Food Safety is a Necessity for Meeting Professionals In the last few months there seems to be a plethora of headlines announcing food safety issues related to crackers, meat, cheese, cucumbers, lettuce and more. Who would have thought that headlines like these would be of concern for a meeting professional or even a corporate event and that we’d need to create a food safety checklist? “Pepperidge Farm Issues Goldfish Recall” “The Shady Business of Food Fraud” “Ritz cracker Products Recalled Because of Salmonella in Whey” “Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Romaine Lettuce” Safety and security of…
August Religious Dietary Restrictions In keeping with my commitment to provide a helpful monthly calendar to everyone on religious dietary restrictions, here are August religious dietary restrictions dates to keep in mind this month. August 1 — Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus Observance & Dietary Restriction The Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus is a two week fasting period observed by Eastern Orthodox Christians to commemorate the death and burial of the Virgin Mary. Beginning on August first, Eastern Orthodox Christians forgo most proteins including dairy products, red meat, chicken, and…
Keep an Employee’s Invisible Disability in Mind at Company Events The definition of an invisible disability in simple terms is a physical, mental or neurological condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities that not visible to the eye. And, because the symptoms of the disability are invisible, it makes the disability misunderstood and ignored. Examples of an invisible disability include, but are not limited to peanut allergy, celiac disease and diabetes. In 2008, the Americans With Disabilities Act was amended to to add additional terminology to major life activities as defined in the original law enacted in 1990.…
Ever since my first lick of ice cream, it has been an endless love story. Trading my toy out for ice cream at Chick-fil-a was the easiest decision I ever had to make. I spent every spring, summer, fall, and winter craving ice cream when I was happy, sad and anywhere in between. After giving up dairy, I thought my long and faithful love story with ice cream had come crashing to an end, but I soon realized how many other options I have. The first destination on my road to discovering dairy-free ice cream options landed with the classic…
How to Make it Easier for Those with Dietary Needs to Eat Safely & Feel Included As we (i.e., me and my U.S.-based readers) celebrated 242 years our country’s independence this week, I got to thinking about the words independence and freedom, how they relate to food and beverage, and what I do to promote safe and inclusive food environments. By Merriam-Webster’s definition, independence, in the simplest of terms, is “the quality or state of not being under the control of, reliant on, or connected with someone or something else.” And the definition of freedom is “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice…
In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly religious dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are July dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for July events. July 10th Observance & Dietary Restriction Martyrdom of the Báb is a Baha’i observance beginning at sunset on July 9th and ending at the end of the day on July 10th. It is a time of mourning for The Báb who was a prophet and founder of the Baha’i faith. He was executed on this day in 1850. How to include participants Because this is a time of mourning…
Pears. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY OF PEARS Not many fruits have been called a “gift of the gods,” but according to the famous poet, Homer, that is just what a pear is. Throughout the Greek and Roman culture, this fruit has been as a valuable and versatile fruit. They have also been subjects of many famous artists throughout history, whether in a painting or the famous…
Quince. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY OF QUINCE The quince is one of the oldest fruits. Its beauty and sweet taste tempted many in myths and religions. The quince is often associated with the Greek goddess, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Many believe that the golden apple that Paris gives Aphrodite in the myth is not an apple at all, but a quince. The quince…
Cauliflower. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY OF CAULIFLOWER Cauliflower originates from the Brassica oleracea family that also contains broccoli, brussel sprouts, Kale and several other. It is an ancient vegetable that has been around since the 12th or 13th century. Native to the Mediterranean and Asia Its first documented location was Cyprus. From there is was documented in Italy and Rome along with its sister vegetable broccoli.…
Pomegranates. As part of fruits and veggies month, Thrive! is featuring a few favorite fruits and veggies. A whopping 90 percent of adults and children don’t get enough fruits and veggies. So, add this one to your shopping list this week! HISTORY The pomegranate can be traced far back into time. It is named in numerous ancient texts, such as the Quran and the Torah, and the pomegranate originated in Persia (Iran today). The pomegranate continues to sweep across the continent and could even be found along the Silk Road, one of the richest trading routes in history. Pomegranates were extremely valuable in…