IACP GLOBAL BLOG

U.S. Ag Secretary Vilsack calls for innovation in food supply

2011-10-26T13:57:00.000-04:00

"There is a need for greater diversification of the American food supply and US diets need to change, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in his keynote speech at the launch of the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) in the United States."

Concerning the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill, Vilsack said that money would move policy. He hopes that agricultural research is not the place where budget cuts will be made.

Half of U.S. adults will be obese by 2010

2011-08-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

"A team of international public health experts argued [in a recent report in the British medical journal the Lancet] that the global obesity crisis will continue to grow worse and add substantial burdens to health-care systems and economies unless governments, international agencies and other major institutions take action to monitor, prevent and control the problem.

"Changes over the past century in the way food is made and marketed have contributed to the creation of an 'obesogenic' environment in which personal willpower and efforts to maintain a healthful weight are largely impossible, the report noted."

Scientists find new superbug strain of salmonella

2011-08-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

"Scientists have identified an emerging 'superbug' strain of salmonella that is highly resistant to the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, often used for severe salmonella infections, and say they fear it may spread around the world."

The earliest infections were recorded in Egypt between 2002 and 2005, but now people are being infected in Europe and the United States through contaminated imported poultry and secondary infections. Read more. . .

Get juiced with summer mocktails

2011-08-04T14:26:00.000-04:00

"Eating fruits and vegetables is good-for-you nutritious. But did you know drinking them can be fun and delicious? To judge by restaurant menus, more and more people are imbibing fruit- or veggie-based nonalcoholic drinks, whether they're dining out or eating in." Read more. . .

Some up-and-coming chefs are skipping culinary school

2011-08-04T14:21:00.000-04:00

"The cautionary tale of a would-be chef goes like this: A starry-eyed youth dreams of helming a restaurant kitchen and enrolls in a $60,000 culinary program but upon graduation still qualifies only for a job as a $10.50-an-hour line cook and struggles to work off crippling school loans that, with interest, can balloon to nearly $100,000. Dream crushed." Read more. . .

Culinary tourism: a reflection of the destination's culture

2011-07-07T17:05:00.000-04:00

"Culinary tourism doesn't just mean travelling to sample food at high-end restaurants; it's about enjoying the food that represents a region. 'Food reflects the destination's culture,' according to Dr. Steve Smith, a professor at the University of Waterloo who specializes in tourism with a particular love and interest in culinary travel."

Fat babies at risk to become obese adults

2011-07-07T16:36:00.000-04:00

“'A lot of conventional thinking has been that a big baby is a healthy baby,' said Leann Birch, director of the Center for Childhood Obesity Research at Pennsylvania State University, who chaired the 14-member panel that issued the 140-page report. 'What’s happened over the past decade or so is that the evidence has been building that early overweight or early rapid weight gain places kids at risk for later obesity.'”

Calorie labels on restaurant menus don't stop diners from overindulging

2011-07-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

"Evidence is mounting that calorie labels — promoted by some nutritionists and the restaurant industry to help stem the obesity crisis — do not steer most people to lower-calorie foods. Eating habits rarely change, according to several studies. Perversely, some diners see the labels yet consume more calories than usual. People who use the labels often don’t need to. (Meaning: They are thin.)"

California's grape farmers support childhood nutrition program

2011-06-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

"Hundreds of chefs and culinary professionals converged on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol this week to mark the first anniversary of Chefs Move to Schools (CMTS). This celebration also marked the creation of a new grant program for CMTS, administered by The Culinary Trust, the philanthropic arm of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, with initial funding from the California Table Grape Commission."

At USDA a plate instead of a pyramid

2011-06-02T22:46:00.000-04:00

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday unveiled a plate-shaped icon representing the government's new dietary guidelines, replacing the nearly 20-year-old food pyramid that was often criticized for its complexity."

