As the world continues to reel in and deal with the impacts of COVID-19, we wanted to take the time on International Women’s Day to recognize some of the many women who keep the LSG Group running.

Whether they have been with the company for years or they are just starting their career; whether based in Germany, Thailand, Brazil, the USA or South Africa; whether they are mothers or not, these are their individual struggles and successes over the past year. (Gallery below)

More findings from the “Women in Work Index”:

According to research by UN Women, women on average spent six more hours per week on unpaid childcare than men every week.

According to the OECS Short Term Labor Market Statistics, that number has increased significantly during COVID-19. Women now spend 7.7 more hours per week on unpaid childcare than men. This increase equates to 31.5 hours per week in total – almost as much an extra full-time job.

The post Women in focus: How COVID-19 affected LSG Group employees worldwide appeared first on LSG Group.

Evertaste, the convenience retail expert brand of the LSG Group, is producing a fresh wrap for airline catering for the first time in its corporate history. The product has been flying on selected Lufthansa routes since October. It not only impresses with its taste, but also with its environmental friendliness.

The “Mediterranean Wrap” brings the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine on board. It consists of a tortilla cake with tomatoes, filled with fresh spinach and grated cheese. Crunchy carrot julienne ensures the right bite, a specially produced pesto rounds off the snack in terms of taste.

The finely seasoned filling is handmade, and then smart technology is used in production in Alzey in the Rhineland-Palatinate: a special machine portions and folds the wrap with extreme precision. Six days a week Evertaste and LSG Group then deliver the product to the hub airports of Frankfurt and Munich, where the LSG Sky Chefs operations send it on its world tour.

Special attention was paid to the wrapping of the packaging, which was developed by LSG Group’s expert brand SPIRIANT. Since November, the outer paper wrapper has been made of PaperWise, a material made from agricultural waste such as stalks and leaves and exclusively with “green” energy. To ensure a longer shelf life, the wrap is also packed in a protective atmosphere. The process is also known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and has been tested by LSG Group as part of an initiative to improve product shelf life.

The “Mediterranean Wrap” is served as a second service on long-haul Economy Class flights and as a hearty snack on medium-haul flights.

The post appeared first on LSG Group.

“The concept specifically targets the current situation and our customers’ resulting need for versatile solutions. It should be seen as a complementary line,” says Vassilios Georgakopoulos, Director Customer Concepts at LSG Group. While materials produced from renewable resources could be used, the aim of Project Refresh is not to replace rotable equipment.

The new product line is distinguishable by its dark green color scheme and plant motif, with a single word on the packaging: “REFRESH”. This keeps the boxes in line with the LSG Group’s premium approach while meeting the worldwide demand for transparency. Project Refresh caters to current trends such as clean eating and sustainable packaging, and is suitable for Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class.

The portfolio currently consists of 10 different products, including tray mats, meal boxes with a lid and see-through panel, a cardboard box for wraps, lunch boxes, a plate made from sugarcane, a cutlery set, stickers for sealing the boxes and a hygiene kit.

“Everything was designed to help airlines save on equipment and minimize waste. For example, airlines can arrange both their appetizers and main courses on a single tray. The solution is extremely versatile,” says Georgakopoulos. In addition, the boxes can be combined to provide maximum security, and crew members can serve the meal with just one hand movement.

A key feature of the new products is that they offer the same safety advantages as closed packaging and shrink-wrapped food. At the same time, they can be made of sustainable materials that, unlike previous solutions, are easy for passengers and crew members to handle. Together with high food safety standards, which the LSG Group has always adhered to, Project Refresh meets the highest expectations.

The team designed the boxes with the aim of reducing complexity and allowing more flexibility in meeting customer requirements. They can be used for both scheduled and last minute flights. “These boxes can be filled with hot and cold food, which is particularly important when airlines do not have their own trays,” says Stefan Opel, Head of Global Customer Concepts. Customers also have the option of combining the equipment with their own.

