Category Archives: Kitchen

Kraft Foods Sizes Up the Environmental Impacts of Its Products Through Lifecycle Assessment

NORTHFIELD, Ill., May 7, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire/ – Most people have heard the saying that you can’t improve what you can’t measure.  But measurement can be complex and time-consuming, especially when it comes to figuring out how to reduce environmental impacts.  Which is why Kraft Foods is using lifecycle assessment (LCA) to help it make the right changes and get the best results.  LCA measures the footprint of what goes into making a product, from farm to fork and beyond.

“Lifecycle assessment is an important part of our sustainability journey,” said Roger Zellner, Sustainability Director for Research, Development & Quality.  “It gives us a competitive advantage, as we now have more insight into how to reduce our products’ footprints, find efficiencies and validate and explain those benefits to customers and consumers.  Together, we’re focusing and working smarter and communicating better, which is good for the environment, people and our business.”

This LCA work builds on the multi-year footprinting project Kraft Foods recently used to map its impact on climate change, land and water use.  Today, employees around the world are using lifecycle thinking to help uncover ways to eliminate waste in manufacturing.  This can reduce the amount of raw materials, such as agricultural commodities, used at the beginning of the supply chain.  LCA also can help measure how product and packaging innovations improve on previous designs, and provide a common system to measure and explain those benefits. Continue reading

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Fair Trade USA Produce Imports Post Huge Increase

Article from The Packer on import growth of Fair Trade produce

Fair Trade USA logged a 40% increase in fresh produce imports in 2011 compared to 2010, partially driven by the reintroduction of cucumbers and bell peppers and a 170% increase in citrus imports.

Officials expect tremendous growth for 2012 also because several commodities from northern Mexico are being added.

In its recently released 2011 Almanac, the Oakland, Calif.-based Fair Trade-certifying organization reported year-to-year increases for 2009 and 2010 were only 2%.

“Notably, 2011 marked the first time that Fair Trade-Certified bell peppers, cucumbers and bananas from Mexico were imported into the United States,” the almanac states.

Hannah Freeman, director of produce and floral development for Fair Trade USA, said additional new commodities certified for import from Mexico this spring include grapes, watermelons, honeydew, cantaloupes, roma tomatoes and peaches.

“There’s a lot of excitement in Mexico right now,” Freeman said. “We expect to see several new growers certified this year offering new products like asparagus, strawberries, eggplant and tomatoes.” Continue reading

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New Survey Shows Shift Toward More Plant-based Options with Sodexo Meatless Monday Initiative

(3BL Media) Gaithersburg, MD – April 9, 2012 – Americans eat more meat than any other developed nation – a lifestyle choice that can take a toll on health and the environment. A new report just released by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future indicates that Sodexo’s Meatless Monday initiative has helped the leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions accomplish its goal of serving healthier, more sustainable choices while maintaining sales and increasing customer satisfaction.

“It’s one thing to know from a nutritional perspective that reducing your intake of saturated fats is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. But it’s a whole other challenge to make that case to a nation of serious meat lovers,” said Nitu Gupta, vice president food and nutrition brand management, Sodexo. “The popularity of the Meatless Monday initiative demonstrates the fact that it indeed can be done through education combined with great tasting plant-based menu options.”

Sodexo launched its Meatless Monday initiative in January 2011 in the company’s health care, government and corporate divisions as part of its ongoing effort to work as a strategic partner in meeting client objectives for sustainability, health and wellness and support for local communities. The program included new plant-based options and communications material that educated diners on the benefits of eating less meat and more vegetables. According to the survey of 245 sites, the Meatless Monday program helped accomplish several important Sodexo goals. 87 percent of respondents noted that it demonstrated Sodexo’s commitment to health and 71 percent reported that it made vegetarian options more appealing. Continue reading

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Whole Foods Market® to stop selling red-rated seafood

Becomes first national grocer to eliminate red-rated, wild-caught species from fish counters, meets seafood sustainability goal one year early ‘Fishmonger Face-Off’ contest to highlight team members’ skill and knowledge while educating shoppers on responsibly caught seafood

NEW YORK (March 30, 2012) – Beginning this Earth Day (April 22), Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) will no longer carry red-rated wild-caught fish in its seafood departments. The move, which comes one year ahead of the company’s self-imposed deadline of Earth Day 2013, makes Whole Foods Market the first national grocer to stop selling red-rated seafood.

