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Food Waste Week
Sustainability

Today Marks the End of Food Waste Week – Efforts Continue!

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With Europe making leaps and bounds in the food waste policy conversation, it make it seem like America is being left in the dust. We’re not where many other countries are, but we do have our strengths and are making our own strides. Today marks the last day of #FoodWasteWeek and I just wanted to share a few notes and scribbles I find inspiring on the food waste topic. Companies, cities, and entire countries are choosing to donate rather than throw it away. France, among other countries such as Denmark and Italy, has made it legally difficult to throw away…

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Meetings & Events

Optimize the Iconic ‘Coffee Break’ for National Coffee Day

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As meeting and event professionals we are always trying to find fun and interesting ways to help attendees mingle, network, and connect. Caffenation is, of course, an important way to keep our guests energized and coffee breaks are one of those in-between spaces that often get left off the radar.   Maybe it’s because this is a time people use to separate from the group to make calls or check emails. But there are plenty of attendees who use this time to reflect with each other about how the day is going or what they thought of the last session…

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Meetings & Events

Honoring Honorees & Honoring Attendees: Creative Food & Beverage

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Our honored attendees and distinguished guests are so important, but it’s easy for our recognition traditions to fall stagnant. From announcements in the program to event website profile pages, we work hard to provide well-deserved recognition. Following are some pretty cool ideas that help keep our recognition practices fresh and some even integrate creative food trends. Create souvenir style coasters with the name and achievement, or a personal quote, of each honoree. Don’t just throw them in the goodie bags people get upon registration. Put them on the tables in the dining area. It’s a great way to keep the…

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Trends

Attendees by Generation: What We Need to Consider

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Expectations of the dining experience have many influences for attendees. Among those influences are the generational expectations of food, food culture, and how we dine together. While some trends change year-to-year, we can also observe trends in expectations generation-to-generation. Ultimately, different age groups respond differently to trends in food service and in turn, we try to manage a responsiveness to expectations. Boomers were king in the 80s, and so was Caesar salad, hot sauce, ranch dressing, and buffalo sauce. The flavor lifecycle is about 5-8 years. We saw the hot sauce peak and give way to familiar global cuisines, such…

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Food Allergies

Cross-Contamination, Cross-Contact, & Food Safety at Your Event

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Cross-contamination is a commonly understood concept. It occurs when bacteria or viruses contaminate food. It can occur during preparation and storage. Often, proper cooking will reduce or eliminate the contamination, so foodborne illness is less of a risk. Occasionally, people forget what they are doing and put their newly cooked hamburger patties on the same plate they used to hold the patties when they were raw. This just reintroduces the contamination. Luckily, professional kitchen staff are trained in the proper handling of food and risk is minimized. When discussing food allergies, we really need to be more aware of cross-contact.…

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Dietary Needs Food Service Meetings & Events

Epi-Pen Price Hikes – What you need to know

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Prices of EpiPens have been skyrocketing for the past few years, causing many to demand answers and even more to go without a potentially life-saving treatment that was once available, decades ago, for the price of a pair of drugstore sunglasses.  EpiPens could be called a safety net. People with serious allergic reactions are at risk of anaphylaxis. Certain foods, medicines, insect bites and stings, even latex, can cause symptoms such as wheezing, swelling, drops in blood pressure, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. The EpiPen quickly delivers adrenaline in the form of epinephrine to temporarily pause the immune system’s reaction…

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Sustainability

An Important Brief on Sustainable Seafood

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Seafood is one of the most important foods to consider when designing a sustainable menu. There is a big focus on eating local and on the comparative carbon footprint of beef, lamb, and chicken. But between overfishing, the evolving health of our oceans, and our understanding of how farm fishing and wild caught affects surrounding eco-systems, we begin to grasp that understanding sustainable seafood is a complex undertaking. Without diving into big explanations and long-winded descriptions, let’s assume you already care about supporting sustainable eating and seafood is included. Here are just a few must-know items to help you make…

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LDEI Atlanta
Thrive! in the News

Les Dames d’Escoffier Selects Tracy Stuckrath as New Member

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On July 11, 2016, the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) selected its 2016 class of Dames. Tracy was one of 12 women from the greater Atlanta community who was chosen to be part of the “international society of women dedicated to creating a culture in the community that fosters excellence and promotes the achievement of women in culinary professions through educational and charitable activities.” Tracy was selected to be a Dame for her work and dedication to educating the meetings and events industry on safe and healthy food and beverage programs that accurately address dietary restrictions and for her…

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Allergic Living Spring 2016 cover
Food Allergies Meetings & Events

Mixing Business & Allergies

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This article originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Allergic Living. Off to a convention and packing special food needs? There's much to know. Allergic Living Spring 2016 As I exited a luncheon in a hotel ballroom last fall, I saw a fellow attendee being tended to by a swarm of EMTs and convention staff. She was being treated for an anaphylactic reaction to the food she was served. She had informed the meeting planner and hotel of her serious food allergies, yet in this case, that wasn’t enough. Fortunately, after a trip to the hospital, the woman recovered…

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Dietary Needs

Utilize Technology to Make Diet Choices Easier & Safer

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Nearly everyone is trying to watch what they eat nowadays, but even the most obsessive foodies can find it frustrating to really know with confidence just what they are putting into their bodies. Food labels can be difficult to read and keep track of if you’re on a diet of any kind. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have laboratory testing info on all the foods you eat? Food Spectrometers & Detectors With so much power in our hands these days, it only makes sense that our smartphones would become the best source of food-related apps and tools. One…

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