The Culinary Scoop

University of Vermont Study Reveals That Americans Waste Nearly 150,000 Tons of Food Per Day; Chefling Helps Consumers Use their Food to its Full Potential.

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Chefling™, Inc., the ultimate solution for the smart kitchen, is an easily adoptable solution that helps consumers minimize the amount of food waste generated daily. With features including inventory organization, intuitive recipe suggestion and shopping list management, consumers can track and make the most out of recently purchased and existing ingredients in the pantry.

In a recent study done by the University of Vermont, researchers found that from 2007-2014, U.S. consumers wasted nearly 150,000 tons of food per day – nearly a pound (422 grams) of food per person each day1. Researchers also found that the amount of food disposed depended on the individual’s diet.

“Higher quality diets have greater amounts of fruits and vegetables, which are being wasted in greater quantities than other food,” said Meredith Niles, assistant professor at the University of Vermont. “Eating healthy is important, and brings many benefits, but as we pursue these diets, we must think much more consciously about food waste.”2

The Chefling app can help minimize food waste by notifying users when items are about to expire. The app’s machine learning capabilities will then present users with recipes they can make leveraging both new and existing pantry ingredients. Continue reading →

First-to-market game app for blind wine tasting available for free download.

Ready, set, sip: Rob Wilder, previously CEO and Co-founder of ThinkFoodGroup, is excited to announce the launch of his newest venture, WineGame. A free, simple app that instantly turns any bottle into a fun, multiple-choice blind tasting game, WineGame offers an inventive way to enjoy wine with friends—and learn a little something along the way.

WineGame started as a late-night lark: Wilder and his partner-in-wine, José Andrés, would challenge each other to name the wine cloaked in a paper bag. Innovating this friendly competition has been a long-time goal of Wilder’s, and now, the hi-tech version of WineGame is available for all smartphones, powered by proprietary software designed by WineGame Co-founder, Gary Mendel.

Based on an all-encompassing database including nearly every bottle in the world, WineGame challenges players to identify the grape, country, region and vintage/label of a wine. The platform generates logical answers to each question, so gamers learn even when answering incorrectly. Three tries are allowed per question, with points awarded at each level. Continue reading →

Mobile tool gives you the confidence to pour drinks like a pro.

Calling all cocktail and mocktail enthusiasts: Serve this summer’s most buzzworthy drinks using the 7UP Digital Bartender, a new mobile website from the versatile soft drink. The ultimate drink-crafting tool makes it easy to pour beverages worthy of a cocktail connoisseur from the comfort of your own home. Or tap the 7UP Digital Bartender to impress at your next backyard barbecue or summer soiree. All you need is a smartphone, a glass and ice to get mixing.

The 7UP Digital Bartender mobile tool shows you how to pour more than 30 custom drink recipes with tips from any smartphone. Easy-to-follow visuals and videos provide step-by-step directions, and measuring the perfect pour is as simple as sizing the in-screen graphic to match the size of your glass. With just a few taps on a mobile device, you can be sipping on quality drinks of your own selection. To use the 7UP Digital Bartender, visit 7up.com/digitalbartender on your mobile device. Continue reading →

Louisiana Healthcare Connections announced the launch of its Community Health Grants initiative today. Three awards of up to $15,000 each will be awarded to eligible non-profit organizations or schools who are addressing the issues of hunger and food access in Louisiana. Applications are due no later than July 20, 2018. Grant awards will be announced August 1, 2018.

“One of the harsh realities of food insecurity is its negative impact on health and health outcomes for families across our state,” said Chelsea Graves, Community Relations Principal at Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “This grant program represents an opportunity for us to work together with community-level organizations to improve access to nutritious foods for Louisiana families, and in turn, to help families build healthier lives.”

According to the Louisiana Food Bank Association, hunger affects every parish and community in Louisiana. One in four Louisiana children live in households that are food insecure. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity often requires a household to choose between basic necessities, such as medical needs or housing, and purchasing healthy foods.

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The Makers of HORMEL® Chili and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to Host 2nd Annual Nationwide Recipe Contest

To honor America’s heroic firefighters and highlight their red-hot cooking talents, the makers of HORMEL® Chili are once again teaming up with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to crown “America’s Best Firehouse Chili Recipe.” The contest, now in its second year, provides firefighters across the country the opportunity to submit their very own chili recipes for the chance to win $10,000 for their station.

From now until July 16, 2018, firefighters will be encouraged to submit their best chili recipe to www.firehousechili.hormel.com for judging. Hormel Foods will select five finalists, one from each major region of the U.S. including North, South, East, West and Midwest. Those finalists will be flown to New York City to compete in a live chili cook-off for a chance to win the grand prize. Judging of recipes will be based on originality, flavor, and inspiration behind each recipe submission. In addition to contest prizing, the makers of HORMEL® Chili will also be presenting the NFFF with a donation of $20,000.

For the second year of the contest, the makers of HORMEL® Chili have tapped Jason George, star of ABC’s new hit show, Station 19, to participate as a guest judge. In the new Grey’s Anatomy spinoff, Jason reprises his role as Ben Warren, surgeon turned firefighter. Outside of embodying the spirit of a firefighter on TV, Jason is dedicated to giving back to the firefighter community and helping to highlight the service they provide.

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