A red rating indicates that a species is suffering from overfishing or that current fishing methods harm other marine life or habitats; the ratings are determined by nonprofit research organizations Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Continue reading

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Vermont’s Blue Spruce Farm Wins National Award for Dairy Farm Sustainability

(3BL Media) Cabot, VT – March 12, 2012 - During a special awards ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on March 7 – the eve of National Agriculture Day - the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® announced the winners of the inaugural U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, a program to recognize dairy farms, dairy companies and collaborative partnerships for efforts that advance the sustainability of the American dairy industry.

Blue Spruce Farm, operated by the Audet family of Bridport, Vt., was named a winner of the prestigious award for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability.  Widely recognized as a dairy pioneer, Blue Spruce Farm received the national honor in recognition of its commitment to sustainability. Blue Spruce was one of the first farms in the nation to install a variable speed vacuum pump control, reducing energy used during milking by nearly 60 percent. Blue Spruce also served as the pilot dairy farm to launch the successful Central Vermont Public Service’s Cow Power™ program, which allows consumers to purchase renewable energy generated by dairy farms. By implementing new technologies in milking, milk cooling, barn construction, ventilation, water heating and lighting, the farm reduced energy use 50% from an average of 1,000 kWh per cow per year, to an average of just 500 kWh per cow per year. These savings, in turn, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 500 pounds of CO2e per cow per year. Continue reading

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12 Tips to Green your Dishwashing

To green your dishwashing, be sure to buy an energy and water efficient dishwasher, wash full loads, avoid hand-washing, and buy eco-friendly detergent.

The following in an excerpt from the book “The Ultimate Guide to Greening your Home”.

✔ Choose an EnergyStar rated dishwasher – EnergyStar rated dishwashers use advanced technology to get your dishes clean while using less water and energy.  EnergyStar qualified models are, on average, 10% more energy efficient than non-qualified models.

If you have a dishwasher made before 1994, you could be paying an extra $40 a year on your utility bills and wasting about 8 gallons of water per cycle compared to owning and operating a EnergyStar qualified model. Continue reading

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Walmart Unveils “Great For You” Icon for Healthy Food

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 7, 2012 – A year after pledging to develop a front-of-pack label that would give its customers an easier way to identify healthier food, Walmart, the nation’s largest food retailer, unveiled the “Great For You” icon at an event today in Washington, D.C. The icon, part of the company’s healthier food initiative, is an effort to implement a transparent, summary icon for its private label brand products backed by rigorous nutrition criteria. “Great For You” will initially appear on select Walmart Great Value and Marketside items, as well as on fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables at Walmart U.S. stores nationwide this spring. By extending “Great For You” to fruits and vegetables and nutritious food options the company will make it easier for its customers to build healthier diets.

“Walmart moms are telling us they want to make healthier choices for their families, but need help deciphering all the claims and information already displayed on products,” said Andrea Thomas, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart. “Our ‘Great For You’ icon provides customers with an easy way to quickly identify healthier food choices. As they continue to balance busy schedules and tight budgets, this simple tool encourages families to have a healthier diet.” Continue reading

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Tips to Green Stone & Tile in Your Home

There are many green stone & tile options available.  The issues to keep in mind are the durability and stain resistance of the material, whether the material has been sources locally, and if the installation method uses materials that will emit VOCs. 

The following in an excerpt from the book “The Ultimate Guide to Greening your Home”.

✔ A low VOC option – One of the strongest positives is that stone, tile, and grout release few, if any, VOCs or other problematic air emissions. If you are concerned with VOCs, stone and tile is a good choice.

✔ Be aware of radon – All earth-based products (stone, tile, masonry, concrete, gypsum wallboard, etc.) contain traces of radon, a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock. It is the EPA’s most recent view that the amount of radon emitted is generally very small and does not present a health risk. Continue reading

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