Focus Scotland: Food labelling
At least if a politician has his mouth full, he can't be lying to you at the same time.
Political commentators in Scotland inevitably had a bit of fun with the decision by First Minister Alex Salmond to eat nothing but Scottish food for a full week.
The issue of food in Scotland remains a political hot potato, despite the fact that proposals to require Scottish pubs and other food businesses to reveal the source of beef served on the menu are on hold for the moment.
The issue has not gone away, but has become caught up in wider discussions about Scotland's food culture. The country recognises that promoting the high-quality produce sold in pubs and restaurants is important for attracting tourism.
As well as the wider debate, there were also some practical issues - it was not clear how the menu labelling proposals would be enforced without making additional resources available to local authority trading standards departments.
Salmond's decision to eat only Scottish produce - fresh and frozen - was made in support of an 'Eating for Scotland' campaign which has been running on TV.
Professional cook Wendy Barrie provided advice to ensure that the meals were nutritionally balanced. The First Minister kicked off his campaign earlier this month with a breakfast of porridge and fruit followed by toast and jam.
Mr Salmond said: "Scotland is home to some of the freshest, highest-quality foods in the world. The economic, social and health benefits of supporting Scotland's food are vast.
"Of course, we need a variety of foods to ensure a balanced, healthy diet - some imports are necessary. However, we should use homegrown solutions where and when we can."
The Executive has published an order that would bring the Country of Origin Labelling regulations into force, but has yet to ask MSPs to ratify it.
The new regulations were designed to end confusion over menu descriptions such as Aberdeen Angus, which relates to a breed of cattle rather than a location.
Part of the reason for the delay is the debate raised by the consultation on the plans.
While some pub operators, such as Whitbread, were against the proposals, the Scottish National Farmers Union summed up the views of producers - "it should be made compulsory for the foodservice sector to inform customers of the country of origin of the beef they sell."
Tourist body Visit Scotland opposed the plans partly because they didn't go far enough, saying "there may be a lack of understanding among consumers as to why beef has been treated in this way and not other food sources such as salmon and chicken".
There has been movement in other areas, though. A new £60m scheme to help develop and promote Scottish food has been launched, giving food producers and processors access to capital for investment and marketing.
Scottish secretary for rural affairs and the environment Richard Lochhead said: "Supporting Scottish food is in our national interest and this scheme aims to help our food enterprises flourish and grow.
"We produce some of the finest food in the world, from our quality meat to our soft fruit and oats, yet it is not always easy for Scottish suppliers to access markets. This fund aims to develop greater collaboration and ensure that businesses can get into supply chains and meet consumer demand."
