Is there such a thing as too much Lurpak?

I'm all for buying Danish - on principle - but man cannot survive on chips, beans, white bread and Lurpak alone.

Scott Martin who existed on such a diet died of malnutrition, aged just 20. He bled to death on Christmas Eve after suffering medical complications after an operation to remove three infected teeth. He had cirrhosis of the liver (but didn't drink) and developed a secondary condition, auto-immune hepatitis, which thinned his blood and prevented his body from healing properly.

Now don't get me wrong. This is not Lurpak's fault. Lurpak is excellent butter. In dairy, as in meats, being Danish has meant being good. And to boycott their produce really is a bit rich on ethical grounds. It is undeniable that the cartoons were run, almost without ripple, until the OUTSIDE world reacted. Inside Denmark, few saw a problem with them. Everyone knows it.

"Denmark, along with its Scandanavian neighbours, has been serious about social justice. It is a vigorously ethical nation, where integrity prevails and equality is subscribed to as a guiding principle.

Generally, the Danish are well-liked abroad and well-respected, with little prejudice against them anywhere, let alone backlash."

But the same article makes the very valid point that companies that use their nationality as a selling point are tying their fortunes to the acts of politicians and newspapers, and even to a nation's minorities, from football hooligans to travellers abroad.


So, while I prefer my butter the English way, salty...mmmn like my bacon.... (OK I KNOW I'm unreconstructed), I particularly liked the Lurpak commercials with Douglas (the little Aardman animation chappy) and the Penelope Keith voice-over. So in the interests of health and international harmony, I am proposing a revival of Douglas for the World Cup - football hooligan Douglas - sport, politics, religion, nationalism and healthy eating in one neat package - so educational.

Just remember children, balance, in diet as in all things is key! What about a percussion section?

Totally on message.