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Duty of Care

Yes, You Can Help End Hunger Now

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World Food Day is Dedicated to Promoting Healthy Diets and Efforts to End Hunger Worldwide Meeting and event professionals generally think in terms pleasing discerning palates when planning event food and beverage needs, not ending hunger. Sure, attendees may get a tad peckish if the general session runs into the coffee break time, but serious, stomach-growling hunger tends to be a pretty rare thing. In fact, it’s much more likely you’ll have heaping platters of food going uneaten at the end of the buffet than it is to hear anyone complain that there wasn’t enough to go around. If only…

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Vegan tacos with baked chickpeas, avocado, sauce and vegetables on dark background, top view — vegetarians vegetarianism
Lifestyle Choices

50 Shades of Vegetarianism

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Before you can meet the dietary needs of those who prefer or require plant-based diets, you need to know all the different forms those who consider themselves to be “vegetarians” can take. “Do you have a vegetarian option?” These words once struck fear into the hearts of unprepared banquet servers and venue kitchen staff, who at best would scramble to whip up some brown rice and steamed broccoli in hopes that would satisfy the vegetarian conference-goer’s needs. With almost of fifth of the U.S. population either identifying as vegetarian or interested in going veggie at least part time (7.3 percent…

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food safety best practices
Food Safety

Food Safety Best Practices

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Food Safety Best Practices are Important to Help Protect Lives Facing a long checklist when conducting site-inspections—or booking caterers—event planners might overlook the issues of food safety and food allergens. But given the frequency of food recalls and outbreaks of food borne illnesses in recent years, its vital for event organizers to evaluate how suppliers tackle these issues, and not to shy away from asking questions about food safety policies and procedures. “The best question to ask is how they handle allergies,” said Jeff Sommer, executive chef, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, in Pendleton, OR. “You need to feel confident that…

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food safety is crucial for managing risk
Food Safety

Why Controlling Risk Is ‘Crucial’ on-the-Job Skill

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Understanding Food Safety is Crucial for Controlling Risk Thinking of everything that can go wrong with an event is nearly impossible, but that is what meeting professionals try to do when we create contingency plans as a means to controlling risk associated with our events. Think about the Farmers Insurance “Hall of Claims” commercials showcasing things that have gone wrong — cement pouring into a car, hot air ballon landing on a parked car. It’s a clever campaign that highlights unique claims their customers have submitted. At the end of each commercial, the “voice of God” affirms their tagline: “We…

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Religious Dietary Practices

September 2019 Religious Calendar

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The month of September often symbolizes a time of change and transition as we exit the summer months and the autumn begins. The next 30 days are full of religious celebrations, including the Jewish High Holy Days. Read more about these sacred traditions in order to better accommodate employees and colleagues who observe them and the corresponding dietary restrictions. September 2 — Janmashtami Observance and Dietary Restriction Janmashtami is an annual Hindu holiday that celebrates the birth of Krishna, a popular and widely revered Indian deity. One of the largest religious festivals in the world, Janmashtami is celebrated by almost…

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Disabilities Food Allergies

Thrive! in August: All About Mustard

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If you have to manage a food allergy or intolerance, traveling abroad or attending a business meeting or family picnic can be a minefield to navigate your allergy. From communicating your allergy in another language to knowing how that country, region or chef uses the food in their cuisine makes the already challenging situation even more difficult.  Peanuts, for example, are used in many restaurants and street food stalls in Thailand. Often, the nuts are ground down to use as a garnish, meaning it is impossible to guarantee meals prepared nearby are entirely nut free. Mustard, an ancient flavor which…

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psychological impact of food allergies
Food Allergies

The Psychological Impact of Food Allergies

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Food Allergies Psychologically Impact Social Experiences We all have an inherent human emotional need to associate with and be welcomed by others within groups. Whether it’s the kickball team, family, the neighborhood book club or the office, the need to belong is at the heart of each of us feeling accepted, getting attention and gaining/providing support. As we go through life, we are motivated to fulfill these social needs along with our basic needs of food, housing and love. It drives our need to feel good about ourselves.   “The need to belong is an intrinsic motivation to affiliate with others…

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June 2019: All About Pork
Food & Beverage

What You Should Know About Pork

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Pork is a very prevalent food in our culture. The term refers to the meat from domesticated pigs. Animal husbandry, or the growing of livestock for food purposes, dates back to 5000 BC. Today, pork is the most common form of meat worldwide. From ham sandwiches to hot dogs and even our soup broths, pork is everywhere. While it is a very accepted food, there are a few things that F&B professionals should know about pork before serving it at their events and culinary establishments. Pork in Religion There are several religions that prohibit their practitioners from eating pork –…

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Food Allergies

Food Allergies After College

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A Guest Post by Madison Savlov Graduation. I cannot believe I am officially finishing roughly 20 years of my much-appreciated education. Now I must enter the workforce and what society calls “the real world.” after college Besides being apprehensive about finding a job and leaving my home of 4 years to live on my own, as an adult with food allergies, I must now completely take control of managing them without the support that has been provided to me growing up. Now I start the process of locating “safe” restaurants — as well as a job and employer — that…

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adult-onset food allergy
Food Allergies

Adult-Onset Food Allergies on the Rise

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  A New Study Shows Adult-onset food allergies are Higher than Projected Increased awareness of food allergies and dietary restrictions has prompted more research on the subject. The findings on adult-onset food allergies from a new research study conducted by Science & Outcomes of Allergy & Asthma Research (SOAAR) are fascinating and often spark more questions than answers. This is hopeful for many of those who live with uncomfortable and sometimes deadly reactions to certain foods. SOAAR Study The SOAAR study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that 10.8% of US adults (>26 million) have…

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