<p>A period of fasting prior to anaesthesia for surgery is necessary to prevent aspiration of stomach contents which can be potentially fatal. It has, however, become custom and practice in many clinical settings to deprive patients of food and fluids for unnecessarily long periods of time. The problem of excessive pre-operative fasting was recognised as early as 1883 when Joseph Baron Lister stated: ‘While it is desirable that there should be no matter in the stomach when chloroform is administered, it will be very salutary to give a cup of beef tea about two hours previously’ (Phillips 1993).</p>