Brits need to cut down on baked beans – because of the impact of “smelly emissions” on global warming, a minister warned yesterday.
Families in the UK eat more beans than any other country in the world, the House of Lords heard.
But the extra flatulance caused by Britain’s baked bean habit could harming the country’s fight against climate change, peers were told.
Climate change minister Lady Verma said it was an “important” issue and urged the public to “moderate our behaviour”.
Concerns have previously been raised about the effect of methane emissions from cows on global warming.
But Labour peer Viscount Simon yesterday raised questions about the impact of human diet on emmisions.
The 73-year-old said: “In a programme some months ago on the BBC it was stated that this country has the largest production of baked beans and the largest consumption of baked beans in the world.”
He asked Lady Verma: “Could you say whether this affects the calculation of global warming by the Government as a result of the smelly emission resulting therefrom?”
Lady Verma described his question as “so different”.
But she suggested people needed to think twice about over-indulging in baked beans.
She added: “You do actually raise a very important point, which is we do need to moderate our behaviour.”
