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In this issue of Chef's Stirrings:
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The 94th annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and 6th annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB), recently held at Chicago's McCormick Place on May 18-21, posted positive growth in both attendee and exhibitor numbers. As the most comprehensive trade show for the foodservice industry, NRA Show 2013 addressed the issues that mattered most to attendees-including sustainability, health care, kids' nutrition, technology, and more.
This year's event attracted more than 62,500 registrants from all 50 states and 100+ countries, representing a second consecutive year of growth. The Lodging category saw the largest increase in registrants by more than 10 percent. Restaurant/Foodservice, Retail, and Press registration also experienced growth.
On the exhibitor side, the most substantial sign of growth was demonstrated by the opening of a third exhibit hall, North Hall, Level 1. This additional hall housed more than 400 exhibitors and was a hotbed for innovative products from up-and-coming exhibitors and well-known brands alike. With the additional third hall, exhibit space totaled more than 579,000 square feet, a 6.8 percent increase over 2012, with more than 2,100 exhibiting companies, nearly 40 percent of which were new.
"NRA Show 2013 and IWSB reminded us of the fun and excitement found in the restaurant and foodservice industry," said Jeffrey W. Davis, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2013 and IWSB and CEO of the United States Beef Corporation. "From serendipitous business encounters to educational discoveries and networking opportunities, no other event provides this kind of access to the 'who's who' of industry leaders, celebrities, brands, products and services. In just four days, industry attendees and operators received a year's worth of key learnings and industry insights to not only build their business, but also provide solutions to their everyday challenges."
To continue to serve as the restaurant and hospitality industry's leading premier international marketplace, the NRA Show 2013 added additional new feature areas and programming such as: the Alternative BiteStyle specialty pavilion for individuals with special dietary needs; free health care consultations from industry leaders at the Health Care Knowledge Center; the action-packed iSculpture competition; the "next big thing" for restaurants-a fully-functioning Hydroponic Garden; the most prestigious line-up of World Culinary Showcase chefs to date; an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime tour of Rick Bayless's home garden; a powerful keynote presentation by Starbucks' Howard Schultz; an uproarious talk with the never-censored chef and culinary personality, Anthony Bourdain; and more.
For more information on these and many other NRA Show and IWSB features, including downloadable photos, videos and the NRA Show blog, visit show.restaurant.org/News.
With the global food ingredients market forecasted to grow in 2013 by 2.7%, this industry is set to flourish and meet the requirements of the ever changing consumer trends. Given this development, as well as the population growth and the increasing affluence of the developing world, the food ingredients industry has become an intensely dynamic landscape. With the relentlessness of the Euro crisis coming to an end, finding the best business partners, in this industry, has become more important than ever.
To help food producers find the most innovative ingredient providers, UBM Live is organising the 2013 edition of Fi Europe & Ni, taking place on the 19-21 November 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany. Being the industry staple for over 25 years, Fi Europe is the leading platform to source innovative ingredients, grow market share and nurture business networks. The online visitor registration is now open for this unmissable event.
Jana Farkasova, Business Development Manager, Nestle, notes 'Fi Europe is a very useful tool to exchange information, make contacts, enhance relationships and gain information about the latest trends and innovations'. Fi Europe is proven to be the most successful platform for companies to showcase themselves in this vibrant and ever growing market. Over 26,000 attendees will be attending the show, over the 3 days, to unearth new business partners, suppliers and the latest innovations in the marketplace. Attendees at Fi Europe are looking for solutions to further develop products in their pipeline, reformulate their existing products and pursue costs controlling solutions.
The exhibition organisers are predicting a record year with over 1,300 exhibitors from 94 countries. Leading manufacturers will present their latest innovations and technologies. Among these key exhibitors are Dohler, Roquette, Cargill, Brenntag, Tate & Lyle, ADM, FrieslandCampina, Barry Callebaut, DSM, Naturex, BASF, CNI, Fortitech, Rousselot, Beneo, and many more. The event is growing with each edition; not only does it continue to bring new exhibitors to the show, but is also home to a variety of features and educational workshops and is co-located with Food ingredients Europe Conferences.
This year will see the return of the New Product Zone which displays the latest products and innovations and gives an inside scope of what is predicted in the future. The Innovation Tours are also here, following the success of previous years. They will be following various topic trends and focus on the most innovative exhibitors around the show. The Industry Insight Theatre provides workshops and educational seminars surrounding key industry topics, conducted by various associations, research companies and scholars.
The Seminar Sessions will allow exhibitors to present the latest innovations, cutting edge technology and product opportunities. The renowned Food ingredients Excellence Awards are presented each edition, recognising the leading ingredient manufacturers and their latest innovations. The event is co-located with the Food ingredients Europe Conference, which covers issues currently faced by the food ingredients industry and will provide crucial insights into leading scientific innovations, winning marketing strategies and explore the hottest ingredients trends driving new product development and consumer spending in the F&B industry.
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Twenty top chefs from Washington DC competed in the third annual DC Lamb Jam. Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley of Ripple won best in show as well as best use of lamb shanks for her Lamb Shank Ragu with Potato Gnocchi, Favas, Pickled Ramps and Parmesan. Chef Meek-Bradley will compete for the title of National Lamb Jam Master at the Lamb Jam Finale in New York this fall.
