Towards More Sustainable University Catering

According to research conducted in the United Kingdom, over 80% of students agree that Sustainable Development should be actively incorporated and promoted by Universities. As reported in the Sustainable Restaurant Association newsletter, the newly launched University Catering Rating system will "help raise dining standards across UK universities, as well as make good business sense."

To receive their rating, universities simply complete our online survey, providing answers and evidence to questions across 14 areas of sustainability, such as the sourcing of their food (including all brought-in sandwiches from outside sources), soft drinks, flour and palm oil; as well as their energy, water usage and waste system efficiency in their canteens, cafés and restaurants. The survey also includes an assessment of their employee policies and community engagement. The SRA then assesses the results and rates the university accordingly, providing a detailed report which highlights all the commendable actions and makes recommendations for future improvement.

Read more here: http://www.thesra.org/university-catering-rating/

Composting at Your Restaurant

If you’ve always wanted to start a composting program at your restaurant, this article is sure to inspire you. Patrick Cuccaro, general manager of Affairs to Remember Catering, Atlanta, and Christy Cook (right), senior manager sustainability field support, Sodexo Company, offer ten tips to get the ball rolling at your establishment.

http://www.restaurant.org/Manage-My-Restaurant/Operations/Back-of-House/10-tips-to-compost-at-your-restaurant?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=conserve

“Turning organic waste from leftovers can help divert waste from landfills and return nutrients to the soil, by nourishing growing plants!” so get started today!

Top Ten Most Dangerous Food-borne Parasites

The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have just jointly released a list of "Top Ten" food-borne parasites of greatest global concern for humans. Despite their huge social costs and global impacts, scientists don't fully understand yet just exactly where they come from, how they live in the human body, and - most importantly - how they make us sick. The parasites affect the health of millions of people around the world and new strategies are being devised to control them. 

  
The top ten are:

1. Taenia solium (pork tapeworm): In pork
2. Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid worm or dog tapeworm): In fresh produce
3. Echinococcus multilocularis (a type of tapeworm): In fresh produce
4. Toxoplasma gondii (protozoa): In meat from small ruminants, pork, beef, game meat (red meat and organs)
5. Cryptosporidium spp.(protozoa): In fresh produce, fruit juice, milk
6. Entamoeba histolytica (protozoa): In fresh produce
7. Trichinella spiralis (pork worm): In pork
8. Opisthorchiidae (family of flatworms): In freshwater fish
9. Ascaris spp. (small intestinal roundworms): In fresh produce
10. Trypanosoma cruzi (protozoa): In fruit juices

From an initial list of 93 parasites, the above list was narrowed down to the top ten most damaging parasites based on the following four criteria: 1) number of global illnesses; 2) global distribution; 3) acute [immediate illness] morbidity; 4) chronic [long-term illness] morbidity; and 5) economic impact. Further information can be found in a joint FAO-WHO report: Multicriteria-based ranking for risk management of food-borne parasites, which can be browsed online.

Spanish Restaurant Wins World's Best "Sustainable Restaurant" 2014

The results of the "World’s 50 Best Restaurants"* listing are out. Among those worth mentioning is Azurmendi, the Spanish Basque restaurant that won the "Sustainable Restaurant Award" (sponsored by Zacapa) and placed 26th in the overall ranking. A large proportion of the vegetables served in this three-Michelin-starred restaurant are grown on site to organic standards! It is also pioneering a project to bring back varieties that have been lost over the last century. So far, the project has helped preserve 36 varieties of local vegetables that were on their way to becoming extinct. All of the meat on their menu is free range and every effort is made to serve only sustainable fish. 

Behind the scenes, Azurmendi was designed with sustainability in mind; a glass roof with solar panels provides electricity and a lot of the materials used were recycled or reclaimed. A delighted Chef Eneko Atxa (right) received the award at London's Guildhall, and said: “According to our philosophy, sustainability is the foundation for our operations. Azurmendi was designed on sustainability principles from a holistic point of view. We have a respect for our greatest supplier: The Earth, Our Earth. The environment is our source of activity and we have an obligation to help it, so that it can help us; if you don’t look after what is feeding your business, then it will not be sustainable!” A worthy winner!

