Английский разговорный словарь (основной) - dutching

noun Also written dutching (Environment) (Lifestyle and Leisure) In the jargon of the British food industry, the practice of sending substandard food intended for the UK market for irradiation in the Netherlands (or some other European country where irradiation is permitted) so as to mask any bacterial contamination before putting it on sale in British shops. Etymology: Formed by making a 'verbal' noun from the adjective Dutch (since the irradiation is normally carried out in the Netherlands) and the suffix -ing; a similarly euphemistic expression for the same process is 'sending on a holiday to Holland'. History and Usage: The practice of Dutching was exposed in a Thames television documentary in 1985, but it was not at that time given this name. Both the word and the practice became topical in 1989 during discussions of the proposed legalization of food irradiation. At a time when there was widespread public concern over food-related illnesses, many people were shocked to discover that bad food was already being passed off as good in this way. A dealer...talked about 'Dutching' to a Sunday Times reporter posing as a potential buyer. Asked if the prawns would pass health tests at a British port...: 'Well, they won't if they come into England directly. But if they went into Holland and Belgium, yes.' Sunday Times 6 Aug. 1989, section 1, p. 3 See also irradiation