The Food Sleuth Finds Out What They are Eating at the White House

Our friend,  Melinda Hemmelgarn the Food Sleuth, makes a phone call to find the scoop on the inaugural caterer. While some are criticizing the daily dietary recommendations, others (Melinda, me and I would suspect you too!) would like to highlight the sustainability of the meal.

This is a blurb from her Food Sleuth column in the Columbia Tribune online, “First family and guests are eating green at White House“:

I wanted to know less about fat and more about where the inaugural event’s food came from, how it was produced and if the menu supported American family farmers. I also wondered what happened to the leftovers – were they thrown away or delivered to a soup kitchen? So I called the Inaugural Committee’s office and got the number for the event’s caterer, Design Cuisine, based in Arlington, Va.

CEO Kathy Valentine cheerfully explained that she tries to purchase “local and sustainable food” as often as possible. Design Cuisine’s Web site promotes the company’s “greener palate,” emphasizing their recycling program, attempts to reduce their carbon footprint and choice of eco-friendly sources to “protect the Earth’s resources.” I was impressed with their rejection of disposables and commitment to using local seasonal produce to reduce “transportation-related energy consumption.”

Read the rest of the article here.