Information taken from CNN Health report.

Cases of severe food allergies are on the rise in the U.S. and the reasons for this are still unclear. There is speculation for doctors and experts that it is due to the overly clean environment that our children grow up in and the lack of bacteria they are exposed to. Others believe that introducing children to things like fish and nuts should happen much earlier in life than 2-3 years as many pediatricians recommend. Whatever the reason may be, it does not change the fact that food allergies can make the lives of the child with the allergy as well as the parents who are dealing with it, extremely difficult and many times scary.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, in 2007, approximately 3 million children under the age of 18 were reported to have a food or digestive allergy in the previous 12 months. The prevalence of food allergies among children under the age of 18 increased 18% from 1997 to 2007.

Here at Tilt, we are currently working on a project through our foundation to help bring a larger awareness to the origin of food, food allergies and helping children and their parents become informed about what is in their food, and alternatives to some of those ingredients. Helping people live uninterrupted days and help make meal times a simple, uncomplicated process is important to us.

For people with allergies or with children who have allergies, eating out at a restaurant can be a nerve racking experience. Never being sure if the food you are about to eat will harm you is something that can cause anyone stress. I remember working at a bagel shop through high school and a parent one time brought in their own bagel in a plastic bag. The mother instructed me that I needed to make her child’s sandwich on this particular bagel, as it was wheat-free and that since their child was allergic to sesame seeds, none could touch the knives, food or my hands as it was prepared. As much as I wanted to help this woman, I refused to make the sandwich simply because the back counter of my shop along with every knife and other surface (it was during a lunch rush) had been touched by sesame seeds at one point or another. I did not want to risk her child’s health and the prospect of the happening was very high. Instead I instructed her to buy cream cheese from our cold case, I opened a new container of plastic knives and she was able to make the bagel at the table with the rest of the family so her child could still have a ‘normal’ dining out experience with everyone else.

Not all places will accommodate you and not everyone will be ABLE to do it even if they want to. When going out to eat keep these things in mind:

1. Do Your Homework: Most national chains include nutrition info on their websites. These sites often include allergy information.
2. Avoid Peak Times: You’ll be likely to get more attentive service, especially on your first few visits to a given restaurant, if you avoid lunch and dinner rushes.
3. Be Aware of Cross-Contamination: This occurs when food is prepared on a surface or using a utensil that has touched an allergen.
4. Trust your Instincts: If you have doubts about your order after you’ve received it, politely ask your waiter to double-check.
5. Be Prepared: Even under the best of circumstances, it’s smart to be prepared for the unexpected.

For more tips and information go here for the US or here for the UK.

We are trying to develop a place that caters to people that have food allergies so they do not have to worry about these things. We are also interested in creating materials for people to use when they eat out to help make their waitstaff aware of their allergies and what they can do to help. In the meantime, be careful and use the tips above. Good eating.

Yesterday we had a great day on the roof top. I had meetings scheduled all day with clients, accountants and solicitors (lawyers) and it was on the beautiful AstroTurf and exquisite box gardens that the urban gardener in myself was born.

We were able to harvest quite a substantial amount (see above) and one of the key partners of the Hackney Pirates Ben even made a birthday lunch for one of the MBA staff, Geetika, out of things from the garden (with an avocado from perhaps a favored street vendor). It was lovely.

I have been reading a book suggested by my friend and colleague Ralph Loglisci called Farm City which is written and takes place in Oakland, CA by Novella Carpenter. The premise of the book is urban farming for the local land squatter. With very limited initial resources, this woman truly lives this way and off her own land in CA. Pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits… you name it, she has had it and raised it. Farm City has inspired me to really put best practice tools in place to make something special happen in even the smallest way.

The visionary of the garden came from Sam Aldenton who is a creative operations and executive director of the Boostrap Company and his staff has taken on the responsibility full throttle to make sure it stays in tact. Here, the real Dalston Roof Park gardener today, Lottie gently waters and harvests as she walks around the garden. She takes time and care with each area of the space while Sam is away.

Today we had a remarkable experience working our monthly shift at The People’s Supermarket in Holburn. It was warm, inviting and enabled creative energy to really be apart of a community and get some things accomplished. The market was busy from the moment we opened at 8am, all the way until we left at 12. People came in, they asked questions and they joined in the fun with figuring out pricing!

After today, however, we finally have updated signage and price points that matter. Our goal is to continue to refine this and the ‘members package’ that will help make the operation smoother.

For those that have never participated in a co-op market, it works by spending less money on staff and more money on the food. Typically local companies are the main sourcing for food stuffs. Members are essentially owners of the company and they act as 1 vote on a board. In this case, I haven’t gotten to their meetings yet, so we will see what comes of it. We do get 10% off all groceries, though! And they have everything that I can eat. Sweet!

