Media contact:
Jan Smyth
Marketing Manager
845-451-1457
j_smyth@culinary.edu
Hyde Park, NY – The 2015 Menus of Change Annual Report was released at the 3rd Annual Menus of Change® Leadership Summit, held for the
first time at the Hyde Park, NY campus of The Culinary Institute of America, which presents the initiative
in partnership with Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Each year,
along with case studies and trend analysis, the annual report rates the foodservice
industry’s progress toward addressing public health and environmental
imperatives. ,
comprised of leading scientists, analysts, and foodservice business leaders
from across the country, provide scores—from 1 meaning significant decline or
regress to 5 meaning significant progress—and write issue briefs supporting
them.
The ratings this year presented a mixed picture. The
foodservice industry is now a hotbed of innovation, earning a score of 4 for the
remarkable array of new tools emerging from tech start-ups and the growing number
of interdisciplinary initiatives appearing on college and university campuses devoted
to improving the food system. One example was the launch of the CIA’s own , the world’s first
business school dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation. The past year also
saw positive trends in the realm of diet and health, with a decrease in the
intake of trans fats and sugar-sweetened beverages,
and a modest increase in the intake of whole fruits and whole grains.
However, actions by Congress to undermine nutritional
programs for low-income Americans and school children signaled a step backward.
Furthermore, despite clear evidence about how to optimize diet quality,
confusion runs high among consumers about what to eat. This is largely due to
misleading headlines, misunderstandings about the 2015 Dietary Guideline
Advisory Committee’s report, and the relative rigor of some nutrition research
over others. As a result, recent trends in diet and health received a score of
3, and consumer attitudes and behaviors about healthy, sustainable food a score
of 2, each down a level from 2014. With a score of 1 for the second consecutive
year, and greenhouse gas emissions and food insecurity both increasing, climate
change remained the most intractable issue. The score for water sustainability
also remained low this year, at 2, as the foodservice industry’s concern for
water has not caught up with the severity of groundwater depletion and drought.
That said, it was encouraging to see the substantial
growth in support among private investors for new food and foodservice
companies featuring plant-forward concepts and focusing on sustainable supply
chains (earning an increased score of 4).
The Menus of Change leadership summit, held June 17–19 at the CIA’s new, state-of-the-art
Marriott Pavilion, was attended by more than 350 chefs, food and
foodservice leaders, industry consultants, academic researchers, and
environmental experts. In addition, classes of CIA students
attended with their faculty as part of their course work, and hundreds more
from around the world joined on a .
Highlights of the conference included a Plant-Forward Burger
Bash—featuring the traditional burger concept rethought in a variety of
inventive ways, such as blending meat with mushrooms and other vegetables—as well
as presentations from leading chefs, foodservice professionals, and other luminaries
representing public health, environment, and business strategy. Helping
foodservice professionals address this triple bottom line of people, planet,
and profit is the goal of Menus of Change. Now in its third year, the
initiative is showing proven results: As described in the annual report,
Compass Group recently announced a commitment to four Menus
of Change Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus. And one of three
surveys detailed in the report found that three-quarters of past conference
attendees are using the principles in their foodservice operations to revise
menus, rework recipes, or change operational and sourcing practices.
“The past year’s scientific and government reports and media
headlines, together with seismic shifts in consumer attitudes, signal that
continual change in the foodservice industry is part of the new status quo,”
says CIA President Tim Ryan. “Our partnership
with Harvard—which has been in place for more than a decade—allows Menus of
Change to present a unique integration of scientific, culinary, and business
insights to help both our students and our industry’s leadership prepare for an
increasingly disruptive landscape of business challenges, and great
opportunities.”
The report, conference presentation slides and videos, and
many other resources can be found at . To keep
up with more news about Menus of Change and its principles at work, subscribe
to regular updates and follow on Twitter with #CIAMOC.
Photo Captions and H-Res Images:
Photo 1 (top photo): Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America, opened the Menus of
Change leadership summit, which took place in the college’s new Marriott
Pavilion. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil
Mansfield)
Photo 2: The
Menus of Change Dashboard rates the foodservice industry’s progress toward
addressing public health and environmental imperatives. (Photo credit: CIA)
Photo 3: Eight different kinds of burgers were
served during Wednesday night's Burger Bash including these two: a
Moroccan Lamb-Eggplant Burger and a Shiitake Mushroom Beef Burger. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil
Mansfield)
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary
Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to
driving leadership development for the foodservice and hospitality industry,
the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate degrees in culinary arts
and baking and pastry arts; bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary
science, and applied food studies; and executive education through its Food
Business School. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the
think tank of the food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability,
world cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation.
The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and
enthusiasts. Its worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every
area of foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California,
Texas, and Singapore.
About the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to
educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas
that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of
leading scientists, educators, and students from around the world, we work
together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people’s lives—not
only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual
behaviors, public policies, and health care practices to create a healthier
world.
For more information,
visit .
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