Food makers resist lawmakers’ proposal for guidelines in marketing to children

2011-05-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

“The food and advertising industries are pushing back against an Obama administration proposal that calls for food makers to voluntarily limit the way they market sugary cereals, salty snacks and other foods to children and teens. . .

“The guidelines, ordered by Congress and written by a team from the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agriculture Department, ignited a debate about the role of marketing in soaring obesity rates among children.”

A representative of the Grocery Manufacturers Association argued that de facto regulations would not solve the childhood obesity epidemic, but they would hurt business. Why is that reasoning illogical?

When food is what makes you sick

2011-05-24T10:33:00.000-04:00

This year one in six Americans will get sick from eating contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The most troublesome combination is campylobacter-laden poultry, which sickens more than 600,000 people annually, resulting in nearly 7,000 hospitalizations. Next on the list, which was based on a decade’s worth of data about disease outbreaks, deaths and costs and a peer-reviewed survey of experts, were pork contaminated with toxoplasma and deli meats tainted with listeria.

"The most problematic pathogen was salmonella, which appeared four times — in combination with poultry, complex foods (i.e., non-meat dishes composed of multiple ingredients), produce and eggs — and caused just over 250 deaths and nearly 16,000 hospitalizations."

“'At the end of the day, you can make sure you cook everything thoroughly and be ultra-careful about cross-contamination, but this issue won’t go away just by keeping your kitchen clean, or being vegetarian, or even purchasing local meat or vegetables and buying organics,' says Jessica Liebler, a research scientist at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services who specializes in infectious diseases in food systems. 'This is a problem for everyone who eats.'”

50 most important women in food from Gourmet.com

2011-05-23T09:51:00.000-04:00

"Men have the big toques, but when you think about it, it’s women who may have exerted the most influence over our foodways—especially since there’s been mass media to record their feats." With how many of the 50 women are you acquainted? Who's missing?

Generation trends to dictate future eating patterns in Canada

2011-05-16T17:38:00.000-04:00

"The market research organization The NPD Group said in its latest report, A Look into TheFuture of Eating – Canadian Marketplace, that eating patterns over the coming ten years will be influenced by generational preferences, as well as differences in eating habits that come with age. For instance, it is likely that Canadian Baby Boomers will seek out more convenience foods, while Canadians currently aged 18 and younger will skip more meals . . .

" . . . Two of the top food groups forecast to gain in importance in Canada are salty and savory snacks, and easy meals such as yogurt and snack bars, NPD said. Two of the food groups expected to lose importance are heat and eat breakfasts and combination dishes."

Kids' food market set to boom with products for generation XL

2011-05-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

According to a new report from the marketing research firm Packaged Facts, the next five years will see manufacturers portraying themselves as the solution to the childhood obesity problem.

"While the bulk of packaged retail products targeting kids (a $10 billion market in 2010) were in ‘traditional’ categories such as cereals and ice cream, 40 percent had some better-for-you element, with claims such as ‘made with whole wheat’ or ‘lower sugar’, it noted."

The best baguette in Paris

2011-05-16T14:50:00.002-04:00

" . . . It's surprising to discover that the world's leading expert on French bread—and the baguette in particular—is not a Frenchman, but an American, born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn."

Taste buds are just one reason why we love some foods and hate others

2011-04-26T11:40:00.000-04:00

"Sweet means energy; sour means not ripe yet. Savory means food may contain protein. Bitter means caution, as many poisons are bitter. Salty means sodium, a necessary ingredient for several functions in our bodies. (By the way, those tongue maps that show taste buds clumped into zones that detect sweet, bitter, etc.? Very misleading. Taste receptors of all types blanket our tongues — except for the center line — and some reside elsewhere in our mouths and throats.)"

Coconut Oil Charms

2011-04-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

Coconut oil "has recently become the darling of the natural-foods world. Annual sales growth at Whole Foods 'has been in the high double digits for the last five years,' said Errol Schweizer, the chain’s global senior grocery coordinator.

