Compass Group 360°

National Women’s History Month: Knowledge is Power

National Women’s History Month began as an effort to bring awareness to the contributions of Women in the United States. For many years, many women received unequal educational opportunities because it would have appeared to be an “assault on purity and femininity”. This year, the National Women’s History Project is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the passing of Title IX of the Education Code, which put an end to gender discrimination by federally funded institutions and helped to level the “educational playfield” for all women in the United States.

At Compass Group, we offer our associates a range of educational and developmental opportunities to help them reach their full potential. Our largest associate resource group, the Women’s Leadership Network, is committed to the advancement of associates’ careers by hosting various networking events and informational sessions to help them learn about the importance of mentorship and professional development. As we value and recognize National Women’s History Month, we value and recognize diversity & inclusion by creating a work environment that is challenging and provides the opportunities that is challenging and support for everyone to develop, learn and succeed.

~ Tameka Green, Diversity Department, Compass Group North America

Celebrating Black History Month

The study of Black History in the United States and the celebration of Black History Month is owed to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard educated scholar from Kentucky. Black History Month first began as “Negro History Week” and later became a month long celebration in 1926.

During Black History Month, we honor the various contributions Blacks have made to help create an inclusive society for all. This year’s theme, Black Women in American Culture and History, gives us an opportunity to pay homage to Black women who have served as catalysts for change in our society. There are many well-known Black women, from Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, who risked the safety of their families and themselves, for the betterment of all. But there are countless others, who are not as well-known, but who have sacrificed just as much, if not more, and should not be forgotten.

As we celebrate value and recognize the importance of Black History Month and the contributions of Black women in American Culture and History, we also celebrate value and recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion. At Compass Group, diversity & inclusion is who we are, what we do and the way we work. We recognize that diversity & inclusion means more than embracing differences and similarities; it is an opportunity to grow our business by leveraging the experiences, backgrounds, thoughts, abilities and expectations our associates, clients and customers bring to the organization.

~ Tameka Green, Diversity Department, Compass Group North America

 

Dietitians in Training: Promoting School Nutrition Far and Wide

Making sure the nation’s school children are served healthful, safe, delicious meals is a big job – and the Chartwells registered dietitians (RDs) are up to the challenge. Chartwells School Dining Services employs over twenty RDs nation-wide to plan healthy meals, promote wellness and sustainability programs, and educate our school communities about healthy eating and active living. But with over 530 districts serving 2.5 million students, even an RD with super human powers would be hard-pressed to reach every student. Luckily, starting this January, Chartwells is getting help from a bright, motivated group of dietitians in training.

Let’s back up a second though. What exactly is a registered dietitian, and what makes them so well-qualified to support school nutrition? Registered dietitians are nutrition professionals who have completed an accredited undergraduate program in nutrition, completed a hands-on internship (usually lasting about a year), and passed a national exam to become officially “registered” as dietitians. This year, Chartwells and Morrison have started our own internship to provide more nutrition graduates the opportunity to become registered dietitians. Our interns come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and are spread across the country from California to Connecticut. 

While we help our interns become experts in the field of nutrition, they will be in our schools teaching nutrition to students, parents and staff, seeking out healthy new recipes and foods to try on our menus, and engaging the school community in a variety of new, innovative food and nutrition projects.

We are so excited to welcome our interns into our districts, and see this as a great opportunity to reach more members of the school communities in which we serve. Expect to see updates from time to time on the wonderful work our interns are doing. If you’d like to learn more about registered dietitians, check out www.eatright.org. And, if you’re interested in reading more about the Morrison/Chartwells internship, visit the program’s website at www.rdinternship.com.

~ by Whitney Bateson RD, Director of Wellness Initiatives, Chartwells School Dining Services

 

MyPlate in Action

Since the release of MyPlate and our signing on as National Strategic Partners in CNPP’s Nutrition Communicators Network, the messages of MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines have become part of many great events in our accounts. The first key message, “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables,” was a natural fit for our Eat Local campaign that kicked off for the season in September. With all of the fresh local produce we have seen a lot of plates half full with fruits and vegetables!

The Morrison team at Staten Island University Hospital held a farmers market to complement the hospital’s wellness fair. Chefs Brian Duhart and Peter Sarubbi conducted food demonstrations and tastings featuring the fresh produce that was available to employees through the onsite farmers market.

In Albion, NY the Morrison team at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center hosted a reunion for former residents that included discussions of how to put the messages of the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate into practice. Healthy snacks and produce from a local farm were served and provided as part of door prize baskets.

If you are looking for ways to put MyPlate, and specifically the “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables” message into action, check out the Fruit and Veggies Video Challenge. The entries have great ideas and you can vote for your favorite. Voting ends December 12^th, so don’t delay!

Behind the Scenes: GS1 US

I’m part of an initiative in the foodservice industry to make the food supply chain easier, transparent and safer for everyone involved, beginning at the farm and ending with our customers.

The Foodservice GS1 US Standards Initiative (“GS1 US”) is dedicated to the adoption and implementation of standards-based, global supply-chain solutions.

Launched in late 2009 in partnership with the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) and the National Restaurant Association, we became part of a voluntary industry collaboration to adopt GS1 standards by 2015. Over seventy foodservice manufacturers, distributors and operators, including Compass Group, are members.

Instead of over 6,000 internal codes to track, we may be able to have one single code to share product information globally. Just like a barcode you see on your box of cereals at the supermarket, our industry will eventually have a similar tracking system.

Adding to the complexity is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), menu-labeling legislation signed into law January 2011—plus a growing consumer demand for more and better nutritional and allergen product information—underscores the need for a standards-based system for accurate and timely product information.

By having one standard code allotted to each particular food item, all of the players in the food supply chain can do the following better and safer.

We are proud to be a part of the GS1 initiative because it’s important to our business on so many levels:

QUALITY ASSURANCE • Better ingredient traceability, from the operator all the way back to the distributor, manufacturer, processing plants and ultimately, the farm, which is important from a food safety standpoint

PURCHASING • Drives waste out of the foodservice supply chain and simplifies the procurement of quality products across our business

CUSTOMERS • Give us the ability to insure accuracy in providing our customers with information about the menu items they purchase through easier access to nutrition information, component ingredients and eventually allergen information

Eventually, GS1 will provide easy electronic access to shared data for all supply chain partners; allow for real-time data for better inventory control and warehouse management; and more efficient handling of purchasing and other transactions.

Webtrition is a direct beneficiary of our involvement. Developed by our healthcare sector and available cross-sector, Webtrition provides accurate nutritional analysis in accordance with current legal regulations. It also reduces waste through forecasting & proper portioning. The GS1 initiative will make it easier for registered dietitians and accounts to track this information if there is one standard code for each item in the database.

Recently GS1 US celebrated their two-year anniversary. At this time, we’re at the halfway point of our goal to have 75-percent voluntary adoption of GS1 standards by 2015.

If you’re interested in this topic, visit http://www.gs1us.org/sectors/foodservice

~Deanne Brandstetter, M.B.A., R.D., C.D.N., Vice President of Nutrition & Wellness Compass Group North America