Eating at a Meeting

Chef Joel Schaffer and his wife Mary are Your Allergy Chefs. They are dedicated to providing tips, guidance, and resources for those with and/or provide food for individuals with food allergies, intolerances and/or other dietary needs. Using their own personal dietary needs and their culinary training they have create a thriving business educating hotels, chefs, cooks, food manufacturers on how to create delicous and safe food options for guests. In this episode, Joel talks about how restaurants, caterering and food service operators to revamp their menu items to easily accommodate guests with dietary needs. He also shares how best to eat out with dietary needs - great info coming from a chef and as someone with his own dietary needs. When he started as the Culinary Development and Special Dietary Needs Manager for Walt Disney World Resort they had ~66,000 food allergy requests. Years later, after creating and implementing a process and training for all staff, they were successfully serving over 300,000 food allergy requests. https://www.yourallergychefs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/yourallergychefs/ https://www.instagram.com/yourallergychefs/ https://twitter.com/Allergychefsinc https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-schaefer-ccc/

In her 2019 research, "Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults" it was found that 1 in every 10 adults has a food allergies. Dr. Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH wants to make sure that the general public is aware of food allergies, and food related conditions, how common they are and how significant they are. These potentially life-threatening conditions should not be taken lightly. In this conversation we talk about the prevelance of food allergies, the need for workplace policies, public awareness, why there are so many food allergies, research and potential cures. Her passion and committment to help us all is very inspiring. "How do we make the workplace a place where they feel comfortable and confident and get the support and resources they need to even eat in their environment." Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, has more than 16 years experience as a board-certified pediatrician and health researcher and currently serves as the director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research (CFAAR), where she is actively involved in clinical, epidemiological, and community-based research. Dr. Gupta is the author of the Food Allergy Experience, has written and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed research manuscripts and has had her work featured on major TV networks and in print media. Website: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/cfaar/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/teamsoaar/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/teamsoaar/ Twitter https://twitter.com/soaar4research LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchi-gupta-md-mph-9305b4a/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2720064

Nina Curtis is Adventist Health, Roseville Campus Vitaliz Café and Culinary Arts department director and executive chef. She is passionate about cooking for others, putting love into every meal she makes because she is honored that people trust her to cook for them. There is a lot of responsibility cooking for others. As a chef means to compassionately work to service food items, provide food menus and engage guests with the highest form of presentation that meets most all guests' food needs; allergens, preferences, and more. "Think about it... what is going to be sat in front of me...as a professional chef, 'Is this the best that you could do?'" Her culinary career over the last 20 years includes working with The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu, the Marriott Group, Hilton Hotels, Baxters, Manhattan Beach, the El Caballo, Oakland, Pure Food and Wine in New York, and the Springs Restaurant and Wine Bar in Los Angeles. She presents lectures and demonstrations on health, nutrition, and whole foods around the world. She has developed wellness training programs, set up kitchen operations, and has worked closely in conjunction with culinary master gardeners to develop seasonal garden-to-table recipes that are essential to having a delicious plant-strong culinary experience. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-curtis-67b917a/ https://thrivemeetings.com/2020/03/forging-a-plant-based-path-to-wellness/ https://www.instagram.com/botanicalchef/ https://medium.com/@HCWH/meet-americas-top-hospital-chef-a785fd816bc1 Nutritional Facts: www.nutritionafacts.org Pulses: www.pulses.org Oldways Whole Grains Council: www.wholegrainscouncil.org

In May 2020 during and because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees U.S. food regulations, announced temporary flexibility policy regarding certain labeling requirements for foods for humans during COVID-19. As a food manufacturer that makes superfood-based products, Colleen Kavanagh found of ZEGO Foods does testing and set quality standards for 400+ agricultural pesticides and toxins in the ingredients so that their products support the long-term health of our family and planet. The facility is also free from the top 13 allergens — peanut, tree nuts, milk (dairy), soy, egg, fish, shellfish, mollusks, sesame, lupin, sulfites, mustard, wheat — and no corn or corn derivatives are used on equipment, packaging or processing aids. In this episode, Colleen and I chatted about the FDA regulation and what it means to food production and safety for individuals with dietary needs. Links https://zegofoods.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ZegoFoods https://twitter.com/ZegoFoods https://www.instagram.com/zegofoods https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9caEodIwrGchJ8wsSZ4UdA https://www.linkedin.com/in/zegofoods https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/temporary-policy-regarding-certain-food-labeling-requirements-during-covid-19-public-health

Using hyper-locally food, butchering whole animals in-house, solar power, and preserving in-season fruits and vegetables to use throughout the year, Aimee Francaes and Jess Hassinger owners of Belly of the Beast in Massachusetts feed their community without waste and with foods they can trust, eat and share. Making everything from scratch, they - and their staff - know everything goes into the menu items, how it is prepared and that it is a necessity, they are teaching what it means to be hospitable with the food with they serve. Jesse said, "It is an adventure....I think people to look at like that rather than a burden." And, Aimee, If you're not taking things seriously, you are not doing it right. "If we get enough people, or if see that there is a trend or a request for a certain thing, we will find a way to have it be part of the menu." Plus, with a mission to give back to the community, they are also producing and donating 100 meals a week to the local school system. "You will never see a tomato on our menu outside of August thru October unless it is pickled." https://www.bellyofthebeastma.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bellyofthebeastma https://www.instagram.com/bellyofthebeastma/ https://thrivemeetings.com/2020/03/tales-from-the-belly-of-the-beast-aimee-francaes/