It turns out that most of the 1990's studies used partially-hydrogenated coconut oil. While coconut oil is saturated, nutritionists are rethinking whether saturated fats clog arteries, as was previously thought.

What the FDA menu-labeling regs really mean

2011-04-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

"Don't want to struggle through all 183 pages of the proposed federal menu-labeling regulation? Don't worry. National Restaurant News did. Check out some frequently asked questions and answers."

Austin, Tex., keeping it weird

2011-04-01T14:52:00.000-04:00

IACP member and The Washington Post Food Editor, Joe Yonan, shares some of his favorite spots in Austin, Texas, a city known for its quirky, independent spirit.

This weirdness is directly tied to the city’s two major employers, the University of Texas and the state government. According to Red Wassenich, 60, the Austin Community College professor who ten years ago coined the phrase Keep Austin Weird, “You've got underpaid, highly educated people, and that makes for a breeding ground for weirdos."

Weirdness requires cheapness: The kind of folks who can produce the city's unique culture - all the live music, the oddball art - need to be able to afford to live there. "Now we have the highest cost of living in Texas," he says. "Most weirdos don't have a lot of money."

Austin’s cost of living may be high, but Joe’s article shows that it’s still possible to have a lot of fun there without breaking your budget.

Alliance to Feed the Future informs opinion makers about conventional food production

2011-04-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

"A new alliance comprised of multinational U.S. food and biotechnology trade groups has formed to 'balance the public dialogue on modern agriculture and large-scale food production.'"

"The Alliance to Feed the Future said 'in an effort to meet the world’s increasing food needs responsibly, efficiently and affordably,' its members want to 'tell the real story of' and dispel 'misperceptions about modern food production and technology.'"

Flavor trends favor novel tastes and unique combinations

2011-03-28T12:26:00.000-04:00

"Americans are always interested in new flavors as long as they are not 'too far out,' and will pay attention to edgy flavor combinations as long as they taste as good as they sound interesting."

Food Contamination Fears Could Harm Japanese Brands

2011-03-22T12:49:00.000-04:00

"The Japanese Health Ministry said Saturday that it had detected elevated levels of radiation in spinach and milk at farms up to 90 miles from Japan’s crippled nuclear reactors. The ministry did not make reference to any contaminated farm animals, seafood or fishing grounds in Japan. And no food exports from Japan have failed quality tests being done by other countries.

"But even the perception of contamination, one Japanese agriculture expert said, could cause long-lasting “brand damage,” especially if there was evidence of radiation spreading across Japan."

Indian Haute Cuisine at D.C.'s Kennedy Center by Chef Hemant Oberoi

2011-03-21T10:41:00.000-04:00

"Washington, D.C., is in the midst of a celebration of all things Indian: A three-week festival at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts called maximum INDIA, has imported a slice of the country's rich sights, sounds, dances and dishes. For a taste of India, the festival turned to the country's top chef, Hemant Oberoi."

Mexico Puts Its Children on a Diet

2011-03-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

Mexico's children are among the world's fattest, with one in three children overweight or obese. Last year the country's education and health officials attempted to limit what schools could sell at recess, but snack food companies fought back through the Ministry of the Economy. Nevertheless, the new rules have removed 90 percent of fried foods and all soft drinks from elementary schools. Mexican schools do not serve lunch.

Kiwi Dairy Producer Eyes Expansion in China

2011-02-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

The growing middle class in the world’s fastest growing nations is fueling demand and prices for milk. New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd. produces about a third of all internationally traded dairy products. Fonterra is now building a second dairy farm in China and plans to be involved in multiple Chinese farms to meet the demand for safe, healthy milk.

Its strategy faltered during the 2008 contaminated milk scandal, because the New Zealand dairy producer had a 43% stake in one of the companies responsible for the tainted milk. Fonterra wants to help Chinese dairymen back on their feet and simultaneously take advantage of growth opportunities.