* Organized by Restaurant magazine and sponsored by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna

باللغة العربية

نتائج " أفضل 50 مطاعم في العالم".
من بين تلك الجدير بالذكر هو أزورمندي ،
المطعم الباسك الإسبانية التي فازت في
"جائزة مطعم المستدامة "
(برعاية ساكابا ) و ضعت 26
في الترتيب العام . وهناك نسبة كبيرة
من الخضروات تخدم في الموقع
في هذا المطعم ثلاث ميشلان
وتزرع في الموقع بالمعايير العضوية !
بل هو أيضا رائدة في مشروع جلب
أصناف الخضروات التي كانت
فقدت خلال القرن الماضي . حتى الآن ،
وقد ساعد المشروع على الحفاظ على 36 نوعا من
الخضار المحلية التي كانت في طريقها
 إلى أن تصبح منقرضة.
كل من اللحوم في هذه القائمة هي مجموعة من  "حيوانات حرة"
و يتم بذل كل جهد ممكن
لخدمة الأسماك المستدامة فقط.

وراء الكواليس،
وقد تم تصميم مطعم " أزورمندي " مع
الاستدامة في الاعتبار ؛ سقف زجاجي مع الطاقة الشمسية
لوحات توفر الكهرباء والكثير من
المواد المستخدمة تم إعادة تدويرها أو المستصلحة.
تلقى الشيف اينيكو Atxa  الجائزة في مقر النقابة في لندن ، وقال:
" وفقا لفلسفتنا، وفالاستدامة هى الأساس لعملياتنا.
وقد تم تصميم أزورمندي على مبادئ الاستدامة من جهة نظر شمولية.
لدينا احترام أكبير لمواردنا:
الأرض ، أرضنا . البيئة هي مصدر لدينا من النشاط و علينا واجب للمساعدة في ذلك،
بحيث يمكن أن تساعدنا ؛
 إذا كنت لا تبدو ما هو
تغذية عملك ، ثم علينا واجب فإنه
لا يكون مستداما ! "
الفائز يستحق!

* نظمت من قبل مجلة مطعم و برعاية S. بيليغرينو و أكوا بانا

Global Culinary Award for Healthy Diet and Sustainability

Worldchefs (World Association of Chefs Societies) is organizing, in collaboration with the EAT foundation, a Global Culinary Award that recognizes restaurants for innovation and leadership within the domain of healthy diet and sustainability.
Chefs associations can nominate up to three leading chefs or restaurants in their own countries they think would be worthy candidates.
The EAT Food Forum brings together 650 opinion leaders and sustainability experts, including ex-president of USA Mr. Bill Clinton. The award will be announced at the EAT Food Forum to be held on 26-27 May, 2014, in Stockholm.

For competition rules, judging criteria and more about EAT Food Forum, visit the Worldchefs website.
Note: The deadline for submitting full application form is Monday, 5 May.

Egyptian Chefs Score at American Culinary Federation Competitions!

"We have just participated in the American Culinary Federation competition in the United States for professional chefs and won 2 gold medals, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze, as follows: Mohamed El Saadawy, 1 Gold and 1 Bronze; and Mena Mikhael, 1 Gold and 1 Silver.

Allow me to take this opportunity to say that our participation highlighted, once again, the Egyptian Chefs Association's capacity for organizing and managing local competitions up to the same professional standards as international competitions! Every good wish and respect goes out to you on behalf of all the Egyptians chefs to all the Team Members at the Association, without exception, for their great effort and assistance. 

And of course all our thanks and appreciation go to the coaches who got us as members of the Egyptian team of chefs to this level, which gave us the opportunity to participate in international competitions and win medals on behalf of the Egyptian chefs: Chef Markus Iten, Chef Hossam El Din Mohamed and Chef Tarek Ibrahim. Special thanks go to you, dear Miriam, for all you do and have done over many years to help and support the Egyptians chefs!!

See you all soon with a new achievement for the Egyptian Chefs and our Association!"

Signed: Mohamed El Saadawy and Mena Mikhael