Then and Now: Sodexo Finds Differences in Food Preferences Among College Students Over Twenty-Year Span

Then and Now: Sodexo Finds Differences in Food Preferences Among College Students Over Twenty-Year Span

Student Palates Are Now Global and Local, Change From Cafeteria Food of Past Generation.

Gaithersburg, MD (Vocus) February 25, 2009 -- Sodexo (www.sodexousa.com), a leading integrated facilities management company and foodservice provider to 600 campuses in the United States and Canada, carefully monitors students’ taste buds to satisfy today’s well-traveled, celebrity-chef exposed, green-minded coeds.

Sodexo’s customer insight experts released a food trends menu for 2009 compared to trends 20 years ago:

Food Trends in 2009

1.    Locally-grown fruits and veggies

2.    Crispy garlic-ginger chicken wings

3.    Mac ‘n five cheeses

4.    Vietnamese Phß

5.    Green tea and pomegranate smoothies

6.    Crab cake sliders

7.    Mini samosas

8.    Tilapia Veracruz

9.    Goat cheese salad (with lavendar lentils)

10.    Chicken Molé

Food Trends in 1989

1.    Fruit and cottage cheese plate

2.    Chicken nuggets

3.    Turkey Tetrazini

4.    Chicken Chop Suey

5.    Egg, bacon and cheese English muffin

6.    Half sandwich and cup of soup

7.    Taco bar

8.    Spanish beef and rice

9.    Vegetarian bean chili

10.    Algerian lamb stew

In culling through 20 years worth of menus in hundreds of cafés served by the company and in keeping step with the latest flavor trends, Sodexo came up with the top ten foods preferred by college students today, and twenty years ago.

"The biggest change we've seen is in the demand for locally-grown produce and authentic international cuisine that is made to order,” said Chef Rob Morasco, Sodexo’s senior director of culinary support in the education market. “Super spices, comfort food with a twist, and the new age of Asian cuisine are some of the trends we’re delivering.”

“Parents of college students have cultivated very creative palates in their children by exposing them to many flavors through restaurants, travel, living abroad and creative homecooking,” said Tom Post, president of campus dining for Sodexo. “Our expert chefs on campuses love to serve and dazzle customers with this high level of culinary literacy and we stay on top of the trends to deliver authentic, healthy options.”

Food trends are studied by Sodexo consistently through a variety of methods. Sodexo will host its fourth Food Trends Expo at Seattle Pacific University on March 13. Over 30 chefs will prepare 65 unique menu items, including those from the Food Trends in 2009 list. Sodexo’s Student Board of Directors (www.forstudentsbystudents.com), a group of 25 students who provide feedback and insight about students’ preferences, along with 900 students from Seattle Pacific University will vote with their palates on their favorites. The results will form Sodexo’s Fall 2009 dining menus for all 600 campuses it serves. Celebrity chef Mai Pham (http://www.lemongrassrestaurant.com/meetmai.htm) will lead a cooking demonstration of Vietnamese and Thai creations, along with Sodexo chefs.

The Food Trends in 2009 list was developed by research from Sodexo’s Student Board of Directors, Nielsen’s Annual Restaurant Audit, Teenage Research Unlimited, Technomics Menu Monitor, NPD Group and other vendor partners.

Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com) is a leading integrated facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government, and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.sodexofoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $11 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

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Contact Information Monica Zimmer

Sodexo, Inc.

http://www.sodexoUSA.com

301 987 4461

Health/Nutrition News: New Berry On The Block Packs Twice The Antioxidants

Health/Nutrition News: New Berry On The Block Packs Twice The Antioxidants

The little-known black elderberry is "berry" good for your health; clinically-proven to support immune function.

Nottingham, UK (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- It's been widely known and touted that certain berries are high in antioxidants, thought to help boost the immune system and help fight off infectious diseases and viruses. The latest to make news is black elderberry (http://blackelderberry.info), the main ingredient in the dietary supplement Sambucol Black Elderberry (http://www.sambucolusa.com), which has twice the natural antioxidant capacity of blueberries and almost twice that of cranberries, according to the Dept. of Agriculture's ORAC rating (oxygen radical absorbance capacity).

Even better, you won't have to go berry picking to get this boost to your immune system now that Sambucol black elderberry dietary supplement (http://www.sambucolusa.com) is widely available in the U.S. Sambucol is the original black elderberry that was tested in published clinical trials and is made from a unique black elderberry extract - originally formulated by a virologist -- with a higher antioxidant capacity than most other fruits. Sambucol dietary supplements are produced from whole black elderberries and have the equivalent of up to 1,000 black elderberries in every 120 ml/4-ounce bottle and are manufactured using the same part of the plant, which has an impact on the consistency in quality and efficacy.

Here are some additional little-known facts about black elderberry:

•Throughout history, black elderberry has been used to treat colds, flu, fever, burns, cuts and more than 70 other maladies, from toothache to the plague. The medicinal benefits of the berry can be traced back to prehistoric times. Evidence of this use has been seen in Stone Age villages located at sites in Italy and Switzerland. Recipes were also discovered that showed black elderberry use in Ancient Egypt.

•The black elderberry, otherwise known as Sambucus nigra L, is a small shrub or bush that is native to most of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. It typically grows in areas that receive a lot of sunlight and can grow both in wet and dry fertile areas.

•In modern times, black elderberry has been used as a dietary supplement to help boost the immune system. Sambucol Black Elderberry is the original elderberry product sold in stores in more than 15 countries that has been researched and tested in published clinical trials showing it to help support the immune system. Sambucol's unique formulation and extraction process preserves and maximizes the naturally occurring health benefits of the berry.