India, another key player, has traditionally been self sufficient in dairy, but trends show that their consumption is growing faster than they can produce it.

France puts rising food prices at top of G-20 Agenda

2011-02-21T15:31:00.000-05:00

President Nicolas Sarkozy made food a priority at a meeting of Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations last week. As Western Europe's largest grain producer, France addressed rising world food prices by proposing to improve transparency in commodities markets. Some agricultural nations such as the U.S., Canada and Brazil oppose greater regulation, saying that it would make markets a less-effective reflection of supply and demand.

Insects as Future Source of Meat?

2011-02-21T15:09:00.001-05:00

Most of the developing world already eats insects. They are high in protein, B vitamins, and they are low-fat. Their taste is nutty. Insects need less feed than beef or pork and produce less waste. What's not to love?

Dutch entomologists started promoting insects as food in the 1990's. This year their festival, "Wageningen--City of Insects," attracted 20,000 visitors. It's possible that one day in the not-too-distant future, crispy crickets will be as popular as sushi or kiwis. After all, both kiwis and sushi have been relatively new additions to the Western menu.

Food prices pushing millions into poverty

2011-02-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

The World Bank released new data showing that the cost of grain and other staples is just 3 percent below its historic high in 2008 -- a level that touched off food riots in several countries. World Bank President Robert Zoellick urged major nations to find ways to stabilize world food prices.

Chef Sam Kass to open IACP's New York regional conference Feb. 18

2011-02-15T16:32:00.000-05:00

Chef Sam Kass, First Lady Michelle Obama's Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will kick off the two-day conference at a plenary session at 2:00 pm., discussing how professional chefs can join the Let's Move! campaign to "change the way our children eat."

Mrs. Obama celebrates first anniversary of Let's Move! in NPR interview

2011-02-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

"There is no way that the first lady can or should go into someone's house and tell them what to eat — it doesn't work. It wouldn't work in my household — in fact, I would resent it. But what I do know that parents want is they want help." --Michelle Obama

Listen to the story on National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

Slow Food USA sponsors TEDx Manhattan event with live streaming on Feb. 12

2011-02-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

Slow Food USA President Josh Viertel and more than twenty speakers will discuss how to shift the food system to provide good, clean and fair food for everyone. Tune in at 10:30 a.m. ET, or find a viewing party (or host your own) in your area.

Modernized Food Labels Educate Consumers to Avoid Overweight

2011-01-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

In response to a request from First Lady Michelle Obama last year, the Grocery Manufacturers' Association and the Food Marketing Institute announced a voluntary front-of-pack labeling system that will give consumers the information they need to choose healthy foods for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, GMA's "Nutrition Keys" system preempts work by the Food and Drug Administration, which has been developing labeling guidelines. Public health experts fear that focus on "positive" nutrients can make junk food seem nutritious.

U.S. Congress passes sweeping child nutrition bill

2010-12-02T18:53:00.000-05:00

Today the House of Representatives passed a bill supported by Mrs. Obama that will fund child nutrition measures with $4.5 billion dollars. Part of the funding will come from a cut in the federal food stamp program. If President Obama signs the bill into law, the federal government will soon have more power to set school food standards.

Senate approves overhaul of food safety laws

2010-12-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

By a vote of 73 to 25, the Senate today approved the biggest overhaul to the United States' food safety laws since the 1930s.

The House has already passed a similar version of the legislation.

Marilyn Monroe's Stuffing Recipe

2010-11-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Was Marilyn Monroe a competent home cook? There is some evidence that she was, including a delightfully detailed, hand-written recipe for poultry stuffing published in yesterday's New York Times. Sensuousness and cuisine--a natural pairing.

Fast Food Restaurants Dish Up Unhealthy Marketing to Youth

2010-11-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? The U. S. fast food industry spent more than $4.2 billion on marketing and advertising in 2009, according to a new study from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Companies are stepping up their marketing to children, and it's working.

