Tag Archives: mcdonald’s

Have you ever had lunch with gelato?

coffee, DESITA, Eng, foodservice, franchising, gelato, Ho.Re.Ca, My Journal, sustainability, , , , , , , ,

Yes, I do!

I like it very much and most of the times I use to eat it instead of having a complete lunch. It’s my favorite cold fast food. 35

I have already written something about gelato, especially if related to sustainability or social responsibility.  Today I wish to bring you with me through a path to discover the gelato world and something interesting around it. Are you ready?

Next Saturday, Sigep will start for its 34° edition with a very busy events agenda, while whiting 14 halls and about 850 exhibitors, you can learn about the companies news and the sector trends. Of course, gelato tasting will be included. Yes, because living a five days exhibition makes you very tired and thirsty due to lots of talks so, what is better than a refreshment with a delicious gelato? What’s your favorite flavors? I go for classic nocciola and pistacchio.

This year Sigep will host ABtech, the world of baking and the Franchising area of Iref Italia the European Franchise & Partnership Network Organisation. Two events that will surely boost the entire exhibition, because visitors can now find really everything from row materials to equipment, from furniture to ready concept for all the sectors: gelato, pastry, chocolate, coffee, bakery, confectionery, bread, pizza & pasta.

Well, I will be attending Sigep for five days as I will be busy in the Franchising area of Iref Italia as I am the National Coordinator but as far as I will have many clients visiting the show, I will surely have the time to look around and enjoy a big gelato.

Please do note forget to come on Monday afternoon because we have organised a seminar with great speaker as the Senior Consultant of Subway International BV, the Franchising Senior Manager of McDonald´s Italia and the Environmental Manager of McDonald´s Italia; The title of the seminar is: Franchise networks and Sustainability: the experience of the big brands. Network development experience, and focus on sustainability. Interesting isn’t it?

We are still all a bit child, so what’s life without gelato?

FoodDrink Europe targets sustainability

FoodDrinkEurope has launched a report outlining its goals to move towards more sustainable food and drink production by 2030.

The report came following an event in Brussels yesterday featuring stakeholders such as Members of the European Parliament, UN representatives and key food industry players such as Nestle. 

FoodDrinkEurope’s ‘Environmental Sustainability Vision Towards 2030 ’ details three core areas of focus: sustainable sourcing, resource efficiency along the food chain and sustainable consumption and production.

Sustainable sourcing

Europe’s food and drink industry accounts for 70% of all EU agricultural produce, said FoodDrinkEurope, which showcased examples from companies that could help to promote sustainable sourcing and contribute towards food security.

The report praised Ferrero, General Mills, Mars, Nestlé and Unilever, which all pledged to source 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015. Mars and Ferrero have also committed to used only sustainable certified cocoa by 2020.

The report also lauded the development of harmonised assessment methods through the European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Round Table.

Energy

FoodDrinkEurope encouraged the industry to collaborate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Between 1999, food and drink manufacturers in Europe cut GHG emissions by 18%, while production value rose 29%.

The report endorsed using low carbon technologies, such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP). “The best way to provide heat is from a CHP plant as this provides maximum primary energy saving opportunities,” it said.

Kellogg is one large company using CHP. Its plant in Manchester, UK, has a 4.9 MWe CHP Plant that supplies 85% of the plant’s current steam demand and approximately 50% of electricity demand, which it claims reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 12% annually.

Alternate refrigerants

FoodDrinkEurope is also promoting refrigerant alternatives. “Some of the refrigerant gases commonly used by food and drink manufacturers, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), contribute to climate change if they escape to the atmosphere,” it said.

While no viable alternative is currently available, the EU trade body said that it supports a multi-stakeholder initiative by Coca-Cola, Unilever, McDonald’s and PepsiCo to find a solution.

Water use

The report estimated that the industry’s water use accounts for 1.8% of the European total. It encouraged employing tools to measure water use through a Life Cycle Analysis, but said the method was not ideal for communication with consumers.

Several FoodDrinkEurope companies are involved in developing a new ISO standard (14046) on water footprint based on a life-cycle approach which is expected to be completed by 2014.

