolution from chicken to chocolate

Warning against latest egg-stremely restrictive diet trend

Multi-coloured plants are suddenly a home decor ‘must-have’. Here’s how to keep them alive

Our Partners