The next step is to select the right menu components. Here, the LSG Group has entrusted the expertise of its local teams to work with the customers to determine what best fits their passengers’ needs. “The new boxes are ideally suited to present our high-quality food in a visually appealing way, while meeting the requirements of the ‘new normal’,” says Alois Strobl, Director Global Culinary Excellence.

In the future, the design of the boxes can easily be customized with the customers’ logos and design. Keeping in line with the theme of flexibility, short-term changes of the boxes in response to market demand remain possible.

The post Project Refresh: The LSG Group presents its versatile box concept appeared first on LSG Group.

Feasting for climate protection: It might sound too good to be true, but it can actually work. In Germany, transportation accounts for almost as much carbon emission as the food industry. The question we now ask: Does “low in CO2” food taste as good? To find out, we equipped three brave (and hungry) colleagues with a bib and cutlery before sending them to our experimental kitchen where they were served sustainable dishes – or as we call it, Food from the Future. In our six-episode miniseries “Climate-friendly – but delicious?!” they tell us what tasted nice, and what they would actually cook at home.

The post Climate-friendly – but delicious?! appeared first on LSG Group.

At this year’s WTCE, the focus of the LSG Group was on sustainability. All of our four expert brands brought their contributions to the table. But in the wake of the launch of the European Commission’s initiative to tackle marine litter by abandoning single-use plastics, our guests were particularly interested in SPIRIANT’s insight and efforts in this area.

Just to prime you on the subject … did you know that …

… plastic waste increased six-fold between 1980 and 2015 to 300 million tons per year?

… Costa Rica has set itself a goal of becoming plastic-free by 2021?

… in Africa alone, 35 countries are already rejecting single-use plastic bags?

During a panel session on the subject, industry representatives Fabio Gamba, Managing Director of ACA (Airline Catering Association) and Joe Leader, CEO of APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) and IFSA (International Flight Services Association), joined our Head of Global Sales and Marketing, Frank Theis, and subject-matter experts from SPIRIANT (Daniel Knies and Vladislav Voron) to discuss our industry’s challenges and potential contributions to preserving a healthy life on our planet.

Among the points they elaborated on is the fact that our industry will play a vital role in the continued development of this effort which will go far beyond the reduction of single-use plastics and the introduction of reusable or alternative materials. They call their idea “conscious travelling,” and it touches on all aspects of a journey with measures like:

• Further promoting dine-on-demand programs that lead to less consumption/waste
• Rethinking an airline’s service concept
• Including crews by incentivizing and training them on waste separation
• Encouraging airport operators to establish permanent recycling centers in close proximity to their facilities.

The panelists also agreed that not every part of the regulation will be feasible within the airline industry. Replacing single-use items with “rotables” (reusable), for example, will be beneficial in many situations. Nevertheless, they increase weight, and consequently fuel consumption on a plane.

The general situation in our business will be addressed and discussed with the concerned authorities in order to find solutions that really have an impact on the ecosystem as a whole. Fabio Gamba and Joe Leader are taking this up by representing our industry as a whole. However, as much as people may talk about curtailing air travel as an alternative, it remains the least realistic solution to a problem that is getting worse every single day that we continue to consume and wait.

Follow SPIRIANT on LinkedIn.

The post WTCE 2019: Focus on Sustainability appeared first on LSG Group.

Are you also sometimes overwhelmed with all the trade magazines, videos and newsletters available online? I often think it takes an incredible amount of time to stay up-to-date on all of the issues and projects occurring in the environmental world. However, I always try to keep myself updated with the latest developments by reading articles while I’m traveling. And in order to save you some time, I would like to share a collection of my recommended links:

Maybe we could also use this as an opportunity for mutual exchange? So, if you know of interesting articles related to the topic of environmental management, please let me know!

