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The ABI code of practice for the selling of general insurance was first introduced in 1981 and has been refined over the years to meet the needs of consumers. It seeks to reflect the controls exercised over insurance brokers by virtue of the Insurance Brokers (Registration) Act 1977 and related regulations. It applies to all non‐registered intermediaries and employees of insurance companies. In 1994 the ABI introduced a number of improvements to address key areas of compliance, awareness and consumer recourse. The purpose of this paper is to examine the selling process involved at the new business, mid‐term adjustment, renewal stages of a general personal lines policy cycle and to propose strategies to ensure compliance with the ABI code. It considers options for monitoring and the importance of enforcement.

Secondary school children′s knowledge, attitudes and eating habits towards dietary salt (NaC1) were measured by self‐completed questionnaires in schools in Nottinghamshire (East Midlands of England) and analysed on the basis of age and sex. The results showed that a very high proportion (86 to 98 per cent) of children (both boys and girls) add salt to foods, with approximately 70 per cent of the younger children adding salt before tasting. The most popular food to which salt was added was chips (94 per cent of all children) and the least popular were pasta, soup and salad. The majority of the children perceived their own salt intake as medium in level, but this perception did not discriminate between added salt and salt present in processed food, about which their knowledge was fairly poor. Comparison of the sodium (Na) content of pastry samples produced by an in‐house recipe in several Nottingham schools showed them to vary five‐fold, but in every case except one they were lower than the Na level of a commercial pastry mix marketed to school meals authorities. Consideration should be given to a substantial reduction in Na contents of a range of both in‐house recipe foods and prepacked processed foods provided to children in school meals.

First January 1973 will not only mark the beginning of a New Year but a year which history will mark as a truly momentous one, for this is the year that Britain, after centuries of absence, re‐enters the framework of Europe as one of the Member‐States of the enlarged European Community. This in itself must make for change on both sides; Britain is so different in outlook from the others, something they too realize and see as an acquisition of strength. There have been other and more limited forms of Continental union, mainly of sovereignty and royal descent. Large regions of France were for centuries under the English Crown and long after they were finally lost, the fleur de lis stayed on the royal coat of arms, until the Treaty of Amiens 1802, when Britain retired behind her sea curtain. The other Continental union was, of course, with Hanover; from here the Germanized descendants of the Stuarts on the female line returned to the throne of their ancestors. This union lasted until 1832 when rules of descent prevented a woman from reigning in Hanover. It is interesting to speculate how different history might have been if only the British Crown and the profits of Tudor and Stuart rule had been maintained in one part of central Europe. However, Britain disentangled herself and built up overwhelming sea power against a largely hostile Europe, of which it was never conceived she could ever be a part, but the wheel of chance turns half‐circle and now, this New Year, she enters into and is bound to a European Community by the Treaty of Rome with ties far stronger, the product of new politico‐economic structures evolved from necessity; in a union which cannot fail to change the whole course of history, especially for this country.

The review of food consumption elsewhere in this issue shows the broad pattern of food supplies in this country; what and how much we eat. Dietary habits are different to what they were before the last War, but there have been few real changes since the end of that War. Because of supplies and prices, shifts within commodity groups have occurred, e.g. carcase meat, bread, milk, but overall, the range of foods commonly eaten has remained stable. The rise of “convenience foods” in the twenty‐five year since the War is seen as a change in household needs and the increasing employment of women in industry and commerce, rather than a change in foods eaten or in consumer preference. Supplies available for consumption have remained fairly steady throughout the period, but if the main food sources, energy and nutrient content of the diet have not changed, changes in detail have begun to appear and the broad pattern of food is not quite so markedly stable as of yore.

Viewing the last dying embers of 1984, the Orwel‐lian year of Big Brother and some of its not‐so‐far off the mark predictions, the unemployment which one cannot help feeling is more apparent than real, it is hardly surprising that the subject of Poverty or the so‐called Poverty arise. The real poverty of undernourished children, soup kitchens, children suffering at Christmas, hungry children ravenously consuming free school meals has not, even now, returned.