Chef Cliff Lyles, Vice President of Culinary Excellence and Product Development at Revolution Foods has traveled all over the world as a chef. One of the things that he has always wanted to do and felt is important is for everyone, in any type of eating environment, to enjoy the food and just have high-quality good food to eat. When he found out about Revolution Foods and their mission, he just had to be a part of it. They didn't come looking for him. He went looking for them. Now, he and the team at Revolution Foods, which is mission-driven to support communities with culturally relevant, healthy meals, are feeding two to three million people a week based on our capacity and where we are throughout the country. Goal is to take care of something. I need to be flexible to meet Take the parameters off Look at it as a problem or an opportunity. Challenge their creativity. flip the switch of the chefs... making sure that you're creating things that people who have gluten sensitivities and allergies actually want Chef Cliff, Lyles, VP of Culinary Excellence and Product Development, Revolution Foods. At REV We focus on making sure that, not just kids, communities have great, healthy foods. Never ever list have been shown impact "You can feed a person a great, healthy meal on a very tight budget, successfully. You don't always have to spend a lot of money to do it." Understanding what you are feeding people/ Cliff is an award-winning chef who specializes in elevating food. From turning airplane meals into a hot commodity to making clean, gluten-free dishes delicious, Chef Cliff is known in the U.S. and abroad for creating high-quality food at scale. Chef Cliff grew up knowing firsthand the impact of childhood hunger while growing up in Midwest. Because of his personal experiences, he is excited to join Revolution Foods' team and help fuel children's minds and bodies. https://www.revolutionfoods.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clifton-lyles-9723651/

Lianne Mandelbaum founded No Nut Traveller in 2013 after a negative flight experience that she encountered with her son. She speaks at conferences nationwide and encourages individuals with food allergies to share their travel stories both positively and negatively, to reach out to legislators and help them create policies that help individuals with food allergies. Lianne is passionate about educating the general public on what it's like to live with a food allergy and is on a mission to make the skies more accommodating for those with food allergies. "When did food become more important than a person's mental and physical well-being?" Policies, labeling, transparency, personal responsibility, auto injectors, cleaning, training, emergency in the air, Lianne talks about the business opportunity airlines have to create a safe and inclusive travel experience. Through her website, social media and advocacy efforts Lianne has helped change the lives of so many people with food allergies when they travel. Website http://nonuttraveler.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LianneMandelbaum/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nonuttraveler/ Twitter https://twitter.com/NoNutTraveler LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianne-mandelbaum-b8a4a180/ https://www.allergicliving.com/author/lianne-mandelbaum/

Almost 90 percent of event organizers say that food and beverage is a key part of the meeting design and event experience. Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC delves into the 2020 IACC Meeting Room of the Future™ report sharing how organizers and venues have a greater appetite for using food and beverage to positively affecting the senses, engaging and contributing to local communities, and looking after attendees dietary needs to create experiences that are unforgettable. The IACC Meeting Room of the Future report combines research and insights into the top issues facing the global meetings and conference industry. The 2020 IACC Meeting Room of the Future™ report brings together insights from meeting and conference venues, hotels and urban conference venues across 3 continents, as well as suppliers including global meeting space designers, architects, technology companies, furniture manufacturers and nutrition experts. https://www.iacconline.org/iacc-meeting-room-of-the-future https://www.iaccmeetings.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/1markcooper/ https://www.etcvenues.co.uk/venues https://twitter.com/markcooperiacc

Food Equality Initiative has seen a 300% Increase in Service Requests as a result of COVID-19. There was a need before the pandemic, but it has magnified the need. Eighteen percent of individuals who are visiting food pantries will be visiting them for the first time. The systems the US has in place for vulnerable families with food insecurity are failing the families with special dietary needs. The food is not there. They do not have adequate policies for distribution. From sharing the price differences in the cost of free-from food items to how she is advocating for families who are food insecure, Emily Brown, founder, and CEO of Food Equality Initiative explains how there is a gap in the safety net to assist food insecurity for those in need. https://foodequalityinitiative.org/ https://www.instagram.com/foodequality/ https://twitter.com/FoodEquality https://www.facebook.com/foodequalityinitiative/

Chef Murray Hall of Dolce Hotels & Resorts talks about he incorporates local and seasonal ingredients into his menus to meet the demands of consumers wanting to know from where their food comes while balancing budgets for his clients. He also shares how he is creating menu items to make them vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free — ensuring the flavor remains — to make meals more plant-forward while also reducing the number of specialized plates, and offering something unique for the event and property. https://www.linkedin.com/in/murray-hall-306b7715/ https://www.bmo.com/ifl/index.html https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/dolce https://www.iacconline.org/v/bmo-financial-group-institute-for-learning