Kind regards, Walter Vreden

Walter’s Websites

The online magazine Grist is a good source of fun-to-read news and features blogs, comment sections and interviews related to everything “green”. Although it is based in the US, many of the subjects and characters are also familiar to other parts of this world. One recent article that I found interesting was: “How California got way ahead of the rest of the world in fighting climate change.”

http://grist.org/climate-energy/how-california-got-way-ahead-of-the-rest-of-the-world-in-fighting-climate-change/

Another site I really like is Planet Ark. This organization launched in 1991 and their website followed six years later. The article that I would like to share from Planet Ark is called, “Four Eyes for Recycling.” It highlights a few ways that recycling, donating, and optometry can all work together.

http://planetark.org/news/display/1046

When being in the “green” business, you can’t get around the TreeHugger, which is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability. They are a great source for green news, solutions, and product information. This article really caught my eye: “This Berlin supermarket has a vertical micro-farm inside it.”

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/berlin-grocery-store-store-vertical-micro-farm.html

Yale Environment 360 is a publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and offers news on the impacts of climate change, renewable energy, budding green technologies, fossil fuels, mining and other environmental issues. Very interesting reading! For example, check out this article: “New Green Challenge: How to Grow More Food on Less Land.”

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_to_grow_more_food_on_less_land/2975/

The post Walter Vreden’s Environmental Clicks appeared first on LSG Group.

Did you know that today (April 22) is Earth Day? The environmental movement surrounding this observance began in 1970. Now, this special day has become the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe. It’s great to see how such a worthwhile idea can be spread around the globe over time, don’t you think?

However, as we all know, environmental awareness is not just a one-day event. Today, I would like to highlight our LSG Sky Chefs unit in Auckland, New Zealand, which I think is a great example of how a caterer can contribute to the environment all year round. Our unit in Auckland switched to energy-efficient LED lighting in 2015, provided by Philips.

Since our 11,600 square-meter facility at Auckland Airport has no natural light in its production area, optimum lighting is a prerequisite in order to assure that we meet the highest standards set for product quality, hygiene, employee safety and productivity.

“Natural-looking light is crucial when we use sharp equipment”

Tony Wright, our Head Chef in Auckland, explained to me why optimum lighting is so essential for his team of around 50 chefs: “Natural-looking light is crucial when we use sharp equipment, sanitize fresh produce and prepare food. It helps us guarantee absolute consistency.” Sounds logical, doesn’t it? The new LED lighting not only provides clear visibility, but also ensures significant savings in terms of maintenance costs, as far as I’ve heard. Six months after the installation of the 2,000 LED light fixtures, there was still no need to replace or adjust any of the lights. Previously, the onsite facility management team spent around three hours per week on light bulb maintenance – so this is a huge advantage! Moreover, they have less employee downtime since they no longer need to halt production and interrupt business to swap out the lightbulbs.

Perhaps you are wondering – how does this actually help the environment? Well, by the numbers, the LED solution targets energy savings of approximately 37 percent when compared to alternative lighting. However, the new lighting doesn’t just save money: LSG Sky Chefs in Auckland saves approximately 42 tons in CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to taking roughly eight cars off the road for 12 months. A notable achievement, don’t you think?

Do something nice for the Earth

So, what can we all do individually to make a difference on Earth Day? Actually, the opportunities for getting involved are endless! Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event in your community. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives. Do something nice for the Earth, have fun, meet new people and, most importantly, make a difference! But you don’t need to wait for April 22, 2017 to roll around. Earth Day is every day!

Kindest regards,

Walter

The post New Zealand switches to LED lighting appeared first on LSG Group.

I was recently at a conference in Johannesburg and had the chance to speak with my colleague Paul Elliot, Managing Director South Africa and Tanzania. While we were talking, he really surprised me with a story about a unique and remarkable farming project that was started in our unit in Tanzania. In 2015, our Dar es Saalam team built a greenhouse to supply their facility with its own fresh ingredients. Paul gave me a lot of insight into this amazing project and I would like to share it with you!

Paul, why did you decide to build a greenhouse?

The reason we started this project was because of a lack of suppliers in the region who met our quality standards and the high cost of importing goods in the region. Just imagine – one kilo of chives costs about 30 USD in Tanzania!