The full report and tools for consumers and researchers are available at www.fastfoodmarketing.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter at the hashtag #fastfoodfacts.

IACP Impacts Chefs Move to Schools

2010-10-06T01:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday IACP members Dan Traster, Judy Rusignuolo and I and a room full of Washington, D.C., culinary professionals attended a Chefs Move to Schools meeting sponsored by the National Restaurant Association DC chapter's educational foundation and Share Our Strength. The first speaker was everyone's favorite, White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass. He gave a pep talk and then asked for questions.

I brought up research that came out last week from the Edible Schoolyard. It said that children who had been in the Edible Schoolyard program in elementary school did not eat more vegetables in middle school. In fact, they ate less veggies than when they had been in the Edible Schoolyard program. Kass said the results meant that children and youth need to be supported at every step as they develop.

We can support young people in school all we like, I replied, but if we don't involve the families, the youth will experience cognitive dissonance when they are eating at home. My suggestion: Bring together the first two pillars of the Let's Move campaign against childhood obesity with youth/parent partner cooking classes.

One pillar seeks to give parents the information they need to provide healthy meals for their families. The second is to improve school food. (The third pillar is a goal of sixty minutes a day of physical activity, and the fourth is to eliminate food deserts.)

Interestingly, of the twelve speakers who followed, three of them commented on the importance of family participation. They mentioned ways they are helping families in their healthy eating programs. For instance, Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline has a curriculum in use for youth/parent cooking classes. Many chefs who are adopting a school are considering teaching cooking classes as a way to share their expertise.

Salmonella epidemic and food safety legislation

2010-08-26T10:35:00.000-04:00

Recently 170 million infected eggs were recalled from 14 states after more than 1,200 people suffered from salmonella enteritidis in the United States. New Food and Drug Administration monitoring and safety requirements ironically went into effect last month--too late to prevent the outbreak.

The enormous egg recall may have stimulated the Senate to act on comprehensive food safety legislation. The bill would set up systems to trace food from farm to table, making it easier to identify infected products, and it would give the FDA power to mandate a recall.

Want to know whether your eggs have been recalled? Check out http://www.foodsafety.gov/.

Duke University offers online survey for adult picky eaters

2010-08-18T11:29:00.000-04:00

Are you a picky eater? Check out Duke University's online survey for adult cautious eaters. While the study population is self-selected rather than randomly chosen, and there is no control group, online access may attract a huge global group of participants and help develop an understanding of whether picky eating has a genetic or behavioral base.

Louisiana Seafood at the White House

2010-08-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

To demonstrate the safety and deliciousness of Gulf Coast seafood at the White House, the Louisiana Seafood Board prepared a special shrimp and oyster po' boy lunch at the White House on August 9. Several D.C. chefs with ties to the Louisiana seafood industry helped to prepare it, including Jeff Tunks from Acadiana, Ann Cashion and John Fulchino from Johnny’s Half Shell, Jeff Buben from Vidalia, and David Guas, from the soon to open Bayou Bakery.

Culinary Tourism and the Media: Georgetown Cupcakes

2010-08-16T15:55:00.000-04:00

Many tourists to Washington, D.C., add a visit to Georgetown Cupcakes to their to-do list after reading about it online and perhaps watching "D.C. Cupcakes," a reality show on the TLC cable channel about the two sisters who founded and run the bake shop.

Is it worth a two-hour wait, standing in the hot sun? It is, to visitors who believe the hype and want to add a cupcake story to their travel adventure. To the owners it's worth at least $25,000 each weekend day--doubling business since the reality show debuted.

One step at a time for better school meals

2010-08-11T16:10:00.000-04:00

The Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation did not pass before Congress went home for its recess. However, two nonprofits offer suggestions on how culinary professionals as well as others concerned can advocate to improve the quality of school meals. Slow Food USA has a campaign to "Give Kids the School Food They Deserve." Action for Healthy Kids offers step-by-step directions on how to influence policy making at the national level.

