NRN to launch health and nutrition initiative in 2005
Nation's Restaurant News (Magazine)
December 20, 2004

With such issues as childhood obesity and the effects of eating foods saturated with trans fats galvanizing the industry, the twin topics of health and nutrition have become hugely important to foodservice providers throughout the United States.

Consumers expect the foodservice industry which the National Restaurant Association projects will ring up more than $440 billion in sales in 2004 alone to support their constantly changing health concerns. To help operators keep up with those demands, Nation's Restaurant News is launching a new initiative in 2005 aimed at keeping foodservice operators abreast of the latest news in health and nutrition.

The centerpiece of the initiative will be an editorial department entitled "Health & Nutrition" that will debut in the Jan. 3 issue of NRN. The section will run on a biweekly basis and will feature health-and-nutrition news from government organizations, legislative bodies and foodservice establishments nationwide; the latest trends in eating healthfully outside of the home; guest columns from experts in nutrition, diet and menu developments; and more.

Brooke Barrier, a copy desk editor and reporter for NRN, and a 2002 graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., will head up the new department.

In addition to the new editorial department, NRN will offer health-and-nutrition news, which will be available at www.nrn.com, the publication's Web site, as well as in biweekly updates through a weekly online newsletter.

"Healthful and nutritious menu options are of great interest to restaurant patrons, and foodservice operators are looking for the latest news and trends in this rapidly growing area," said Alan Gould, publisher of Nation's Restaurant News. "We are pleased to inaugurate a new editorial department that will provide operators with answers to their questions about health-and-nutrition opportunities, as well as a forum for industry experts to discuss the ever-changing issues of healthful eating," he noted.

Nation's Restaurant News, in partnership with Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft Foods North America Inc., also plans to undertake a series of endeavors in the health-and-nutrition arena.

"At Kraft, we're guided by our global vision of helping people around the world eat and live better," said Thomas H. Sampson, president of Kraft Foods North America Foodservice Division. "The food industry can help consumers make smarter eating choices and continue to offer the broad variety of foods that people expect. This partnership with NRN is just one more example of Kraft's commitment to this important societal issue."

Activities to be sponsored by Kraft include a Health and Nutrition Summit an invitation-only conference for leading foodservice operators who want to learn more about regulatory and legislative issues as well as how to increase the nutritional content of their menus. Health and nutrition also will be part of several other Kraft-sponsored NRN events in 2005, including segments of the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference and the Nation's Restaurant News On-Site Summit.

In addition to those events and the Web and print activities, Nation's Restaurant News will continue to host a series of health-and-nutrition roundtables in 2005. Kraft, Ventura Foods and America's Beef Producers served as sponsors of the roundtable series in 2004.