Such high costs apply to herbs, as well as lettuce and other vegetables. In addition to that, we had to rely on a supplier from Serengeti who charged us surplus fees because he does not sell his products in the local currency. He also demanded a minimum order size of two tons per week. Moreover, there was no alternative if the supplier didn´t deliver the products. With this predicament, and the fact that hygiene standards like clean water and a reliable infrastructure cannot be taken for granted in our region, we started looking for alternatives.

So how did you come up with the idea and how was it implemented?

It was our Executive Chef in Tanzania, Rizaah Ellis, who came up with the idea of building our own greenhouse. Once this idea was spread to the team, they seriously started thinking about going into farming themselves and developed a concept on how to do so – complete with hydroponics and drip irrigation.

Then, in November last year, a twenty five by thirty square meter greenhouse and garden area were officially opened. The greenhouse and garden are located at the unit, so access is easy and everything can be sourced fresh and as required.

What are you growing?

We are growing many herbs, such as basil, mint, dill, rosemary, oregano and sage. We also grow different sorts of tomatoes, red onions, ginger, chilies, peppers, butternut squash and many other vegetables.

What impact has the project had so far?

The benefits of the first harvest after the project started have included a dramatic decrease in food costs, better quality in our products, no more problems with delayed deliveries and positive feedback from a few of our major customers. We are now able to ensure regular availability and high quality products while reducing our food costs significantly. It is also very important for us to be able to show our customers around the greenhouse so they can see where the products we use come from and can directly select what they want.

How do the employees in DAR feel about the project?

The team in our Dar es Salaam unit is proud that this “crazy idea” turned out so well. It is a pleasure to see how dedicated our employees are to cultivating the plants. It also is a great opportunity for everyone to learn more about safe farming.

Do you think this could be a footprint project for other CSCs in the region?

I believe that the Greenhouse project could be extended to other CSC’s in Africa in locations such as Luanda, Nairobi and Lagos. They also experience the same types of problems we experience in DAR.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? LSG Sky Chefs goes farming – who would have guessed? I will certainly keep you posted if this idea further spreads around in our network. And I will for sure take a look at the greenhouse in DAR, if I get the chance! Meanwhile, Paul sent me some pics which I am happy to share with you. What do you think about it? Are you growing your own vegetables and herbs at home, too?

Kind regards

Walter

The post A fully grown idea – Is LSG Sky Chefs entering the Farm Business? appeared first on LSG Group.

This morning, when I filled our dishwasher after breakfast, a red light was flashing to indicate that I needed to add more rinse aid to the machine. This routine action somehow reminded me of the detergents and various cleaning agents that we use in our catering units on a daily basis. In our facilities, like in your own home, cleaning chemicals need to be stored in a safe place, separate from food and other items. In 2013 and 2014 we did a global green assessment that informed us that the storage process for chemical cleaning agents in many of our units could use a little improvement.

My colleagues in Latin America took the initiative to start a project to develop a standard process for chemical product storage. The team worked together with Diversey, our worldwide partner for chemical supplies, to identify the best way to store the cleaning chemicals in our facilities. Our unit in São Paulo, which is our largest facility in Latin America, served as a showcase for the new action plan. The showcase they developed not only included adherence to safety regulations, but also provided best practices for hygiene and cleaning trainings.

The complete project was implemented in only one month and produced five clear rules for the safe storage and disposal of chemicals, which you can find below. We all know that rules are important, but only effective if people respect them. Therefore, the team implemented follow-up audits, which are held every six months. Sao Paulo has only been a starting point! The best practice showcase will be rolled-out throughout the Latin American region, starting with Brazil, Venezuela and Panama. From there, it will be rolled-out to all LSG Sky Chefs units worldwide. Come to think of it, maybe I should check at home to see if my own detergent storage follows those safety instructions, too!

Kind regards,

Walter Vreden

Download the LSG Sky Chefs Environmental Report 2015

The post Environmental Report: How to Store Chemicals the Right Way appeared first on LSG Group.