Chefs help make school lunches healthier

2010-08-11T15:43:00.003-04:00

Here's a great story about Tony Gerasi, one example of a chef who adopted a school (district).

Chefs Move to Schools, but first to White House

2010-06-15T06:48:00.001-04:00

On June 4, 700 chefs from over 37 states gathered on the South Lawn of the White House in support of the "Chefs Move to Schools" initiatiave, a part of the First Lady's Let's Move campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity. Sixty IACP members were among them.

The day began with breakfast across the street from the White House at the J. W. Marriott hotel, sponsored by Share Our Strength. A lineup of speakers explained the program concepts.
Chefs were asked to adopt a school, to nurture it in a variety of ways, with the goal of producing healthier school food and healthier young people. Many of the suggested activities listed in the breakfast printed program would involve a significant donation of time, funds and energy.

Following breakfast, IACP members joined the other chefs for a tour of Mrs. Obama’s kitchen garden. Non-vegetable gardeners were surprised to see fennel, broccoli and Swiss chard all ready to harvest in early June in Washington, D.C. (The arugula, however, looked too pockmarked by insects to serve to any but the most convinced organic foodies.)

Part of the fun was standing next to well-known, respected television cooking teachers and sometimes engaging them in conversation.

It was exciting!

And the photos, with the White House as a backdrop, what could be better?

Read the transcript of Mrs. Obama’s remarks or watch her speak.

Once home again, food bloggers posted a flurry of reports, many on the topic, “Me at the White House.”

Now the challenge for IACP members and their fellow supporters of Chefs Move to Schools is to keep their commitment and to help realize the worthy goals of the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign against childhood overweight and obesity.

Already IACP’s Kids in the Kitchen section has enlisted the support of several of the breakfast speakers, to participate in IACP teleforums in the months ahead and to discuss with IACP members the practical application of how to adopt a school. Included will be Janet Poppendieck, author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America; innovative school volunteer Chef Bill Telepan of the eponymously named New York City restaurant; and Ellen Teller, lobbyist for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill.

In addition, incoming IACP Kids in the Kitchen Co-Chair Michelle Stern has established a free listserv for the purpose of continuing the conversation about the Chefs Move to Schools movement. A listserv archives messages but also stores related files, links, photos, and polls. To sign up, IACP members may contact IACPchefsmovetoschools@yahoo.com.

Kids Cook for a Cause

2010-05-20T17:01:00.005-04:00

On the last day of the annual conference IACP’s Kids in the Kitchen professional interest section partnered with the Clackamas County 4-H club members to prepare a delicious hot lunch at the First Baptist Church for some young people who hang out on Portland streets. The photo above and program planning leadership was by IACP member Michelle Stern.

Bayless Serves Mole to Mexican Prez at White House

2010-05-20T15:32:00.026-04:00

IACP member and celebrity Chef Rick Bayless served as guest chef at the Obama White House’s second state dinner on May 19 honoring Mexican president Felipe Calderon Hinojosa and his wife, Margarita Zavala, as well as 200 other guests. Bayless created a menu of jicama with fruit, a green ceviche, wagyu beef with black mole, and a chocolate tart with goat cheese ice cream.

It was “the first time that real Mexican food will be served in the White House like this," said Bayless, author of several acclaimed cookbooks, host of the PBS TV show called “Mexico—One Plate at a Time,” and owner of Chicago’s fine dining Mexican restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, that are favorites of the Obama family.

A Recipe from The Other Portland

2010-04-29T16:40:00.003-04:00

IACP member and cookbook author Kathy Gunst filed a report about the Portland conference and offered a recipe in the web edition of Down East magazine.