Few will complain that 1974 has not been an eventful year; in a number of significant respects, it has made history. Local Government and National Health Services reorganizations are such events. This is indeed the day of the extra‐large authority, massive monoliths for central administration, metropolitan conurbations for regional control, district councils corresponding to the large authorities of other days; and in a sense, it is not local government any more. As in other fields, the “big batallions” acquire greater collective power than the total sum of the smaller units, can wield it more effectively, even ruthlessly, but rarely appearing to take into account the masses of little people, the quiet people, who cannot make themselves heard. As expected, new names of authorities are replacing the old; new titles for departments and officers, ambitious and high‐sounding; a little grandiose for the tongues of ordinary folk. Another history‐making event of 1974, in the nature of a departmental transfer but highly significant for the course of future events as far as work in the field is concerned, was handing over of the personal health services—health of expectant mothers, babies, children, domiciliary midwifery, the school health services and their mainly medical and nursing personnel—from local health authorities to the newly created area health authorities. The public health departments over fifty years and more had created them, built them up into the highly efficient services they are. If anything can be learned from the past, new authorities are always more expensive than those they replace; they spend freely and are lavish with their accommodation and furnishings. In their first few months of existence, the new bodies have proved they are no exception. News of their meetings and activities in many areas is now scanty; even local newspapers which usually thrive on Council news—or quarrels—seem to have been caught on the wrong foot, especially in the small towns now merged into larger units. The public are relatively uninformed, but this doubtless will soon be rectified.

TasteTech’s CR100 process enables flavourings and ingredients to be microencapsulated as free‐flowing powders and then released on a controlled basis during the food manufacturer’s process when the conditions are right. CR100 utilises carrier materials which have been tailored to suit the end foodstuff into which the flavouring or ingredient is to be added. The flavouring and ingredient components are injected inline prior to mixing and atomisation. The CR100 process does not require high drying temperatures and consequently the expensive top notes of the flavour or active components of the ingredient are not lost through the process. TasteTech have applied their CR100 process to many key ingredients including sodium bicarbonate, peppermint oil, sodium diacetate and many spices.

Introduction Before any metal is immersed, it is usually exposed for some time to the atmosphere. During this period the metal normally reacts with the oxygen present in the air and forms an oxide film. It may also combine with any moisture and dissolved gases in the atmosphere to produce surface films. The presence of these surface layers affects the rate, and possibly the distribution, of any subsequent corrosion. Hence the formation of surface films in the atmosphere is discussed before the corrosion of immersed lead.

The big changes over recent years and their rapid development in Food Retailing have resulted in different shopping practices, for the institution, the hotel, restaurant and the home. Different cuisines have developed, foods purchased, both in cooking practices and eating habits, especially in the home. Gone are the old fashioned home economics, taking with them out of the diet much that was enjoyed and from which the families benefitted in health and stomach satisfaction. In very recent times, the changes have become bigger, developments more rapid, and the progress continues. Bigger and bigger stores, highly departmentalised, mechanical aids of every description, all under one roof, “complex” is an appropriate term for it; large open spaces for the housewife with a car. The development is in fact aimed at the bulk buyer — rapid turnover — the small household needs, not entirely neglected, but not specially catered for. Daily cash takings are collosal. This is what the small owner‐occupied general store, with its many domestic advantages, has come to fall in the late twentieth century.

For generations, Britain has had a household delivery of fresh milk; from the days before the Great War when it was delivered by a horse‐drawn milk float, with the roundsman often bringing the housewife to the door with his cries of “Milk‐O!”. The float had a churn and milk was delivered in a small can, served out by a dipper. This was the start of the distributive trade, organised between the Wars, from which the present industry has emerged. The trade gave universal acceptance to the glass bottle, returnable for household delivery, only the method of sealing has changed. There have been many demands for its abandonment in favour of the carton, of which recent years has seen a rise in its use in the increasing sales of milk by supermarkets and stores. Despite the problems with returnable vessels, the glass bottle has a number of advantages. The milk, including the cream line, is clearly visible, and short measure is most unlikely, which is a growing problem with carton‐filled milk. The number of prosecutions for short measure with cartons must be causing concern to trading standards departments. There is nothing to indicate the offence until the carton is opened.