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A blaa is identified by the flour sprinkled on the top before baking - the key difference between it and a bap.

Blaa blaa blaa: Waterford bap considered for EU protected status

Waterford’s own unique doughy roll is being considered for European Protected Geographical Integrity status, bakers say.

ONE OF THE SOUTH-EAST’S most unique baking delicacies is being considered for a special EU designation which will forbid any similar products being branded with the same name.

The Blaa – a soft, doughy form of bap, natively made in Waterford City – is under consideration for the status of European Protected Geographical Integrity – which, if granted, will mean that no foodstuff produced outside the city can use the name.

“The Blaa application is at stage two of the EU process,” city baker Dermot Walsh said. “If the status is received this will be an annual verification process for each of the bakeries making the Blaa.”

The annual inspections will require of complete traceability of all ingredients that go into the food, with the recipe and production method of each Blaa being rigorously studied.

The roll has been produced in the city for over three centuries, and local anecdotes suggest that the product never became popular outside the city because, being free of any artificial ingredients, it doesn’t travel well and is best eaten quickly.

Around 12,000 Blaas – believed to originate from the French ‘blanc’, meaning ‘white’ – are produced in the city every day, with all but a few consumed by lunch.

Only four Irish food products currently enjoy the European status for which the Blaa is now being considered.

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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    Mar 18th 2024, 7:52 AM

    Anything that will relieve queues inf doctors’ surgeries and take pressure off the hospitals should be welcomed with open arms.
    Why are the government dragging their heels on this. Is there an ulterior motive?

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    Mute Aidan Mcguire
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    Mar 18th 2024, 3:32 AM

    kaaaaaaaaching..!!!!!.

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Mar 18th 2024, 7:53 AM

    @Aidan Mcguire: MMR is free to the public.

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    Mute Phil O' Meara
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:08 AM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: So pharmacies do not charge the public funded Health Service…..Right?

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Mar 18th 2024, 9:02 AM

    @Phil O’ Meara: No. Wrong. But I would expect them to be paid for their time, training, investment, etc.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 10:26 AM

    @Phil O’ Meara: It cost the public funded health service to do the vaccinations anyway, so subcontracting should not be a problem once they are not gouged by the pharmacists which I doubt. As they already have the other vaccinations contract.

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    Mute James Groden
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:05 AM

    The unnecessary covid vaccine did untold damage to people’s confidence in the system. Didn’t get that vaccine for the reason that I was never going to get any serious symptoms.
    I am, however, vehemently in favour of vaccinations against serious illnesses like measles, meningitis etc and encourage all my family and friends to get them. I think an admittance on the behalf of governments that they got the covid one wrong would go a long way to restoring confidence in the really essential and tested vaccines.

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    Mute Ronan Fahy
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    Mar 18th 2024, 9:35 AM

    @James Groden: yawn

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 10:29 AM

    @James Groden: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, So you do not believe in covid, can I introduce you to people that got it and flew throught it. Others that were extremly ill and are suffering Long covid or people who lost family to it.
    Your choice, there are thousands of people who can tell you THE TRUTH.

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    Mute Regular John
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    Mar 19th 2024, 3:01 AM

    @James Groden:
    Dopes like you had blood on your hands after Covid. That vaccine saved 1,000s of lives.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:50 AM

    Another bonanza for the pharmacists.They made a fortune from the covid vaccines.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 10:30 AM

    @Willie Marty: They got paid for doing a job and fulfilling a contract.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Mar 18th 2024, 11:56 AM

    @Gary Kearney: Ah! Do I hear a pharmacist coming out of the woodwork.Ye got paid to do a job all right at £40 to £60 a jab.

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    Mute Liam Meade
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    Mar 18th 2024, 9:42 AM

    The Spanish flu infected an estimated 500 million and killed an estimated 20 to 50 million “twenty times the population of our island so vaccination has at best held pandemics of devistation at bay for almost 70years from a virus that is particularly evil around children and the elderly.. taking vaccinations are a choice. viruses are indiscriminate.
    here are some horrible illnesses almost totally eradicated from the western world by vaccines,
    Smallpox.