Slow Food on Film

2010-04-15T11:04:00.000-04:00

The topic of food has been a rich one in numerous films over the years. Slow Food on Film has compiled a database with information about sixty-four films that focus on food-related issues.

Traditional Italian home meals for tourists

2010-04-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

An Italian organization called Home Food strives to protect and increase the value of the Italian culinary legacy by arranging meals for visiting tourists with Italian families.

“What’s the difference between food and fashion? Not much.”

2010-04-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Carol Smith, senior vice president and chief brand officer of Elle Group, was recently hired by Condé Nast to be vice president and publishing director of Bon Appetit and the Gourmet brand. One of her ideas is to re-create Gourmet as a “custom magazine,” whereby an advertiser such as Kraft or Target would produce a newsstand Gourmet magazine and own every ad.

Tune in to Friday's White House childhood obesity meeting

2010-04-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

On Friday, April 9, a broad array of experts, industry leaders, and people who work on child obesity issues every day in their communities will meet at the White House to share their specific ideas about how to empower parents to make healthy choices for their children, provide healthy food at schools, improve access to healthy, affordable food in local communities, and get kids more physically active.

You can watch tomorrow's discussion live on WhiteHouse.gov/live from 1:30-5:00PM EDT

Chef Brad Farmerie's Singapore Inspiration

2010-04-08T11:06:00.000-04:00

Chef Brad Farmerie, of New York’s Double Crown restaurant, came back from a whirlwind trip of Southeast Asia to invent his own version of Singapore’s magical satay using sweetbreads. Farmerie is one of the headlined speakers at IACP's Portland conference.

What to do in New Orleans: Visit the Southern Food and Beverage Museum

2010-04-07T22:49:00.000-04:00

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South. Best wishes to museum president Liz Williams, IACP's 2008 host committee chair!

"We've got to give animals a good life," says animal scientist Temple Grandin

2010-04-07T18:00:00.001-04:00

Temple Grandin's revolutionary designs for humane cattle pens and corrals were beautifully described by Oliver Sachs in An Anthropologist on Mars. In this interview she shares how her autistic "visual thinking" helped her acquire cattle behavior insights.

Challenges for organics market

2010-04-07T17:45:00.001-04:00

Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary at the Agriculture Department, discussed problems with the National Organics Program in an interview with The Washington Post. For example, "buying organic is no guarantee that it is pesticide free."

CSPAN Student Cam First Prize on Childhood Obesity

2010-04-04T17:56:00.000-04:00

Matthew Shimura is a seventh-grade student at Honolulu’s Punahou School. In his prize-winning video, “Childhood Obesity: A Challenge Facing America,” he presents adults in authority who relate all the standard messages regarding childhood overweight and obesity. However, when you hear the young narrator speaking those truths, the effect is a very powerful realization. Both adults and young people need to take responsibility for daily eating habits and physical activity.

Matthew will be the guest of Michelle Obama this coming week at the White House. Bravo, Matt!

Once a rising star, chef now feeds hungry

2010-04-04T17:18:00.000-04:00

How often do we learn about a culinary hero? Here is one, Narayanan Krishnan, who helps define the New Culinary Order.

Who does Jamie Oliver think he is, trying to put America on a diet?

2010-03-31T19:16:00.000-04:00

International social scientists who are members of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) listserv are actively discussing Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" television series, set in the unhealthiest city in the U.S., Huntington, West Virginia. Here is one of the most revealing articles they shared, published in The New York Times.

Food4Media has expanded operations into China

2010-03-31T18:54:00.000-04:00

The online resource Food4Media distributes food news to media professionals serving the food, restaurant and wine industries in United Kingdom, USA, Middle East, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Do IACP members use this food news service? Why not persuade Food4Media to join IACP? They are a multinational company and clearly part of the New Culinary Order.

Does HFCS or unlimited access make people fat?

