SIR – I am surprised at Terry Tordoff’s silly jibe at supermarkets’ putting best-by dates on food stuffs to increase their profits (Letters, 23 March).

He must know that health and safety laws require this nannying of the public at large, and if they did not indicate any dates on their goods, they could face serious litigation if any caused a customer to be ill.

I also disregard best-by and sell-by, and to some extent the use-by dates as well.

Also, on television this week, an economic expert was saying that the current rise in inflation would probably necessitate an increase in interest rate.

I am no expert and remember only being taught that inflation was caused by too much money chasing too few goods. That certainly is not the case today, nor is inflation consumer led.

It is things such as the price of oil and, as a consequence, energy prices. Putting up interest rates will not stop Gadaffi killing his own people, which has fuelled the oil markets, along with other things.

Philip Bird,Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley