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Burger King to Introduce New Animal Welfare Policy

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:11:51 -0700

A few weeks ago, Wolfgang Puck announced several new animal welfare policies for his restaurants and businesses. At the time, I wondered if other chefs would follow suit and begin animal welfare policies of there own. I figured it would be the beginning of a new movement (or maybe just a trend). However, I never anticipated that a fast food joint would follow suit. Last week Burger King announced that it would phase in several new animal welfare policies of their own. After meeting with The Humane Society and PETA, Burger King has adopted the following policies:

Began purchasing 2% of its eggs from producers that do not use battery cages, upping that to 5% by the end of the year and preferring to purchase cage-free when possible.
Started purchasing 10% of its pork from producers that do not use gestation crates (20% by the end of the year). Again, with a preference for non-gestation crate using producers if possible.
Implemented a preference for producers that use controlled atmosphere killing of chickens used for meat.

Two and ten percent doesn't sound like much, but considering how much Burger King actually uses, it could mean a large switch in industry practices. Especially if any of Burger King's competitors follow suit (McD's I'm talking to you!).

Source: PR Newswire

Wolfgang Says No To Foie Gras

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:12:35 -0700

Celebrity chef to the celebs, Wolfgang Puck has just announced several new animal welfare policies that he and his restaurants will be putting into place. In a joint press release with the Humane Society, Puck has released a nine-point program aimed at raising the bar on farm animal treatment.

"I have regularly spent weekends at my local farmers markets and farms, getting to know my vendors, their animals and their animal treatment programs. As my companies have grown much bigger, we must now develop formal policies to maintain our exacting standards."

The polices in his nine-point program are:

The elimination of foie gras (fattened duck & geese livers) from his restaurants.
No longer allow the use of eggs from hens confined in battery cages.
No pork from producers that confine breeding sows in gestation crates.
No veal from producers that confine calves in individual veal crates.

To see the rest of the policies, read more

More vegetarian options for consumers who want to eat humanely.
More certified organic selections, for those concerned about the environment.
Puck will send letters to companies' chicken & turkey suppliers indicating interest in more humane slaughter methods.
Only serve chicken & turkey from farms that are audited for compliance with progressive animal welfare standards.
Only serve sustainable seafood.

Personally I think these are great steps (although we can argue for a while on foie gras...), and am glad to hear that he is doing this across the board and not just for one item. Nor does it seem like a trendy thing, it seems like something he's personally involved in (even this year's Oscar menu was all organic). Although it must be mentioned, that for the time being, Pucks' chefs will continue to kill lobsters by cutting them in half alive, instead of using a stun gun, and that skate and Russian caviar are still on his menus (they're on Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch "avoid" list).

Source: PR Newswire

Chipotle Promotes Food, Inc. Documentary

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:37:35 -0700

Chipotle doesn't just want to feed its customers - it wants to educate them, too. The fast-casual food chain has teamed up with Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media, and River Road Entertainment to promote Food, Inc., a documentary that exposes issues with the food industry in America. Beginning today, Chipotle Mexican Grill will host free screenings of the film. In addition, the eatery will advertise Food, Inc. with printed material in its 800-plus stores and prepare a bonus feature about sustainable agriculture to be included in the DVD when it is released later this year.
"Chipotle is a great example of a company that's on the right track to improving our food system," director Robert Kenner said. "Chipotle's philosophy shares many of the same values expressed in Food, Inc., and we are very pleased with their support of our film." The Mexican food chain claims to use more naturally raised poultry and pork than any other restaurant worldwide. It also sources ingredients locally whenever possible and buys 35 percent of its beans from organic producers. This promotion is a smart strategy: if Chipotle's devotees weren't aware of the company's sustainable practices yet, they will be now.

Did you know Chipotle was so dedicated to sustainability? Will you attend a free Food, Inc. screening?

Photo by flickr user Photo2217

Food, Inc. Film Exposes Problems With US Food Consumption

YumSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:00:20 -0700

In addition to being captured in photos by National Geographic, the sustainable food crisis is also the focus of a new documentary. Magnolia Pictures' Food, Inc. is a call to action to change the way America eats. It discusses food consumption today, its heavy dependence on corn, its ties to national policy, and its inevitable impact on our nation's health.

Based on the book Food, Inc. (and similar to The Omnivore's Dilemma), the premise of this film appears to be similar: the country's food system, with its focus on making food bigger, cheaper, and faster, is making America sick. The movie also addresses the contamination issues plaguing the nation and the enormous power wielded by US food corporations, with sustainable food poster boys Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser making appearances in the documentary.

If you haven't seen it yet, below is the trailer for the film, which debuts in select cities June 12. Do you think this documentary will prove to be as influential as proponents are hoping it to be? Will you go see it?