2010-03-31T18:19:00.000-04:00

Washington Post blogger Jennifer LaRue Huget reported on a recent Princeton University study that compared the effects on lab rats of access to sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) twelve hours or twenty-four hours a day. Results showed that the rats who drank HFCS were heavier than matched controls who drank sucrose. Food Politics blogger Marion Nestle criticized the research, saying the results are inconsistent and questionably significant.

Nevertheless, the biggest gainers were the rats with 24/7 access to unlimited chow and HFCS. Surprised?

Perhaps the effects observed were due to overconsumption of highly palatable foods, which led to a worsening deficit in neural reward circuits of the brain. This reward hyposensitivity, described in a Nature Neuroscience study published online yesterday, describes the creation of compulsive eating behavior as similar to the development of drug addiction.

U.S. midwest campylobacterosis outbreak related to raw milk

2010-03-27T18:41:00.000-04:00

"Proponents of drinking raw milk often claim that raw milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and that raw milk is inherently antimicrobial, thus making pasteurization unnecessary. There is no meaningful nutritional difference between pasteurized and raw milk, and raw milk does not contain compounds that will kill harmful bacteria."

Historic American Menus

2010-03-27T16:00:00.000-04:00

Henry Voigt is now blogging about his vast collection of American menus, dating from the mid-nineteenth century.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution: Reality Pap?

2010-03-21T23:57:00.000-04:00

Last fall Chef Jamie Oliver spent a few months in one of the U.S.'s unhealthiest cities, Huntington, West Virginia. Tonight premiered the first of a seven-part series on how he tried to win Huntington over to healthy food choices. The Washington Post TV preview suggested that it may be hopeless to get Huntington or the country to eat well. Let's wait and see. Despite the formulatic reality show approach, Oliver was clearly a man with a mission. Whether or not he can get his positive message across without spoiling it with finger-pointing shame remains to be seen.

Happy New Year to Iranians!

2010-03-21T21:55:00.000-04:00

Nowruz, a spring celebration with roots in the ancient Zoroastrian religion, entails some interesting symbolic uses of foods.

Gardeners grow dinner with aquaponics

2010-03-21T21:36:00.000-04:00

Picture this: Aquaponics is a closed system where many fruits, vegetables and flowers can grow in a soil-less medium, requiring just ten percent of the usual amount of water, fertilized by fish manure from the fish pond that can be either ornamental or can provide future dinners. How perfect is that?

SuperChefs cookery at the Zajac Ranch, British Columbia

2010-03-20T18:44:00.001-04:00

IACP members Dr. Greg Chang and Carol Murphy Clyne have teamed up on a kids' healthy eating program called SuperChefs of the Universe, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Best wishes, Greg and Carol!

Food bloggers endanger media restaurant reviewers

2010-03-20T15:51:00.000-04:00

Newspaper and magazine restaurant critics are becoming an endangered species, due to Web bloggers and restaurant review sites.

U.N. rejects export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna

2010-03-20T15:35:00.000-04:00

Worldwide bluefin tuna populations declined by roughly 80 percent since 1970. Japan, which consumes nearly 80 percent of the bluefin catch, argued at a recent United Nations meeting on endangered species conservation that “the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat, should be responsible for regulating the fishery, not the United Nations.” Japan and other fishing nations were uneasy about possible regulation by the international endangered species convention in a major commercial fishery. Bluefin tuna, called "hon-maguro" in Japan, is considered a luxury.

Do you like an open kitchen?

2010-03-20T13:10:00.000-04:00

Some restaurant chefs like them, and some do not. Could popular open restaurant kitchens affect home kitchen designs and renovations?

Rick Bayless recently opened his third restaurant, Xoco

2010-03-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

"Xoco brings Bayless’ notions of quality, sustainability and stewardship to their most accessible and affordable levels yet." Best wishes, Rick!

French council complains about fast food chain's halal hamburger

2010-03-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

The mayor of Roubaix, in northern France, said Quick restaurant's halal menu constituted "discrimination" against non-Muslims.