May 8, 2012

Wendy's Makes a Shift



Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the animals their burger comes from, but increased press and movies such as Fast Food Nation are bringing awareness to the conditions on industrial farms and the techniques used by food processors and suppliers.  And, while the fast food industry is huge, even small changes can go a long way to shifting the tides and behaviors among competitors.

Wendy’s is a recent example of such a shift.  Their goal is to help shed some of the stigma around the treatment of animals relative to the fast food industry.  As such, they announced that they’re using a supplier for their chicken who uses a low atmospheric pressure system that renders the chickens unconscious before they’re handled by plant workers.  Previously, the chickens were stunned with electric prods before being handled, which was much more traumatic for the birds.

Wendy’s is also teaming up with McDonald’s in shifting to pork suppliers who are moving away from the use of gestation crates*.  And, just two weeks ago, Burger King joined the movement and announced that, by 2017, it would only source from suppliers who not only avoid gestation crates, but also supply cage-free chickens and eggs.

 So, while this may just be the tip of the iceberg, it is encouraging to see the giants in the industry taking steps in the right direction, acknowledging that their consumers are both aware of and demanding more, and beginning to step up to the Food Revolution plate.

*Gestation crates are small enclosures used to isolate female pigs.  They’re often so cramped that the animals can’t lie down, let alone turn around.  These environments have created very high-stress conditions and resulted in numerous health and behavior issues in the animals.



Read More:
Wendy’s changes treatment of chicken and pigs

 
Want to know about the Food Revolution at SRG?  Click here
 
--Christie Wood

Bryce Clark
Culinary Assistant

April 23, 2012

Google Gets Mindful About Eating


More and more large companies, even those outside of the food industry, are taking it upon themselves to step up their sustainable and health-promoting practices in order to improve employee performance and health.  Google is a great example of this.

We’ve all heard about how Google has a Chief Sustainability Officer, and how their employees have access to free chef-prepared meals at their onsite cafeterias.  But did you know that Google has started planning “Growing Connections” organic gardens at many of their office sites?  These gardens not only give people a nice break or alternative to their desk, but they also grow fresh produce and herbs that are incorporated into the meals served right there on the premises.  Anything they can’t grow themselves they try to source from within 200 miles of each site, with an emphasis on buying from small organic and sustainable farms.  Items that can’t be sourced locally, such as coffee, are purchased through Fair Trade operations.

They’ve also revamped their cafeterias with some interesting new features.  For instance, smaller plates, in addition to the original larger ones, next to a sign that informs diners that people who use larger dishes are inclined to eat more.  They’ve also put Harvard’s color-coded food tags into place, with green tags next to healthy choices, yellow tags next to offerings that are only so-so, and red tags next to items like desserts, to urge diners to proceed in moderation.  Even simple switches such as putting their M&Ms in opaque rather than clear bowls, and putting bottled water instead of soda at eye level in coolers has decreased the caloric consumption of employees dramatically.

Google is also taking things a step farther, in highlighting the food – mind – body connection through their monthly “Mindful Eating” lunches.  Each month, employees at the various campuses have the option of participating in a communal vegan meal, taken in total silence, and, believe it or not, free of all electronic gadgets.  The goal is to quiet the mind, experience and appreciate food on a deeper level, and ultimately yield more present, enlightened and productive workers.  The results have been very positive, and they’ve found that their engineers are some of the biggest participants! 

Read More:


Want to know about the Food Revolution at SRG?  Click here


--Christie Wood


Bryce Clark
Culinary Assistant

April 18, 2012

The King of Sustainable Brewing


Ken Grossman, Founder of Sierra Nevada
Leave it to a handful of mad scientists/organic farmers/brewers to make their operation a shining example of the Food Revolution at work!  Enter Sierra Nevada, the king of sustainable brewing operations, and the gold standard by which many smaller brewers model themselves.  

