San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved legislation declaring Mondays to be meat-free. The first day of the week is now known as Vegetarian Day or Veg Day, reports the San Francisco Examiner.

“With this resolution, San Francisco can join the growing list of communities that have taken action to encourage citizens to choose vegetarian foods as a way to protect the planet and their health,” said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, a vegetarian for 40 years who introduced the resolution.

The legislation urges “all restaurants, grocery stores and schools to offer a greater variety of plant-based options to improve the health of San Francisco residents and visitors and to increase the awareness of the impact a green diet would be on our planet.”

Eating less meat, the resolution adds, “reduces serious ecological problems involved in livestock production” and “plant-based diets are good preventative medicine and could help reduce medical costs.”

Source: San Francisco Examiner

Tyson Food Service introduces Red Label product line

Tyson Food Service introduces Tyson Red Label products—the newest line of value-added chicken items made with 100 percent chicken breast meat. These new products are designed to lower food cost by up to 20 percent without compromising customer satisfaction on core chicken menu items, the company reports.

“It’s time for foodservice operators to hear some good news among all the recent negative economic reports,” said Rodger Starnes, vice president of foodservice marketing and customer development, Tyson Foods Inc. “Providing customer solutions is the core of the Tyson culture. We as a company can’t grow unless our customers do, so that’s why Tyson Food Service has taken a bold step to provide operators with affordable high-quality solutions to stay alive and vibrant. Managing center-of-the-plate menu cost is key in delivering profit. We focused on a new line of America’s most popular chicken menu items that deliver an overall value solution allowing operators to no longer worry about price, but rather focus on how to promote higher margin chicken items.”

Offering a variety of forms, flavors and sizes in a range of pricing options, Tyson Red Label products ensure operators have plenty of choices in offering the best quality chicken available at every price point. The products are available both in breaded and unbreaded forms. Red Label products were designed to lower food costs and allow operators to improve quality on the fastest-turning chicken products on menus today.

Through a combination of grow-out, manufacturing and distribution efficiencies, Tyson Red Label products uphold the quality expected from Tyson Food Service, while still reducing costs.

“We are committed to understanding what drives consumer purchasing decisions when dining out as well as their evolving needs and preferences,” said Starnes. Using extensive sales and consumer insights, Tyson Food Service identified the attributes most important to consumers in terms of taste, appearance and performance to create a new line of chicken products making operators competitive with this line of consumer preferred products.

Source: Tyson Food Service

Kayem partners with Tamp Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays and Kayem Foods Inc. announced a new multi-year sponsorship and licensing agreement to manufacture and distribute the Kayem Beef Hot Dog at Rays games, and make Kayem Franks the Official Hot Dog and Sausage of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field.

As part of the agreement, Kayem will introduce new and improved products at Tropicana Field on Opening Day 2010, including the Kayem Beef Hot Dog, Kayem Footlong Beef Hot Dog, Kayem Beef Kids Dog and Kayem Italian Sausage. Select products will also appear in retail stores, with new packaging, throughout Florida later in the spring. The new hot dog, created especially for Rays fans, features a special all-beef recipe, offering a unique blend of spices for a distinct bolder flavor. The plump and juicy skinless hot dogs have no fillers and are MSG and gluten free.

"The Rays are thrilled to be partnering with Kayem, one of the country's most established and successful hot dog manufacturers, to be introducing the all-new Kayem Beef Hot Dog," said Mark Fernandez, senior vice president for the Tampa Bay Rays. "We have placed a real premium on enhancing the fan experience and this exciting new partnership is another step towards our ongoing commitment to exceeding our fans' expectations and delivering the best possible product."

"For more than 100 years, Kayem has provided hot dog lovers with great tasting franks that get high marks for quality and freshness," said Bob Kufferman, Kayem senior brand manager. "As we move forward into our second century, we are thrilled to partner with the Rays franchise for the privilege of delivering top-quality, delicious franks that will enhance the fan experience for millions of hot dog enthusiasts at Tropicana Field and throughout the region."

Kufferman said that Kayem and the Rays will look to plan a number of joint marketplace activities, such as product promotions and special events, aimed at extending the relationship beyond Tropicana Field and into the minds of consumers throughout the region. "You won't have to be at the game to know that Kayem is the Official Hot Dog and Sausage of the Rays," he said.

Source: Kayem Foods Inc.

New cuts of Spanish Iberico pork available in U.S.

Bellota Importers, the only retail and wholesale distributor of raw Iberico de Bellota in the U.S., today announced its first shipment for the 2010 season is in America for sale to the food service industry and general public. Iberico de Bellota raw pork comes from the legendary purebred heritage Iberico pig which feeds on acorns -- known as "bellota" -- during the peak fattening season, known as the "Montanera," from December to March.

As the last free ranging pigs in Europe, Iberico pigs, popularly known as pata negra, or black hoof, roam in the dehesa, an indigenous forest of southwestern Spain eating acorns as well as mushrooms and herbs. This pig's special diet infuses the pork with a buttery, nutty flavor. The breed's ability to store extremely high levels of monounsaturated fats in its dense muscle tissue -- a trait unique to the Iberian breed of pig -- also makes the meat tender and produces heart healthy benefits.

In 2009, raw Iberico de Bellota chuletero (loin) cuts were introduced in the U.S. for the first time. The limited seasonal supply of this world-renowned pork quickly sold out as word spread Iberico de Bellota was available. For 2010 Bellota Importers has expanded its wholesale/retail product line to include cuts that never have been sold in the U.S. before: Carrilleras (cheeks), Costilla (spare ribs), Panceta (belly - rind on), and Tocino de Cuello (fat back). Bellota Importers also will have available the following additional new cuts unique to the Iberico breed: Pluma (a cut from the shoulder section of the loin), Presa de Paleta (shoulder steak), and Secreto o Cruceta (between the shoulder, ribs, and fatback).

"In eating Iberico de Bellota, you get the best of both worlds," says Bill Fuchs, owner of Bellota Importers. "You get meat that's not only succulent and flavorful but has high levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol. In Spain they call Iberico de Bellota pigs 'olive trees with legs' because they provide high levels of HDL cholesterol."

Source: Bellota Importers