Newswise — St. Charles, Illinois - The Nutrition & Foodservice Education Foundation (NFEF) has announced that it will host a research webinar as the first activity of its newly expanded mission aimed at encouraging innovation and leadership among nutrition and foodservice professionals.
To be held December 4, 2013, the webinar will highlight recent research on the dining and food preferences of residents in senior living facilities -- a topic NFEF says will increasingly impact the nutrition and foodservice profession.
“The aging of the Baby Boom generation is heading into a new phase that will bring significant change to the way senior living facilities approach foodservice and nutrition,” said NFEF Board of Trustees Chair Vicky Kearney, CDM, CFPP. “Our first webinar will provide cutting-edge insights into trends that are developing now in this important sector.”
The webinar will be open to the public and will begin at 2 p.m. Central time Dec. 4. Featured speaker will be Bob Goldin of Technomic, a research and consulting firm that tracks trends in the food industry. Goldin leads Technomic's Food Supplier Practice Group, where he directs a wide range of projects for food manufacturers, distributors and related suppliers.
Other details of the webinar are being finalized, Kearney said, and will be announced in coming weeks.
NFEF, which is headquartered within the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP), unveiled its expanded innovation and leadership mission during ANFP’s National Leadership Conference, held in Savannah, Georgia, in July.
NFEF’s new mission, highlighted during the conference, puts a stronger emphasis on helping nutrition and foodservice professionals learn about emerging trends and issues that will impact their careers. Ultimately, Kearney said, the NFEF hopes to help “create a future in which the health of the nation is improved through advancement of innovations and best practices in food safety and foodservice management.”
The foundation will support new educational materials and forums for working professionals and students, while providing grants and assistance to researchers, teachers and innovators.
In addition to events such as its upcoming webinar, the foundation announced that it plans to provide more opportunities for business leaders and entrepreneurs to highlight new service models and emerging best practices for the future.
“Our goal is to be a kind of innovation center for our profession, shining a light on the trends that nutrition and foodservice professionals must be aware of and adapt to,” Kearney said.
The foundation will continue to provide scholarships for students and working professionals to support their attendance at ANFP educational events, and it will fund charitable causes that help improve individual and public health. It recently launched a fundraising effort, titled “Pay It Forward,” designed to bolster foundation initiatives, including scholarship funding capabilities.
One of NFEF’s highest priorities, according to Kearney, will be raising the value and visibility of Certified Dietary Managers (CDMs) to the nutrition and foodservice industry.
“The CDM plays a vital role as the expert in the profession of foodservice management and food safety,” she said. “We are dedicated to providing resources that ensure this role is strengthened for the future.”
NFEF was originally founded in 1994, as the Dietary Managers Association (DMA) Foundation. It was re-configured as a part of the DMA’s re-branding and name change to ANFP in 2012.
For more information about the December webinar, please call 800-323-1908, or visit www.NFEFoundation.org.
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