•The Sambucol line of products (http://www.sambucolusa.com/sambucol-range.htm) is now widely available nationwide at major retailers, including health food stores, vitamin retailers including Vitamin Shoppe, pharmacy chains, including Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS, independent drug stores, and online at drugstore.com. Go to www.sambucol.com for complete store availability and more information about the health benefits of black elderberry.

Note to Media:

For more information or to set up an interview with Claire Wheeler, M.D., an integrative health expert who has recommended Sambucol black elderberry to her patients for many years, contact Rachahd Tosado at Robin Leedy & Associates, (914) 241-0086 ext. 15, or rtosado (at) robinleedyassociates (dot) com. Visit the Sambucol online newsroom at http://www.corporatenews.net/cgi-bin/pc200v3.php?pccl=24859.

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Contact Information Rachahd Tosado

Sambucol

http://www.sambucolusa.com

914-241-0086

Texas Oncology Encourages Texans To Kick Colorectal Cancer with Screenings

Texas Oncology Encourages Texans To Kick Colorectal Cancer with Screenings

Texas Oncology is inviting Texans to kick colorectal cancer by encouraging friends and loved ones to go for a routine colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cancer killer of men and women combined in the United States, and the disease is estimated to have claimed 9,570 Texans in 2008.

Paris, Texas (PRWEB) February 24, 2000- - Texas Oncology is inviting Texans to kick colorectal cancer (http://www.texasoncology.com/media-center/fact-sheets/colorectal-cancer/kick-colorectal-cancer.aspx) by encouraging friends and loved ones to go for a routine colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer (http://www.texasoncology.com/media-center/fact-sheets/colorectal-cancer.aspx) is the second-leading cancer killer of men and women combined in the United States, and the disease is estimated to have claimed 9,570 Texans in 2008.

Colon and rectal cancers occur with equal frequency in both sexes. It is vital that both men and women age 50 and over and those with increased risk factors be screened regularly (http://www.texasoncology.com/media-center/fact-sheets/colorectal-cancer.aspx) for this deadly disease. Despite the high likelihood of detection with screening, it is projected that 40 percent of the over-50 population in the United States, more than 39 million people by 2010, will not be screened for colorectal cancer. If all people over age 50 were screened routinely, research shows at least half of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented.

Colorectal cancer often lacks symptoms in its early stages, and because almost all colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in patients ages 50 and up, regular screening helps lead to early detection, which increases the five-year survival rate from the disease to 90 percent.

"Regular colorectal cancer screenings save lives. Your doctor can recommend the best screening for you, but a colonoscopy is the most common," said Dr. Michael Kerley (http://www.texasoncology.com/providerresults.aspx?id=1410&terms=%40Locations_Location_8+274), medical and radiation oncologist at Texas Oncology-Paris. "Everyone over age 50 should make routine colorectal cancer screenings a priority to kick colorectal cancer before it strikes or catch it early when it's most treatable."

Risk Factors

Besides age and race, other risk factors for colorectal cancer include:

•Family History: People with a family history of colorectal cancer have a greater risk of being diagnosed with the disease.

•Diet: A lower chance of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer is a good reason to stay in shape. Overweight and obese people have a higher risk of developing the disease.

•Lynch Syndrome: This inherited condition affecting the body's genes increases the likelihood of a colorectal cancer diagnosis. In many cases, the positive diagnosis occurs before age 45. Texas Oncology has genetic testing available at some locations to determine if patients have the gene mutation associated with Lynch Syndrome.

•Other Health Problems: Diabetics and people who have a history of polyps and inflammatory bowel disease also have an increased risk for a positive diagnosis.

Screening Types

Screening tests for rectal and colon cancer are not as difficult as many people perceive them to be. In fact, most patients tolerate the screenings very well. Physicians can recommend several different screening tests for colorectal cancer. Among them, a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) or Fecal Immunochemical Test checks for blood in the stool. Another option is a sigmoidoscopy. During this procedure, a physician uses a tube with a light connected to a tiny video camera to analyze the rectum and lower part of the colon.

The most common screening test is a colonoscopy, where the rectum and entire colon are examined through a scope to detect growths or polyps that could potentially pose a threat (see sidebar graphic for a description of a colonoscopy).

March is colorectal cancer awareness month. For more information on kicking colorectal cancer, visit TexasOncology.com (http://www.texasoncology.com).

About Texas Oncology

Texas Oncology delivers high-quality cancer care with leading-edge technology and advanced treatment and therapy options available to help patients achieve "More breakthroughs. More victories." in their fights against cancer, right in their own communities. Texas Oncology, a pioneer in community-based cancer care, is an independent oncology practice with sites of service throughout Texas and southeastern New Mexico.

Texas Oncology patients have the opportunity to take part in some of the most promising clinical trials in the nation for a broad range of cancers. In fact, Texas Oncology has played an integral role in gaining Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 24 of the latest 30 cancer therapies.

Texas Onocology is affiliated with US Oncology, the nation's foremost cancer treatment and research network accelerating the availability and use of evidence-based medicine and shared best practices. With more than 1,250 physicians at 480 locations in 39 states, the US Oncology network provides Texas Oncology with access to the latest advancements in therapies, clinical research, and technology, as well as best-in-class clinical and operational processes that help to advance the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of cancer care.

For more information, visit http://www.texasoncology.com or call 1-888-864-I CAN (4226).

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Contact Information Alison Zvolanek

214-665-1319