September 2006
MEETINGS:
FCSI Supports Sustainable Design
By Jennifer Hicks

The rapidly changing world economy and sustainable approaches to doing global business seized the spotlight when 300 attendees gathered for the 2006 Worldwide Conference of the Foodservice Consultants Society Int’l. in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The May meeting, themed “One World, One Vision: Making It Happen” and hosted by FCSI’s U.K. Chapter, tapped the knowledge of experts in sustainable kitchen design, personnel management, local food sourcing, and future energy use as it relates to facilities and equipment design.

Keynote speaker Professor Richard Scase launched the meeting with a high-energy presentation focused on Globalization and Globalism in the 21st Century. The author of Global Remix focused on the restructuring world economy and challenged consultants to think about how their function will remain competitive in a changing world.

First, Scase addressed the global availability of information and technology, which has been the key to world economic growth. Some 2.5 billion people in India and China have been brought into the world economy as a result of the information and technology revolution, Scase explained.

India’s economy will overtake the U.S. economy by 2050, he predicted, as India develops as a global center for medicine and technology. “By 2010, India will have 100 million consumers, which means the hospitality and foodservice sectors will grow and grow,” Scase said.

Meanwhile, China’s economic growth will overtake that of the United States in ’35. By ’31, China will have 100 million Internet users, 650 million phone users and 1.1 billion cars. In short, we’re headed for an unprecedented repositioning of the world’s political and economic clout, Scase said.

Thus, “we have to think globally when developing business. That’s the way ahead. There are huge opportunities in the future, but not as we have known them,” Scase told the room of attendees, who themselves represented some 18 countries.

In light of that, the question then becomes: How do we move toward a sustainable business future? Consumer food preferences are shifting toward more organic, natural and fresh foods, as well as environmentally sustainable production. And it all has an effect on global brands. “The big brands must rebrand to emphasize local sustainability.”

Further, we must focus on customer satisfaction and shift from selling agents to trusted advisors, Scase said. “The first encounter is the moment of truth,” he said, “but the problem is that we’re trained to be involved in quick gains.” Creating true customer relationships take time.

Building On Sustainability
At break-out time, a session on “Designing for Energy Sustainability” featured Francois Tesniere, 3bornes Architects, and Alastair Fuad-Luke, author of The Eco-Design Handbook, 2002, 2005.

The pair began their presentation with a review of environmental changes related to human consumption. From 1950 to 1990, we quadrupled our oil use worldwide, they said, and in the same period we damaged the biosphere to the point that only 75% of the rainforest remains.

“If we don’t see our connectedness to others things,” said Fuad-Luke, “we can’t see the things that are important to sustainability.”

Tesniere then launched a review of ways to improve the indoor environment for chefs and cooks. “Look at eco-technologies that maintain a comfortable kitchen environment, but also reduce energy consumption,” he urged.

For example, designers can consider replacing cold rooms with small, easily accessible cold trolleys that are always topped off with product, so there’s greater energy efficiency in holding, Tesniere said.

Designers can also implement canal tables designed with chopping boards and drain pans that limit the contact cooks have with the table and reduce the frequency of table washing.

Tesniere also reviewed ferritic stainless, a new corrosion-resistant grade of steel that requires less water to produce and that can be easily recycled. This type of stainless can and should be used in new equipment, he said.

Other topics of discussion included sanitizing via electrolyzed water, recycling air without filters, and using essential oils as bactericides.

Moffat Named Manufacturer Of Year
During the closing banquet, FCSI honored E&R Moffat Ltd. of Bonnybridge, Scotland, as the 2006 FCSI Manufacturer of the Year.

The award recognizes Moffat’s recent innovations, including the Chillogen, a chilled storage unit and regeneration oven in one. Its design eliminates the transport of food from prep to refrigeration and then from refrigeration to regeneration. By combining the transportation into one unit, the Chillogen maintains a safe chill storage temperature.

Moffat also recently introduced the 3D Logging system, an automated program that tests and records internal refrigeration, oven and food temperatures to set intervals to assist in monitoring, identifying and meeting food temperature standards. The system provides operators with a program that is tamper proof and safe from human error.

Previously named the FSCI Award for Distinguished Development, the Manufacturer of the Year Award was established in 1977 and awarded every other year to an outstanding manufacturer. It became an annual award in ’02 and was renamed in ’03. Recent winners include AccuTemp Products, InterMetro Industries Corp., Rational Cooking Systems and Hobart-Traulsen.

Upcoming FCSI conferences include the North American Division Conference to be held Oct. 8-20, 2007, in conjunction with The NAFEM Show. The next Worldwide Conference is being planned for Beijing in ’08.