Menu Mentoring Newsletter September 2015

Menu Mentoring, September 2014

Welcome to this months' healthpro Menu Mentoring® Newsletter. In this edition we discuss upcoming EU legislation which is set to impact the Irish catering sector and feature two enterprising food businesses who are showing both initiative and business acumen in providing allergen and nutritional information to their customers. We've also got a delicious recipe to share with you, including it's full nutritional and allergen breakdown from the healthpro Menu Mentoring® team. 

Do get in touch with us with any comments or feedback you may have, we'd love to hear from you. 

Food Allergen Labelling Legislation Imminent for Irish Businesses

On October the 25th, 2011, the European Parliment and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011on the provision of food information to consumers. This Regulation requires that all prepacked and un-prepacked foods must declare the presence of specific ingredients which the EU has identified as the most common and serious causes of hypersensitive reactions. Of the many food ingredients known to cause food allergies or food intolerances, EU food law has specified a total of 14 to be declared when they have been used in the production of a foodstuff. The Regulation entered into force on the 12th of December, 2011, and applies from the 13th of December, 2014.      

The inclusion of un-prepacked foods in the Regulation necessitates caterers such as restaurants, cafes, bars, takeaways, canteens, and deli counters to provide allergen labelling for their customers. A previous industry audit, commissioned by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), showed that while some Irish food caterers are conscious of, and proactive towards the needs of customers with food allergies, much needs to be done if the catering industry as a whole is to be in a position to comply with the extended labelling requirements by December 2014.  

Since it's inception, healthpro Menu Mentoring® has been accutely aware that members of the public suffering from food allergies and intolerances lacked confidence in choosing food prepared outside of the home and that business owners needed the expertise of specialised services to implement allergen controls that would help build consumer confidence. To date, healthpro Menu Mentoring® has helped over 200 Irish food outlets to become fully compliant with the forthcoming legislation, providing a comprehensive menu allergen labelling system that facilitates clear and accurate customer information. Our clients have not only satisfied a legal obligation but have also capitalised on the unique opportunity that menu labelling provides to attract and maintain an entirely new demographic of customers.  

Find out how healthpro Menu Mentoring® can help your food business to make changes that are better for your customers and better for you by contacting us today on 086 4119222 or by email on info@healthpro.ie    

The Bagel Bar working with healthpro Menu Mentoring® for excellence in customer information

The Bagel Bar have been working closely with the healthpro Menu Mentoring® team for over three years now, showing true leadership in their sector by providing comprehensive menu labelling both instore and online. Each of their delicious bagels, wraps, paninis, sandwiches, toasties, soups, salads and smoothies have been analysed by us to faciliate their customers in making choices that are appropriate for their needs. Check out their website on http://thebagelbars.com/ or visit a Bagel Bar store to see how easy they've made it.

Would you like your restaurant, cafe, or deli to care for their customers like The Bagel Bar do for theirs? If so, learn more about healthpro Menu Mentoring® services - we'd be delighted to help! The healthpro Menu Mentoring® team can be contacted on 086 4119222 or by email on info@healthpro.ie 

Kerrigans Craft Butchers taking customer care to a new level with the help of healthpro Menu Mentoring®

Kerrigans Craft Butchers, situated in the beautiful North Dublin village of Malahide, have always appreciated that many of their customers take an active interest in their health and nutritional needs and want to make informed choices about the foods they eat. To help their customers with this objective, Kerrigans sought the help of our healthpro Menu Mentoring® team this year and now offer their extensive Easy Cook, Ready to Eat, and Heat and Eat meal products labelled with user-friendly energy, lifestyle and allergen symbols. Making healthy eating even easier for their customers, Kerrigans now also provide delicious instore and online recipes, fully endorsed by our team. Follow the pioneering activities of this established and renowned family business on their popular facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KerrigansMalahide and sample their quality produce when next in the vicinity.

healthpro Menu Mentoring® helps a diverse range of food providers to implement menu labelling and to promote and market the services they offer to their customers. Explore new areas of growth and development for your business by contacting 086 4119222 or emailing info@healthpro.ie    

Kerrigans Craft Butchers Recipe of the Week Inspired by healthpro - Meatloaf

 This delicious meatloaf was a recent recipe of the week at Kerrigans. Quick and easy to prepare, rich in protein and important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, and phosphorous, this meatloaf makes a tasteful and nutritious centre piece to a family meal. 

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 500 g of round mince
• wholemeal breadcrumbs (use gluten free bread for a coeliac friendly dish)
• 60 g onions (finely chopped)
• 120 g carrot (grated or finely chopped)
• 20 g of Passata (tomato sauce)
• 20 g of flat parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 egg (60g) (beaten)
• 50 g of BBQ sauce
• 6 g of garlic (grated)
• 1 g of black pepper

​Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius / gas mark 6. Lined a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place mince, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, carrot, passata, parsely and egg in a large bowl and season with pepper. Mix well until combined.
3. Shape mince into a 18 X 10 cm rectangular loaf and place on baking tray.
4. Bake for about 25 to 30 mins, or until firm to touch. Remove from the oven and drain excess fat. 
5. Spoon BBQ sauce over top of meatloaf. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 mins or until glazed. Stand on tray for 5 mins and then serve.

To make this tasty meatloaf a balanced meal, we would reccomend serving it alongside some boiled or steamed potatoes (250 g / person) and a colourful side salad (100 g / person), or with some dark green spinach or fresh broccoli. Also don't forget Kerrigans' tasty vegetable Mediterranean mix as a perfect accompaniment.

​Our team of experts at healthpro Menu Mentoring® have analysed this dish for Kerrigans to give their customers the following nutrition information;

DF = Dairy Free, and 2 healthpro symbols = 300 - 500 kcals / serving

healthpro Menu Mentoring® helps our clients to create instore and online meal ideas for their customers, including full nutritional and allergen information to suit all needs. Explore new areas of growth and development for your business by contacting 086 4119222 or emailing info@healthpro.ie  

Make your menu say and do so  much more with healthpro Menu Mentoring® 

Increasingly, people are taking an active interest in their health and nutritional needs and a majority of customers want to make informed choices about the foods they eat. healthpro Menu Mentoring® gives you the tools to ensure your customers have the information they need. 

Designed and implemented by a professional team of state-registered dietitians, healthpro Menu Mentoring® involves a detailed assessment of ingredients and methods of preparation for each menu item to determine precise nutritional composition. Our expert analysis also details the presence and absence of allergens, making it easy for your customers to make a choice thats' right for them. 

healthpro Menu Mentoring® can analyse individual dishes or entire menus, depending on you requirements, and helps your business to; 

• increase sales
• decrease production overheads
• attract a new demographic of customers  
• gain a competitive edge by demonstrating market leadership
• implement menu modification to reduce calories, saturated fats, sugars, and salt
• adopt methods of preparation that ensure menu items are suitable for customers with food intolerances, allergies, or special dietary needs, such as coeliacs, vegetarians, and vegans 
• become legislation compliant - Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011