    Rinderpest.

    Poliomyelitis (polio)

    Dracunculiasis.

    Yaws.

    Malaria.

    Hookworm.

    Lymphatic filariasi

    leprosy

    mumps,measles,rubella.

    never heard of them ?
    “look them up and you would swallow your vaccines needle and all”..and for those who choose to turn a blind eye let’s hope measels spares the other eye ..

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 10:32 AM

    @Liam Meade: Crazy part is people think those viruses are gone. They are not. They are there and if you are not inoculated, then you can catch them. The results have nit changed over the years. They still are deadly.

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Mar 18th 2024, 1:06 PM

    @Gary Kearney: You’re right. Part of every city’s disaster planning is factoring in the sheer amount of unhoused people who will be exposed to disease from filthy floodwaters and no sanitation. People in America still catch bubonic plague on hikes in vast national parks. Leprosy, rabies, TB; they’re all still out there, preying on anyone who has no resources to fight them off. Modern countries should be ensuring they don’t spread. No one should be that run down in modern Ireland.

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    Mute Regular John
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    Mar 19th 2024, 3:09 AM

    @F Fitzgerald:
    When you take in people from God knows where with no documentation or passports this is what you get.

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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Mar 18th 2024, 1:50 AM

    I saw it coming before they saw it coming

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Mar 18th 2024, 7:09 AM

    The Magical Mystery Vaccine is hoping to take you away
    Hoping to take you away.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:32 AM

    @Ray Dunne: Yeah, I can never get rid of my bag of vaccines at parties.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:35 AM

    @Jimmy Wallace: Roll up,
    That’s an invitation.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Mar 18th 2024, 9:17 AM

    @Ray Dunne: So I spend all day Sundays doing the lot myself. Then I do be in bits come the Monday and I’m deep in the hole to the corparations. A vicious circle.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 10:29 AM

    @Pól Pot: What are you on and can you share it.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Mar 18th 2024, 12:16 PM

    @Gary Kearney: Wouldn’t have a clue, but yeah, come meet in my hospice. I’ll dose you up good. Ye better have money on ye as Merck, GSK and Sanofi don’t mess about.

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    Mute Kathleen Peters
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    Mar 18th 2024, 5:11 PM

    @Jimmy Wallace: that’s the best way to be in this crazy Country of ours,any of us with common sense,can see there’s something not adding up here,I do not believe any migrants and I’m including Ukraine in that,have ever been vaccinated,they are not part of the EU,Ukraine, African Countries,it’s about their personal wealth in power,its time the EU Countries to stop giving billions every year too these 3rd world Countries,even the Covid enquiry the government aren’t talking about it,coz so much fraud went on,they want the Election over 1st,it’s no wonder the normal people here in Ireland,are either drinking too much,smoking weed,doing hard drugs,or getting prescription from the Drs to keep us doped up.i hope u had a great session,and God Bless u,may u have many more…

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    Mute Fran Mooney
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    Mar 18th 2024, 8:57 AM

    Why not do it in schools like they done when i was young

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    Mute Dublin Doll
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    Mar 18th 2024, 11:29 AM

    @Fran Mooney: I would say because the MMR was/is normally given to children at one year old with a booster at four years at times matched to the child’s birth date so mass vaccination in schools wouldn’t be necessary.
    This campaign however is in response to the recent cases that have been reported. It was practically eradicated here but there are adults here who would not be vaccinated for one reason or another or have immunity if they’ve had measles as a child.

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Mar 18th 2024, 1:08 PM

    @Fran Mooney: Sure the schools already double as polling stations – and chemists have online appointments and adult sized chairs for us!

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    Mute John Kenny
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    Mar 18th 2024, 9:08 AM

    Vote no

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