Because shovelnose sturgeon and pallid sturgeon are difficult to differentiate in the wild and because domestic sturgeon fishing pressure has been driven by demand for sturgeon and their roe, the Fish and Wildlife Service believes that treating the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species will ultimately aid the conservation and recovery of pallid sturgeon. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/missouririver/moriver_pallidsturgeon.htm.
The goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Visit www.fws.gov.
Americans ate 15.8 pounds of seafood per capita in 2009, down 1.25 percent from the 16 pounds they consumed in 2008, according to the National Fisheries Institute (NFI). NFI's top 10 list for 2009 revealed that American consumers' seafood preferences remain largely unchanged; the only newcomer to the list was Pangasius at number 10, while flatfish dropped out of the top 10 list. The top 10 seafood of 2009 were:1. Shrimp
2. Canned tuna
3. Salmon
4. Alaska Pollock
5. Tilapia
6. Catfish
7. Crab
8. Cod
9. Clams
10. Pangasius
"From a public health perspective, it's imperative that Americans eat more fish," said Jennifer McGuire, NFI's registered dietitian, in a statement. "This is a message we expect to see front and center when federal health experts release the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year--the familiar food pyramid program. While we anticipate hearing a lot about eating less salt and not as much saturated fat, when it comes to seafood more is better."
For more information, visit www.aboutseafood.com.
American Farmland Trust has announced the winners of the inaugural America's Favorite Farmers' Market contest, an online contest created to promote the economic and social value of farmers markets in communities.One boutique, small, medium and large farmers' market each were selected by more than 50,000 voters this summer. The winners from each category are:
- boutique market (15 or fewer vendors): King George Farmers Market, King George, Va.
- small market (16 to 30 vendors): Champaign County Farmers Market, Urbana, Ohio
- medium market (31 to 55 vendors): Falls Church Farmers Market, Falls Church, Va.
- large market (56 or more vendors): City of Rochester Public Market, Rochester, N.Y.
September is National Food Safety Education Month. This campaign from the National Restaurant Association focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and foodservice industry, while raising awareness of the industry's commitment to food safety. The theme of this year's National Food Safety Education Month is "High-Risk Customers: Serve Your Fare with Extra Care."The program offers five weeks of free training materials, available for download at www.servsafe.com/nfsem. The weekly training activities and posters can be used to supplement existing in-unit food safety training. All materials reinforce the theme and focus on the special needs of children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.
The curriculum for National Food Safety Education Month is broken down into five weekly themes, with each theme stressing a different aspect of food safety and high-risk customers. These themes cover topics such as recognizing high-risk customers, children and food safety risk, foods to avoid, minimum internal cooking temperatures and food safety risk factors.
All NFSEM materials are based on the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe food safety training and certification program. The materials communicate food-safety concepts efficiently and all the activities can be completed in less than 10 minutes.
The 2010 March of Dimes Chicago Chef of the Year Award will be presented to White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford at the Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago on Nov. 3 at the Swissotel.Now in its second year, the award was created to recognize chefs with Chicago ties for their achievements in culinary arts. Comerford is being honored for her commitment to culinary arts as well as her dedication to the environment, the farming industry, healthy eating and an eco-friendly lifestyle. Accomplishments include bringing nationwide attention to healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity. Chef Rick Bayless, the inaugural Chef of the Year winner, is expected to present the award to chef Comerford during the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago.
At the event, guests will sample dishes from more than 25 local chefs. Local restaurants participating in the Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago include: Benny's Chop House, Gabriel Viti's Gabriel's Restaurant and Miramar Bistro, Ristorante Prosecco, Province, Boka, The Signature Room at the 95th, Volare, Roy's, N9ne Steak House, The Palm Restaurant, The Purple Pig and Heaven on Seven.
For more information, visit www.marchofdimes.com/illinois.
Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) has selected five new members to join its national board of directors. Each will serve a three-year term and contribute to WCR's mission and growth. The newest directors are:- Elizabeth Falkner, owner and executive chef, Citizen Cake and Orson, San Francisco
- Ruth Gresser, owner, Pizzeria Paradiso, Washington, D.C.
- Rochelle Huppin, owner, Chefwear Inc., Santa Monica, Calif.
- Cathy Jörin, principal, Culinary Business Solutions, San Francisco
- Virginia Willis, producer, author, editor and food stylist, Virginia Willis Culinary Productions LLC, Atlanta
Due to soft sales and traffic levels and a deteriorating outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), which tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, fell 0.1 percent from June to reach 99.4 in July. This is the third consecutive month the RPI stood below 100.Restaurant operators reported negative same-store sales for the fourth consecutive month in July, with the overall results similar to June. Thirty-nine percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between July 2009 and July 2010, matching the proportion of operators who reported higher sales in June. Meanwhile, 44 percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in July, compared to 43 percent of operators who reported negative sales in June.
Restaurant operators also reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in July. Thirty-five percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between July 2009 and July 2010, up slightly from 33 percent of operators who reported higher customer traffic in June. Forty-six percent of operators reported a traffic decline in July, up from 43 percent who reported lower traffic in June.
The RPI is based on the responses to the NRA's Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The full report is available at www.restaurant.org/trendmapper.
The National Honey Board has launched "Hot from the Hive," a free, quarterly e-newsletter offering honey news and information for foodservice industry professionals.Each issue of "Hot from the Hive" features honey industry news, recipes and consumer trends. Additionally, the e-newsletter's Honey 101 section offers helpful how-to's on honey. Click here for the subscription form.
The National Honey Board conducts research, marketing and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. Visit www.honey.com for more information.