Other winning dishes from the DC Lamb Jam include:
People's Choice: Dimitri Moshovitis of Cava Mezze Restaurant Braised Lamb Shank in Barolo, Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Truffle and Aged Parmesan
Best Leg Dish: Lee Gregory of The Roosevelt Smoked Leg of Lamb, SC Farro "Dirty Rice", Red Onion Marmalade, Green Tomato Relish
Best Breast Dish: Will Artley of Pizzeria Orso Braised Lamb Belly with Tomato Jam
Best Shoulder Dish: Victor Albisu of Del Campo Roasted Lamb and Clam Taco: Lamb Shank, Grilled Clam Salsa Verde, Grilled Guacamole
For more information about the Lamb Jam or American Lamb, visit americanlamb.com.
3M Food Safety Leverages Petrifilm Technology for Pathogen Detection
3M Food Safety announces the launch of the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express System, a new pathogen detection technology that builds upon a solid platform of pathogen detection solutions. Immediately available worldwide, this system is focused on Salmonella, which comprises nearly half of all pathogen testing. Though not previously available as a pathogen test, 3M Petrifilm Plates have transformed the food processing industry to the point that 91 of the top 100 U.S. food processing companies now rely on them for their indicator testing needs. "This product was created with the needs of our customers in mind."
"Leveraging 3M's record of innovation, the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express System exemplifies our commitment to food safety," said Mojdeh Poul, vice president and general manager, 3M Food Safety. "3M's newly expanded portfolio of pathogen detection solutions represents our dedication to collaborate closely with the industry to deliver fast detection methods with accurate results."
The new system has already received Performance Tested Method (PTM) validation (Certification Number 061301) from AOAC Research Institute. The 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express System was found to be equivalent to or better than the reference methods for raw ground chicken, pasteurized liquid whole egg, raw ground beef, raw ground pork, cooked chicken nuggets, frozen uncooked shrimp, fresh bunched spinach, dry dog food and stainless steel.
Today, the new system provides a shorter time-to-result, more uniform results and a longer shelf life than the conventional agar methods. It provides detection and biochemical confirmation of Salmonella in enriched food and food process environmental samples, including dairy, fruits and vegetables, raw meat, seafood and pet food and results are available in as little as 44 hours - two times faster than traditional agar methods.
The easy-to-use system is an all-in-one method. First, the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express Plate is a sample-ready, chromogenic culture medium that is specific to Salmonella and provides a presumptive result. Next, the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express Confirmation Disk contains a substrate that facilitates the biochemical confirmation of all presumptive positive Salmonella colonies on the plate in just four hours. By way of comparison, when food processors outsource sample testing with a third-party contract lab, they'll commonly wait 24-72 hours for confirmation and pay a nominal amount for each presumptive positive colony requiring confirmation.
"This product was created with the needs of our customers in mind," said Tina Bauman, global marketing supervisor with 3M Food Safety. "Increased regulation and prevalence of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella have created a demand for new pathogen detection solutions that are accurate, fast, simple and affordable."
With the addition of the 3M Petrifilm Salmonella Express System, 3M Food Safety's pathogen detection portfolio provides a total solution, offering molecular, immunoassay and indicator testing methods. DNA-based solutions include the highly innovative 3M Molecular Detection System introduced in December 2011, and the 3M Tecra Pathogen and Toxin Visual Immunoassay (VIA).
When 3M Petrifilm Plates launched in the mid-1980s, it was widely viewed as a step forward in ensuring the quality and safety of food products. Eliminating the need to prepare, purchase and store agar dishes, they take up 85 percent less space than agar plates, freeing up valuable room in processors' incubators, lab benches and refrigerators, and reducing company waste.
Numi Organic Tea Announces New Savory Teas
Numi Organic Tea, long known for innovation in the world of tea, is proud to announce an exciting new taste sensation: Savory Teas. Real organic vegetables, wild herbs, decaf tea and aromatic spices are combined in the new collection of Numi Savory Teas, created to provide a unique and original taste experience for tea lovers.
Select Whole Foods Market regions and stores throughout the United States agreed to launch Savory Tea as Numi's exclusive natural retailer partner for 90 days beginning March 2013. Savory Tea will also be available for purchase online at NumiTea.com and Amazon.com.
Inspired by recipes from around the world, these veggie-spice-tea blends are rich in flavor, yet light enough to enjoy any time of day. Each exciting flavor is an adventure in taste: not quite a soup, but more than a tea. New flavors, never before offered in tea, include Tomato Mint, Carrot Curry, Fennel Spice, Spinach Chive, Beet Cabbage and Broccoli Cilantro. Delicious and satisfying, Numi's Savory Teas have five calories or fewer, are Certified Organic and Verified NON-GMO.
Since its inception, Numi has been known for pioneering new tastes and styles of tea in the United States. Now, once again, Numi offers blends that represent an entirely new way of thinking about and enjoying tea.
"From the day we opened our doors just over 13 years ago, Numi has made it one of our mission to be the most innovative brand in the tea industry," says Ahmed Rahim, CEO and chief alchemist for Numi Organic Tea. "We pioneered Rooibos, Honeybush, Flowering Tea and the first full line of organic pu-erh teas to the U.S. market. In order to produce a high quality cup of tea our tea'm travels the remote corners of the globe to find the most delicious and exotic organic teas and herbs. Our new Savory Teas speak to our creative innovation and make for a truly unique tea experience."
