Crackdown on harmful food additives: Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launches "Food Revolution Day"

Reporter Lin Yu-ling / Comprehensive report

Recently, issues surrounding improper food additives such as modified starches have sparked widespread controversy, triggering public anxiety over food safety. British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has long been dedicated to the "Food Revolution" movement. He initiated "Food Revolution Day," which has now garnered signatures from over 1.5 million people across more than 43 countries worldwide, including celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Justin Bieber, and Asian stars such as Donnie Yen, Wu Nien-ju, and Fang Da Tong, who have also shown their support. He also shares some dietary knowledge, such as advising against adding milk to hot chocolate, as it can inhibit the cardiovascular-beneficial antioxidants in the chocolate.

▲ Oliver launches the "Food Revolution": Love cooking, love sharing, love life. (Photo / TLC Travel & Living Channel)

Remember your grandmother’s signature dish? That memory of simple, unadulterated, wholesome flavor. Jamie says, “Cooking skills used to be passed down from generation to generation, but now many people don’t even know the most basic cooking techniques!” He points out that as fewer people cook and more rely on eating out, our relationship with food has unknowingly weakened.

According to statistics, over 1.5 billion people globally are now overweight, and in 2010 alone, at least 12.5 million people died from obesity-related diseases. Poor diets have become one of the biggest threats to global health. Therefore, Jamie calls on everyone to support food education—starting by rolling up their sleeves and cooking, thereby learning about ingredients to make themselves and the planet healthier.

Jamie Oliver designated May 17 as "Food Revolution Day" to raise awareness about the importance of food education and cooking. Once people learn how to cook, they begin to appreciate the flavors of natural ingredients, and consumers will start demanding better from companies—effectively reducing the prevalence of unsafe foods in the market, and even pushing for legislation to protect their own health.

To encourage everyone to roll up their sleeves and cook, Oliver once hosted a large picnic event called "The Jamie Oliver Food Festival" in Clapham Common, South London, together with Blur bassist Alex James. The event invited the public to step outdoors and enjoy natural, wholesome food along with great music. This event is set to premiere on Taiwan's TLC Travel & Living Channel.

▲ Oliver advocates for natural eating and uses his creativity to introduce audiences to simple yet flavorful surprise dishes perfect for picnics and barbecues.

On the show "The Jamie Oliver Food Festival," Jamie Oliver will use his creativity to introduce audiences to simple, delicious dishes ideal for picnics and barbecues, making outdoor party food more than just soggy takeaway sandwiches, burnt burgers, and tough potatoes. Jamie says, “For me, cooking outdoors is about getting back to basics. No gadgets—just fire, wood smoke for flavor, and mashing ingredients by hand. That’s how you create great taste. My friends and I will cook in a primal way, preparing food directly over the fire.”

Next, Chef Jamie introduces two natural stimulants: chili and chocolate. True to his spirit of understanding ingredients, he advises against adding milk to hot chocolate, saying, “Milk inhibits flavonoids—the antioxidants in chocolate that are good for your heart—so actually, authentic hot chocolate is healthy and rich in vitamins and minerals.”

▲ Jamie cooks up a nostalgic hometown dish for Jazzie B of Soul II Soul.

▲ Jamie demonstrates a delicious barbecue dish.