It was fun to be creative in a space and really make something. Utilizing the existing branding of the organization, I used chalk pens in white and yellow on black board to write out the product prices. We think it is (overall) a huge improvement for visibility and hopefully should increase sales!

Join us on Thursday, September 2nd for a full day at the market. Buy groceries and more and see us in action working magic with the signage.

This past month in July, we had a fantastic first go of Designers, Drinks and Social Change – aside from the technical difficulties. The conversation, was awesome and the external chat dialogue profound, so much in fact that we have decided to have this topic for a second session this coming week. August 19, 2010 marks the day where really discussions will happen at 12am GST / 7pm EST / 6pm CST / 4pm PST.  We are going to have another public broadcast on “Are designers becoming obsolete?”

Use this URL to join: http://www.tokbox.com/tiltstudioinc/ddsc/

If you have any thoughts, questions to ask the group or ideas on this topic, please feel free to send them ahead of time to E. Rachael Baird.

We hope in two months time we will have a recording device for this so it can be cataloged on our site.

Some of the highlights from the July conversation were:

History of speakers

Eric K: Always drawing as a kid, wanted to start doing something. Had a small hometown, only 1 formal area that he wanted to start a production job in painting, low-level production and started to get more into design. In 2000 started a company and been working as a designer. Not only just a designer, but a strategist for change.

Eric B: Started in college and found that design was a nice balance. New it was the one that was the right one for him. Went to grad school had trouble focusing. Very large thinking/design action between the two groups. Became a teacher and developed a non-profit called Re-Nourish to tend to his talents.

Bernard: Took the client out of the equation and just started to do what he thought was right.  Project M with John Bielenberg really helped to kick start his interests. Bernard is always the teacher, when it is for profit or non-profit. P Studio and Project H are other highlight projects.

Rachael: Grew up with designers/artists for parents and always knew it was what she was going to do. Worked for a few agencies, but felt most comfortable on her own as a leader so she started Tilt and has built in a social enterprise into the organization.

General dialogue snapshot (keep in mind that these are just my written notes, no judgment, please!)
Eric K: Whatever we are called a designer or a creative director it is about a mindset.

Eric B: Found a way to not be the typical designer and figured out a way to not be bored. Standard things or design that you have used as a graphic designer. Making the poster is not as exciting as creating change. Design has gotten effected.

Bernard: Market or the economy are still not at the point that we need. We need to perceive design differently. Things need to catch up better.
John M. talks about the world being on a tipping point. Dependence on oil and global warming, etc. are taking on the new life. Emerging concepts… politicians have drastically failed. Design is the answer. Design is going to change the world. It is going to innovate. How the hell do we do that.  Its going to come.

Eric B. Designing for corporations is inconsequential. Debilitating better quality of life. We do need to earn a living. Have functions, etc. Like Project M. More of a value thing. Absolutely.

Bernard: Bringing this back to design education it is a self-propagating and its shit.

Eric B: Divided right down the middle and there are so many different points of view. Two designers that develop students that won’t exist.

Eric K: Q: As a company, do you think that you can change the mindset of clients? Changing the face of the world. It is about the investment.

Always check our Eric’s Blog too at Re-Nourish.com

We are two of the more recent members of the People’s Supermarket, but not any less important. This very unique venture has been in production for years and is now coming to fruition in only the last few months. Operated like a co-op, there is a discount for members and a request that you spend 1 day a month or even an hour a month helping. Whatever you can give is appreciated. It is the first of its kind in London. They have a fabulous story, based on chef Arthur Potts Dawson who has run several environmentally and organic-based spaces. The website is hilarious and very cleverly done. Please take a look here.

Based loosely on the Park Slope model in NYC and it is a co-op style grocery market. Only having opened a few weeks before, they have already gotten up to 274 members, with very little personal invested marketing. Currently there is a Channel 4 story in the works that will launch at the start of the year as a documentary of sorts. They are finding that relying on members is both a benefit and a challenge to date. There is a lot to learn and the job board is very empty at the current moment, but there is a lot to do! So, if you are interested, please join!

It takes 500 members to enable a smooth working experience and to cover all the shifts.

Take directly from a report on BBC

Shoppers in the US state of Pennsylvania have been given the chance to buy their favourite tipple from a wine vending machine. The state has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country and until now wine has only been sold at state-owned shops.

The machines check the buyer’s identification for proof of age and a built-in breathalyser tests sobriety. The vending machines hold 700 temperature-controlled bottles – ranging in price from $7-23 (£4-14).