Other initiatives

FoodDrinkEurope’s report also details ways manufacturers have converted waste into energy to power operations. Nestlé and Kraft for example have been recycling coffee grounds to power production processes, which has contributed 12% to Nestlé’s on-site renewable energy resources in plants in the UK, Germany and France.

FoodDrinkEurope also supports using biofuels for transport operations to limit the environmental impact. Nestlé, for example has been using liquid methane powered trucks in the UK.

European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potocnik said: “It is also clear that consumers should be increasingly informed via modern communication channels, such as smart phones applications and social media.”

The French food and drink industry association (ANIA) has developed the smart phone app ProxiProduit, which allows consumers to scan barcodes and obtain environmental information such as GHG emissions, biodiversity and water use.

The report concluded that its ‘vision’ was not a benchmark for the industry as “no one-size fits all”, but it could give inspiration to companies to promote sustainable growth.

via FoodDrink Europe targets sustainability.

Where Fast Food mobile Apps fail, ECOFFEE mobile experience is set to win

A couple of days ago Appolicious published an interesting article about the increasing number of mobile Apps for fast food restaurants and their being mostly not useful. Many are the apps listed, from Taco Bell to McDonald’s.

All these chains offers accurate information on the internet but extremely bare bones restaurant locator apps. In McDonalds’ defense, at least their app offers information on getting a career with McD’s, along with some nutritional information.  Burger King’s lack of an app caught everybody by surprise because they have been so good with marketing their products through games via the Xbox 360 for years that you expected something that appealing on the apps side too.

Useful functionalities and entertainment are a must for nowadays apps, especially in a field – the one of Ho.Re.Ca – where interaction and service have always been a key factor to achieve a high customer satisfaction. Add that customers now are spoiled with information: they love to get informed about the brand and the goods they are going to purchase, about the environment where they are sitting, about the other customers comments and opinions about the “experience” they are going to go through.

We discussed this subject with our partners, a team of skilled UX designers, in order to create a useful, entertaining and carefully designed iPhone/iPad app for DESITA’s Retail and Ho.Re.Ca customers, delivering not only a great user experience but also the  sustainability and responsibility messages which are ECOFFEE’s own. Brainstorming led to the first draft of what is set to become the ECOFFEE mobile experience, the perfect blend among social marketing, in-store advertising and a great user experience to create a stronger bond among the brand, the consumer and the brand’ sustainability and responsibility strategies. Please inquire us directly for further information silvia@ecoffee.it

Social responsibility, food and Government: the responsibility deal

The responsibility deal signed by the UK governement, backed by 170 companies such as Tesco, Unilever, Sainsbury’s, Carlsberg and Mars and Diageo, is going to rise a lot of controversy for a long time.

A key pledge outlined in the deal is the development of a new sponsorship code on responsible drinking while McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC have agreed to place calories on their menus from September this year.

Other pledges include:
– Reducing salt in food so people eat 1g less per day by the end of 2012
– Removal of artificial trans-fats by the end of the year
– Rolling out Change4Life branding to 1,000 convenience stores

Achieving clear unit labelling on more than 80% of alcohol by 2013 is also pledged but this was a commitment made last year by drinks brands under work initiated by the last government.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: ‘Public health is everyone’s responsibility and there is a role for all of us, working in partnership, to tackle these challenges.’ He claimed that regulation is ‘costly and is often only determined at an EU-wide level anyway’.

ISBA’s director of public affairs Ian Twinn also adds “It has also been inclusive – businesses have volunteered to reinforce public health through their product development and marketing and health pressure groups have pledged to contribute through their campaigning activities.

The responsibility deal seems a great step toward the introduction of a more socially responsible fast-food industry, but not all the companies do have the same advise. Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada are expected to follow Subway and PizzaExpress by not signing up to the government’s health initiative. Subway, which already provides calorie counts on in-store posters, said the scheme was unsuitable for its stores. It is conducting a trial intended to establish the most effective way of displaying the information.

Meanwhile, a PizzaExpress source argued that displaying calorie levels is not consumer-friendly and clutters its menus.

