No caviar! "The worldwide trade in caviar was effectively suspended today when the UN said it could not approve export quotas for the expensive delicacy for the coming year. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) said that it was unable to set export quotas for the Caspian Sea basin, where 90 per cent of the world's caviar is produced, because it did not have enough information about the region's fish population and the illegal trade in the eggs... Caviar traders said today's news reflected the parlous state of the world's most important population of sturgeon, but would not interrupt supplies. The harvesting season runs from late spring to late summer, so as long as CITES approves a quota within the coming months, no trade will be stopped".


Detox diets are a waste of time and money, say scientists: New year detox products that purport to rid the body of harmful chemicals accumulated through seasonal over-indulgence are a waste of time and money, leading scientists said yesterday. Most of the pills, juices, teas and oils that are sold for their detoxifying effects on the body have no scientific foundation for their claims, according to toxicologists and dieticians. They will not influence the rate at which the body rids itself of toxins, and any beneficial effects would be matched at much lower cost by drinking plenty of tap water, eating fruit and vegetables and getting a few early nights. The entire market for detox products, which is worth tens of millions of pounds a year, rests on myths about the human body that are hitting consumers in the wallet, the experts' report has found".