‘Leveraged technology’

But in a state where alcohol sales are tightly controlled, maybe the most tightly controlled in the country, customers have to jump through several hoops. First they must swipe both a proof of age and their payment card.

Then there’s the breathalyser. A quick puff to show they’re sober and the appropriate door will open. CCTV cameras are monitored by state officials as a final safeguard. “We don’t serve minors, we don’t serve intoxicated individuals,” said Patrick Stapleton, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Boards.

Until now Pennsylvania’s drinkers have only been able to buy wine in state-run liquor stores which are often over-regulated, too expensive and inconvenient.

We have been working for Chartwells Schools and Higher Education and Flik Independent Schools – both apart of the greater Compass Group, N. A. – since 2003. We have working together, grown together and built programs, dining centers and been apart of millions of kids lives each year. As a brand, they have proven their mission in the past 11 years to be one of quality for affordable foodservice and we are lucky that the masses have been graced with their presence. Recently a program has come to surface and you can learn more about it in the information below. Get involved where you can:

Breaking Bread

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010, Chartwells School Dining Services, Flik Independent School Dining and Chartwells College and University Dining Services came together to provide approximately 200 New York City students with a unique learning opportunity focused on the nutrition and culinary value of bread.  The project came to fruition through Rick Post’s leadership in developing a partnership with PENCIL, an organization that builds and supports customized relationships between business leaders and school principals. PENCIL paired Rick Post with Principal Castley of the P.S. 54 School in Staten Island, New York and the project was born.  P.S. 54 has a unique educational philosophy which uses a school-wide enrichment model for the gifted and talented to embrace interests, provide experiences, peak curiosity, and present opportunities to nurture the lifelong learner.

After discussion on how the two organizations might collaborate, it was determined that Compass Group could assist the 3rd graders in the understanding of food and culture in eight countries they had recently been studying. Four teams of Chefs and Registered Dietitians from each of the school dining sectors presented an interactive lesson that explored the history of bread, the nutritional benefits of bread and whole grain and a demo in which the chefs taught students how to make a tasty Irish brown bread. “Breaking bread with our children is a great way to nurture our future!” said Post, CEO of Contract Foodservices.

Each student was able to see and taste breads from various countries and take home a bag of ingredients needed to make their own loaf at home.  Third grade teacher, Roberta Amerosa stated, “Having Compass Group partners come to do the “Breaking Bread” Day was SEM (Schoolwide Enrichment Model) at its best. The children sat in awe during the whole presentation, then bubbled over with questions at the end.  We can’t wait for our Compass Group partners to come back!” The event was a successful collaborative effort by the schools division team and an excellent opportunity to give back to the communities we serve.

Picture 1
Pictured (from left to right)
Back Row: Stephan Davenport (Flik), Peter Valkenberg (Flik), Merlin J.  Sanchez (Flik), George Malchiodi (Flik) , Jennifer Ignacio (Flik), Elizabeth Jemmotte (K-12), Principal Castely, Cheryl Luckett (K-12) and Laura Conway (HE)
Front Row: Shirley Crespi, Christopher Rizzo and Angela Duenas (PS 54)
Not pictured: Tony Green (HE)

Picture 2
Pictured: Chef Peter Valkenburg and Jennifer Ignacio of Flik Independent School Dining

On Friday, we had a wonderful day out in Dalston Park with the kids from Bootstrap’s Hackney Pirates Summer camp. This week they were putting on a 5 day workshop on Graphic Novels with local-famed graphic novelist and illustrator Roger Mason (his blog). He is patient, clever and very gifted at working with aspiring designers.

At the beginning of the week the kids got to decide as a group what they were going to write about and they spent three days illustrating the novel and completing on Friday with a cover. It was a whirlwind week!

From the local area, these kids were full of energy, expertise and insane talent. They were all wonderful writers and absolutely certain about their ideas and stories. True individuals.

Here are some of the highlights: Kristen was in love with my ‘accent’ and couldn’t stop talking in “American,” as she called it. Rosa was very certain of her ideas and she flowed intelligently into conversations about her story and her writing. Louis is going to be a famed artist–I am sure of it–with his intense idea for detail and his clever way of piecing together his story into a fabulous cartooned scene. He moved at the speed of light… and his brother Sam was not far behind with his story despite his 2 year youth difference. Molly was perfectly poised with a pen as she drew the NYC Empire State Building with confidence and the team of Ty and his partner in crime Renee worked tirelessly to focus on getting their story just write, each with their own interpretation of the visual version of their villain. And this was just to name a few.

