PRICE rises for all commodities are a fact of life and struggle as many have to do there is no alternative but to accept them and to hope for help where it is most needed.

The increase that concerns us most of all is the cost of food, for after all we can’t live without it and while we might think that many costs are holding pretty steady it seems that, according to recent TV documentaries, we are being ‘ripped off’ without necessarily realising it.

Not so much in the monetary sense perhaps, but in the nutritional value that the popular and economic foods provide. But I suppose you get what you pay for and, as far as ingredients are concerned, well by law they are all clearly marked on the tins and packaging.

Clearly is not quite the right word, for to read all the information even Hawkeye would need a magnifying glass and to do this on every item purchased means that food shopping would take twice as long.

Furthermore, and talking for myself, a degree in chemistry or food science would be needed to make sense of it all. Some of the information in the TV documentaries has been a revelation to me for I certainly didn't know that if a product claims to have a certain flavour it means that the flavour is artificial – but if it states flavoured then bingo, it contains at least some of the real thing. Many chicken and beef tinned soups are a let down and it does state on the tin that the meat is the least of the ingredients but plenty of other not-really-good-for-you substances make up the bulk of the contents.

And as for the best-selling, moderately priced ready meals, heaven forbid, for they can serve to aid putting on weight and in bulges, not curves!

All of this is information that I have gained from the past week’s TV and it’s enough to put you off your food – unless we shun convenience and return to old fashioned cooking!