One factor that will no doubt deter businesses, particularly smaller inde-pendents, is the costs involved. London restaurant chain The Real Greek says that, on average, it costs about £100 to test and certify each dish.

Being one of the first to make a move has its risks, not least the fear of being criticized in the press for selling high-calorie-content food. On the other side, being part of a movement that gives consumers greater transparency can deliver positive press coverage.

Toby Southgate, managing director of branding agency The Brand Union, believes the risks are worth taking. ‘Those brands that adopt early could win out, provided they handle the move carefully,’ he says.

Southgate cites McDonald’s, which has made efforts to ‘re-educate’ its con-sumers about healthier eating, arguing that disclosing calories on its menu board could provide incentive to consumption. (Source: BrandRepublic)

McDonald’s opens its first green restaurant in Italy

Ho.Re.Ca and sustainability: in Italy there are still people who do not like to match these two words or that asserts that “the time has not yet come,” and this is the great challenge we are – successfully – addressing  with ECOFFEE. We strongly believe that the Italian consumer is able to perceive and reward the added value of sustainable products and services, and the news that McDonald’s has just opened its first green restaurant in Italy, in Lainate (near Milan) do prove that we are not wrong. This green McDonald’s was designed to be completely self-sufficient in energy: thanks to solar, wind and biomass. The project costed € 5 million, 20% more than a traditional restaurant but at the end of the year it will certainly pay off in terms of increased brand reputation, reduced  environmental and social impact, not to add the reduced costs due to the energy saving architecture and technological process. 
At the end of 2011, the results coming from the adoption of these policies will be evaluated by an Italian green environmental consulting company ECOFFEE has already established a business connection with a while ago.  Meanwhile, McDonald’s aims to achieve the European certification EN 16001, which will help the company to organize systems and processes aimed at improving the economic benefits of energy efficiency and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

But let’s talk about the “McGreen” in Lainate – a project whose details are available at the McDonald’s site www.persapernedipiu.info Currently, the restaurant is able to produce up to 90% of the energy needed, but within three months it is said to reach 100%, thanks to a pioneering trigeneration plant that use the exhausted cooking oil as fuel. The building structure is earthquake resistant, and thanks to the “Einstein”system  customers are always updated with real-time data regarding energy consumption and savings thanks to a monitor positioned at the entrance of the restaurant. Particular attention was paid to the restaurant supply chain and to the ingredients used in the menu, where customers can also find “local” ingredients belonging to the traditional Italian cuisine, like the Alto Adige IGP Speck, Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, IGP oranges from Sicily, to name a few. The coffee served will not be the one of the Italian companies Illy or Lavazza, which are known for their sustainable products, but the one certified by the international organization Rainforest Alliance.

On the outside of the building, ecoattivo asphalt – when struck by sunlight it triggers a  reduction of pollutants- energy-efficient refrigerators and incentives for the customers using electric cars.
“Lainate is not a departure or arrival point, but a stage of a journey that McDonald’s sets out a while ago. For the Expo 2015 we will be able to implement a reduction of 15% of our CO2 emissions, an increase of 15% of our energy savings and another 15% increase of the energy we use from renewable sources. In 2020, these percentages will rise up to 20% allowing us to meet the Kyoto Protocol parameters”said Roberto Masi, McDonald’s Italy CEO.

In fact, McDonald’s Italy is not new to these kind of sustainable initiatives. As early as 2010, in fact, it adopted new standards for construction and renovation, with the use of building materials with high environmental sustainability, solar panels, heat pumps, roof ventilation and, where it was possible, photovoltaic. But not only that: technologically advanced machinery, power management systems, occupancy sensors, insulation and LED lighting fixtures to reduce air pollutant emissions. All new openings have already been planned to include some or all of these technologies. The 2012 politics has already been planned aiming at using certified renewable energy in all McDonald’s restaurants, building a fleet of delivery vehicles composed by 100% biodiesel  and a company’s car pool with low dioxide carbon emissions . (Source: MarketingOggi)

Greenburgers guide: Greenopia

EVOS, Le Pain Quotidien and Pizza Fusion received the highest marks of any fast food restaurants in the latest ratings issued by Greenopia.
 
