Euro-toques International has joined forces with DG SANCO, the Health and Consumer Protection branch of the European Commission, on a major project to promote healthy eating amongst young children. The project will be launched on November 8, European Day for Healthy Eating and Cooking with Children.
Created in 1986 around great names such as Pierre Romeyer and Paul Bocuse, visionaries who were already aware of the risks of food abuses, Euro-toques is a community of chefs over 3,500 European cooks and chefs in the European Union and the world. It is currently chaired by the Spanish chef, Pedro Subijana, who coordinates a network of 18 national groups. Euro-Toques is a lobby for food issues regulated by national and European institutions. Its members adhere to a code of honor which commits them to promoting the quality and traditions of each country
Euro-toques Ireland is supporting the European Day for Healthy Eating and Cooking with Children by running different workshops in schools and will be supported by Irish members. Euro-toques and Slow Food Dublin have been developing their relationships for three years now and both are keen to increase food education for children.
The two organizations have been jointly working on a food education program for children and have already completed a pilot program of food education workshops in ten schools in different urban and rural areas in Ireland. From this pilot program a template and package for schools, parents and children’s groups has been put in place, enabling different groups to successfully replicate the pilot workshops.
This food education program involves looking at the nutritional and health aspects of food, seasonal produce and sourcing local produce. It offers a holistic approach to food education and aims to teach children what good food is and were local food comes from. Workshops led by Euro-toque chefs include tasting sessions, cooking sessions, meeting local producers and planting herbs and salad leaves.
On November 8, Euro-toque chefs will be teaming up with Slow Food in Ireland members and producers and touring schools round the country to complete workshops with the children. A meeting in a few weeks time to finalize the details. Any chefs, producers or Irish members who would like to be involved should contact Ruth Hegarty:
[email protected]
Source:
Euro-Toques,
www.euro-toques.org