After working on their covers and drawings, we went up the roof where the group spent time on the Dalston Roof Park drawings doodles for the logo of the novel that will be published later this summer for each of the kids. The program was inventive, clever and provided kids with the ability to have their voice heard both individually and as a collaborative group.

If you want to help, contact Emma and get involved.

If you want more information on the park, contact Sam and see how you can donate your time and money.

If you want to learn more about the summer camp, stay tuned…

This year the FDA has been encouraged to revisit standard serving sizes due to the fact that most people eat more than what is recommended on the label. It has been stated that people don’t look very carefully at the Nutrition Facts panel on most products and assume that the nutritional values reflect what they intend on eating rather than the actual serving size, which can be up to 3 times less food than they will consume.

First of all, I feel that people should be held responsible for how carefully they are looking at these labels. The part of the label that designates serving size is just as prominent as the part that says how much fat, calories, sodium, etc. are in it…people just aren’t taking the time to read them correctly. With that said, maybe if the portion sizes were increased, the nutritional values that they do pay attention to will cause them to look up and note serving size. The portion sizes that you see on packaging these days were created by the FDA in the 70′s and 80′s by surveying people and asking how much they would eat of a certain food. This method obviously has it’s flaws since most people don’t realize that when they sit in front of the TV with a bag of chips that by the time their show is over, so is half the bag. No one will openly admit that a serving size of chips for them is half of the family sized sour cream and onion.

If the FDA chooses to revisit serving sizes to reflect what people actually eat, will this send the message to consumers that it is okay to eat the amount they are eating? With obesity rates at an all time high this plan could totally backfire. OR, people could see the actual numbers in calories, fat, etc. that they are consuming and rethink their portions.

This brings us to Front of Package labeling. A lot of people tend to think that manufacturers mislead their customers by only highlighting the good elements of their products (whole grains, high fiber, good source of calcium) and leave out anything that may make the product unhealthy (sat and trans fats, high caloric values, etc.). Also, companies will produce to-go items or snack bags that claim a certain amount of calories on the front and because of the nature of the packaging the consumer will assume this means the entire package but in reality it is only half of it. While portion size is available to the consumer on the Nutrition fact panel along with the rest of the necessary information, fast fact panels located on the front of items do not highlight the serving size, only the other elements. What is the solution? Should the FDA increase serving sizes and give America a wake up call? Should companies be made to highlight serving sizes, along with other important nutritional info on the front of their packages?

We took some of these questions and surveyed a group of consumers from all backgrounds and regions. Our findings revealed that in general people believe that serving sizes should be highlighted on the front of packaging along with nutritional values. Most people felt that there should be more strict rules and regulations on labeling for products marketed to children. People told us they respond more to numbers than symbols and many people felt that these front of package labels would be more effective if they were required on all food products, just like the nutrition panel located on the back. There was a large variety of the types of things people wanted to see highlighted on products, everything from fat and calories, to whether or not there are chemicals and preservatives used, if the product is organic and whether or not it is locally grown. It seemed that the overall consensus is that people want more information readily available in order to make purchasing decisions when it comes to their food.

Whatever the answer may be, we won’t figure it out until a move is made and we can see the results for ourselves. Nothing is going to change overnight but any of these is a step in the right direction.

The new Tilt office in London in Dalston Kingland (East London) is absolutely spectacular! Having a space in the Boot Strap Company building is special since it is one of the largest green roofs in the whole of Europe, creating 70% of its energy (and with a building full of artists and designers that is quite a lot of energy) needed! This roof, uses solar photo voltaic (PV) panels that are in the shape of roof tiles and they act as a protector for the actual roof below.

Haberdashery London, new friends made through the DBA, are the reason why we found this incredible space since they had an office party here last month. They are experience creators with a strong tie to art and very outside the box projects. They have worked for the likes of the Selfridges, Vodafone, and very large personal collectors. It is a very cool group!

In this office, we have a shared space and we are very interested in helping out with the roof top community garden and cafe (that will be opening later this summer). The garden was begun in garden bags back in early May and the space is overrun with veggies. Everyone is being asked to take them. The local community gets to receive as well. The goal being that this construction provides a lot of flexibility to the plants throughout the year. A brand called Hadopots does a great job of this concept.

The feeling of the space is very communal, open and creative with a lot of incredible talent. We are operating in London as ‘hub & spoke’ in order to maximize our potential resources and to do the best work possible. If you are a very creative and clever architect, designer, writer, thinker, chef, farmer, or just a generally amazing person, we would love to know you!

While, Boot Strap might not let us introduce a living wall into the space inside, I think that I might try this at my new house at BedZed. We move in this weekend and I have been thoroughly inspired by this years winner at the Chelsea Flower Show.