The three chains each received four green leafs, meaning they met at least 90% of the criteria across five categories: green building design, supply chain, recycling/take-back programs, stock and sustainability reporting.
 
Greenopia said EVOS is the “greenest burger chain in the US.” The company sells a variety of organic and fair trade products; incorporates green building design into its locations; uses recycled-content items; and purchases wind credits to offset its energy footprint.
 
Bakery and sandwich shop Le Pain Quotidien uses organic and local ingredients; incorporates green building design; composts food waste; and uses its spent food oil for biodiesel.
 
Pizza Fusion “tackled an incredible amount of green projects for a food chain” Greenopia said. All of its projects are LEED certified; their pizza is made with organic ingredients and delivered by hybrid delivery vehicles; employees wear organic cotton uniforms; and they have a take back incentive for their used pizza boxes.
 
Further down in the rankings Chipotle and Starbucks received three leafs, and McDonald’s improved to two leafs this year. With more than 32,000 stores worldwide other major chains should look to McDonald’s to see how to properly begin to incorporate green initiatives, Greenopia said.
 
Below is the full description of the company’s efforts and shortcomings, as cited by Greenopia:
 
Green Efforts:
McDonald’s has begun to incorporate some green elements into its culture. McDonald’s has 2 green stores, with more on the way. In fact, McDonald’s has been one of the more aggressive chains in incorporating green building designs into its locations. McDonald’s uses some recycled content in their packaging and has a comprehensive waste diversion program. It also only gets its beef from responsible sources (especially in regard to rainforest degradation) and has taken steps to green its seafood and coffee sourcing. Finally, McDonald’s has begun analyzing and scoring its supply chain to search for environmental efficiencies (as well as conducting audits) and publishes one of the better sustainability reports in the industry.
 
Green Issues:
In the green spectrum, McDonald’s is at least light green in every category. What we have listed above is good, but there is still room for improvement. For starters it would be nice to see natural and/or organic products offered and some more widespread and consistent green building design elements as well as some renewable energy sourcing. McDonald’s deserves to be applauded for what it has done (especially when compared with other major burger chains) and we hope to see improved commitment as time goes on.

Sustainable supply chain: how to build it?

At the beginning of March 2011, McDonald’s announced its Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC), a long-term plan to ensure the corporation only serves food (and uses packaging) certified as sustainably sourced. The initial focus is on five high impact products: beef, poultry, coffee, palm oil and packaging.  McDonald’s certainly have all the power to be able to win negotiations with suppliers and reach its goals, but what about small retailers who are buying from overseas?

Shirahime, a UK based ethical fashion consultancy, has published a guide to responsibly sourcing textiles and clothes from India.

Despite its narrow country and industry focus, the guide is packed with advice for any business looking to find responsible goods or services suppliers from overseas. Here’s an excerpt of the Shiraname’s guide.

Be clear about the outcomes you want to achieve
Define aims clearly and build a strategy around the outcomes you want to achieve. Don’t look exclusively for suppliers who have certification. Certification is a costly process and may not guarantee the specific outcomes youwant.

Instead, visit potential suppliers and examine their operations for yourself. If you do this, make sure you have a suitable translator and cultural liaison who can guide your decision making process. In addition, start networking, even if it’s with your competitors. If you do this up front it can vastly increase your chances of success in finding the right supplier.

Consider company size alongside business practices
There can be a correlation between a supplier’s size, the goods or services it provides, and its ability to operate responsibly.

As a broad rule of thumb, the larger the company the more comprehensive their offering will be. Yet the larger the company, the more likely it is that their business is focussed upon financial efficiency, not responsible practice. Therefore, if you’re looking for a responsible supplier it may be worth choosing smaller producers rather than bulk providers as your partners.

Consider alternatives to your preferred goods, service or country
In order to get the most responsible procurement deal, businesses have to change their mindset and be open minded about both the country of origin and the goods or service they’re looking to procure.

Be prepared to invest as well as purchase
Businesses need to think about how they can contribute long term value to their suppliers’ enterprise beyond a simple commercial deal. This is where the value of being clear in your outcomes and partnering with other companies can yield substantial benefits. (Source: Guardian.co.uk)