Michel Lotito (France) (b. 15 June 1950) of Grenoble, France, known as Monsieur Mangetout, ate metal and glass from 1959 until his death last year.

At the same time Mr Moore's colleague, Giles Oldroyd, is investigating how some plants, such as legumes (peas and beans), make their own fertiliser, in the hope of transferring this trait to cereals.

Yes, Sir. Now, there's a choice of vegetables, asparagus or fresh peas. Which would you prefer?