Faeces reveals we loved beer and blue cheese 2,700 ago

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 14 October 2021

Scientists lucky enough to study ancient samples of human excrement have found that humans enjoyed beer and blue cheese two millennia ago. The analysis found that workers at a salt mine in Austria were enjoying both products up to 2,700 years back. Frank Maixner, a microbiologist at the Eurac Research Institute in Italy, said he was surprised to learn salt miners so far back were advanced enough to “use fermentation intentionally”.

Baker banned from using sprinkles

A baker has been banned from using a particular type of sprinkles on his cookies and cakes after Trading Standards said they broke the law. Rich Myers, the founder of an independent bakery in Leeds, said it was a “devastating blow” when he was forced to stop producing his best-selling cookies due to the ban. He believes the fateful visit from West Yorkshire Trading Standards followed a single complaint from a “disgruntled competitor”.

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