What a great start to the week!  Fonterra is exonerated after having been linked to another Chinese milk scandal - a bit like the discovery of Viagra, scientists have discovered, by accident, that they have a grass seed that birds can’t stomach - and after the battle of the kiwifruit growers last week, we find research that says the hairy little bugger is even more healthy for you than first thought.

New research by the Riddet Institute has added improved digestion as another reason why we should eat two or three kiwifruit a day.

The Riddet Institute in Palmerston North is one of seven Centres of Research Excellence conducting research into foods and human nutrition.

They reckon kiwifruit, when consumed with a protein rich meal, can help improve digestion of several food proteins and break down proteins for better absorption within the digestive process.

So chuck away the Quick-eze and grab a kiwifruit! What with all the other benefits of kiwifruit and the vitamin C, it really is becoming like the blueberry -  a super food.

As to the grass see?  Well, in a scenario not far off the discovery of Viagra, PGG Wrightson researchers were developing new grass seeds when they discovered, by accident, that birds didn’t like eating them.

If you recall, the most popular little blue pill for men in the world – Viagra - was discovered by mistake. Scientists were looking for a treatment for hypertension relating to angina when they discovered that the pill they had developed had other benefits!

The grass seed story is less sexy but apparently they discovered something in the seed makeup that makes this particular seed unpalatable to birds.

With a dollop of horizontal thinking, PGGW has decided to target airport authorities.   Of course, one of the most prominent areas where birds are not welcome is airports.   Apparently, it costs $6 billion every year to control birds and pay for the damage to aircraft.

What a clever idea, and once again verification that the great Kiwi Number 8 Wire attitude is alive and well.