Beginning with their inputs, Sierra Nevada insists on non-GMO barley and hops, grown using sustainable farming practices.  They’ve even started their own organic farm on the premises, which supplies both inputs for the beer, as well as local, seasonal produce and meat for the farm-to-table restaurant also on site.  They’ve even developed a closed-loop system of composting the leftovers from the restaurant and brewing process and using it to fertilize their crops, which will once again fuel the operations.

Sierra Nevada has also made remarkable strides in their energy and resource efficiency through utilizing biodiesel and hybrid trucks for their distribution, employing state of the art water conservation technologies, recovering and reusing C02 and methane gas, and finding ways to recycle 99.6% of the solid waste the operation produces.  On top of all this, Sierra Nevada has installed the latest in solar and hydrogen cell technology, to further reduce their impact on the environment.

Sales have been so strong that they’re now in the process of opening a second brewing facility location and restaurant in North Carolina to better keep up with growing demand, and reduce their carbon footprint, so they’re not shipping everything from CA.
Now, who doesn’t want to raise a glass to that!?



Read More:
Sierra Nevada

Want to know about the Food Revolution at SRG?  Click here

--Christie Wood
 

Bryce Clark
Culinary Assistant

April 17, 2012

Reinventing Popcorn

Who doesn’t love a bowl of hot fluffy microwave popcorn? Delicious, right? But in recent years, there has been growing concern around some of the stuff that goes into those oh-so-convenient little envelopes.

For starters, many brands that tout “Butter” flavor use tropical oils, such as coconut or palm oils in their products, which are high in saturated and trans fats. Secondly, many manufacturers coat their popcorn bags with chemicals called fluorotelemers, which can break down in high heat and become carcinogenic. Thirdly and most notably, the ultimate nemesis of microwave popcorn is diacetyl, a chemical that gives microwave popcorn its golden color and that familiar buttery aroma. It can lead to coughing, reduced lung capacity and can even be fatal!

With all these things to worry about, you might think you need to swear off microwave popcorn for good, but not so! Quinn Popcorn has come to our rescue. All of their popcorn is organic and non-GMO. They also skip the plastic and chemical-coated bags and instead used all recycled, compostable paper products. And, rather than bad-for-you oils and artificial flavorings, Quinn uses all organic expeller-pressed oils and simple, all natural ingredients to craft their inspired flavors such as Parmesan & Rosemary and Vermont Maple & Sea Salt. So, popcorn lovers rejoice, it’s quite safe, and even good for you, to keep enjoying this high-fiber snack, put out by a company that has totally embraced the principles of the Food Revolution!

Read More:
Quinn Popcorn
Microwave Popcorn Health Risks
Could Microwave Popcorn Be Toxic?
Is Microwave Popcorn Toxic?

Want to know about the Food Revolution at SRG? Click here


--Christie Wood

Bryce Clark
Culinary Assistant

November 10, 2011

Boulder Gets a Second Breakfast Spot

photo courtesy www.tangerineboulder.com
We’ve seen breakfast focused restaurants boom in Denver for a few years, with restaurants like Snooze, Jelly, Syrup, and Breakfast on The Edge, and now we’re excited to see Boulder join in on the morning fun. Back in June Chef Alec Schuler opened Tangerine, and showed Boulder-ites his creative interpretation of what breakfast could be with items like his BLR Pancakes, ricotta and lemon pancakes with blueberry sauce or the Asparagus and Mushrooms with two poached eggs over green lentils with pancetta, spinach, salsa verde, and grano padano cheese. Now Snooze has opened its doors on Pearl Street to offer up indulgent breakfast items as well as creative pancakes like the must-try Red-Eye Velvet Pancakes, red velvet buttermilk batter topped with espresso infused maple syrup, a touch of cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans or the Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes, buttermilk pancakes with caramelized pineapple chunks, house made vanilla crème anglaise and cinnamon butter. It’s no surprise that chefs have started giving breakfast a makeover, it ties closely with our Culinary Shift Luxury Re-Valued, were just glad we don’t have to drive to Denver anymore to enjoy a morning meal.

--Bryce Clark

Bryce Clark
Culinary Assistant