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Yummy Links: From Nirvino's Wine App to Eater's Expansion

partysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:50:56 -0700

Introducing the newest must-have wine application for your iPhone. - Nirvino
Fabio Viviani's cookbook by the numbers. - Eat Me Daily
Here are 21 tasty bar snack recipes. - Chow
Everything you need to know about buying sustainable seafood. - Sunset
Eight common fast foods you should avoid. - SF Weekly
Michael Pollan's next mission: reform health care. - Grub Street
The real reason Hector was kicked off of Top Chef? His thermometer didn't work.- The Feedbag
Is it OK to serve pesto at a dinner party? - The Epi-Log
This lavender honey spice cake is seriously Italian. - Serious Eats
Eater is expanding and looking for bloggers/photographers in a city near you. - Eater

Michael Chiarello Urges You to Advocate Sustainable Food

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:45 -0700

I couldn't go to this year's Food & Wine Classic and not attend a seminar hosted by two of Napa Valley's most influential food figures. I'm talking about the session led by culinary authority and Top Chef Masters contestant Michael Chiarello and Peter Jacobsen, the owner of Jacobsen Orchards, a farm that supplies produce exclusively to Thomas Keller's famed restaurant The French Laundry. The two discussed the importance of making economically and environmentally just practices, as well as offered suggestions for advocating sustainability. See their ideas (and more photos) after the jump

Niman Ranch Founder Denounces Company's New Owners

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:50:24 -0800

Bill Niman created the Niman Ranch meat empire with his progressive farming techniques. Today, he won't even eat the company's products. The sustainable agriculture pioneer, who spearheaded the food movement to raise livestock sustainably, humanely, and naturally, is speaking out against the new owners of Niman Ranch, the brand he founded more than 30 years ago. Last month, the company was bought out by Natural Food Holdings, its chief investor since 2006 - and, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, its founder believes that its meat program has already changed in fundamental ways.When he first founded Niman Ranch in 1977, Niman set the bar for ethical ranching standards by raising cattle on grass in a free-range setting, forbidding growth hormones, and using antibiotics only if animals grew sick. He now opposes many of the company's modifications, including use of antimicrobials, the closing of company-owned cattle feedlots, and the treatment of cattle in their journey to slaughter. In response, Niman Ranch's current CEO Jeff Swain defended his company's integrity:

I think idealism . . . has to be couched with practicality . . . The company-owned feedlot was sold in 2008 because it was not financially viable . . . We believe that our protocols are stronger, the auditing of the protocols more rigorous, and the current business model is more financially viable.

He also claims the company has turned its profitability around: the company is now making $7,000 a week, rather than losing $10,000. The article raises an even bigger question: whether sustainable agriculture - and brands founded on idealism in general - can sustain a profit themselves.

What do you think? Do you stand with Bill Niman, or Niman Ranch?

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Chipotle Appoints Niman Ranch Founder as Advisor

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:00:46 -0800

With its affordable menu, fresh produce, and appetite-stimulating burritos, Mexican chain Chipotle can’t get any better. Or can it? Yesterday, the casual eatery announced that it has appointed Bill Niman, founder of sustainable farm Niman Ranch, as its sustainable agriculture advisor.

The fast food company, which has purchased naturally raised pork from Niman Ranch since 2001, hopes that the Niman appointment will allow Chipotle to “help carry our message of making food from sustainable sources available and affordable so everyone can eat better.” When he started Niman Ranch in 1971, Bill Niman blazed the trail for the sustainable farming movement in the United States. He took up farming with a focus on slow food principles of high-quality animal feed, natural, antibiotic- and hormone-free farming, and ethical animal care.

Are you surprised to learn of this news? Do you think that the pioneer, with his specialized focus on local agriculture, will be able to make an impact on the chain, which has more than 800 stores?

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7 Surefire Sustainable Seafood Options

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:50:42 -0700

Though organic produce has been at the forefront of the food movement over the last handful of years, sustainable seafood has only recently gained much-needed attention. Fishing practices for some of America's most popular seafood choices (salmon, eel, Chilean sea bass) are putting seafood populations in peril, interrupting aquatic habitats, and causing damaging water pollution. I'll be the first to admit that it can be hard to keep track of what seafood is and isn't environmentally sound to eat, since it depends on the way it's caught and where it comes from. For those in question, you can always refer to the Seafood Watch, an advisory that will tell you what's OK to eat and what's off-limits. Don't forget these seven surefire seafood options that are, for the most part, always sustainably sound.

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Yummy Links: From Sustainable Seafood to Coffee Stains

partysugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:44:00 -0700

Make the world a better place by purchasing sustainable seafood. - Gourmet
Move over Pez, there's a new candy dispenser in town and wii love it! - Candy Blog
Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller are looking for an American chef to represent them at the culinary Olympics. - Eater SF
Deep fried cheese ravioli?! Why didn't I think of that? - The Food in My Bread
With the price of food sky rocketing, you can never have too many tips on how to save at the grocery store. - Glam Dish
Presentation of food is important, here's how to plate your food like a chef. - Start Cooking
Calling all home mixologists: make your own maraschino cherries. - Serious Eats
Get rid of coffee stains with dishwashing soap, water, and vinegar mixture. - CasaSugar

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