James Beard Foundation and Good Housekeeping Poll Chefs and American Women on Money, Media, and Food

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) New York, NY - October 12, 2011 - As part of the James Beard Foundation’s Food Conference “Sustainability on the Table: How Money and Media Influence the Way America Eats,” the nonprofit culinary organization teamed up with conference co-host Good Housekeeping to survey chefs and readers of the venerable Hearst publication on a wide range of issues surrounding food culture in America. Susan Westmoreland, Food Director of the Good HousekeepingResearch Institute, and Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation, presented the results on October 12, the first day of the two-day Food Conference.

Good Housekeeping’s “How America Eats” Survey Reflects Healthy Eating Habits among American Families    According to the respondents of Good Housekeeping’s “How America Eats” survey, American families are turning to healthful food options, with nearly half (49 percent) saying they buy organic fruits and vegetables at least occasionally, with 1 out of 5 (19 percent) buying them very often. Nor do they eat at fast food chain restaurants as often as everyone believes. More than half (53 percent) said they eat at fast food restaurants once a month or less. In addition, 77 percent said their family eats healthfully whenever possible or all of the time and the majority of respondents said heart health (60 percent), fat content (69 percent), sodium content (60 percent) and sugar content (64 percent) were all somewhat or highly influential in their food purchasing choices. The respondents also said that ensuring healthier and sustainable eating habits is a responsibility that should be shared among individuals, parents, schools, food corporations, and the government: 85 percent believe schools should serve healthier food to children; 83 percent believe parents should set firm limits to prevent their children from eating junk food; 79 percent believe food corporations should do more to ensure that they produce healthy foods; and 76 percent believe people should take it upon themselves to eat more locally-grown food. When buying packaged foods, those most influenced by locally-grown claims were respondents age 25+, particularly 25-34; these claims are less influential among the 18-24 year-old respondents. Influence was highest among those living in the West, lowest among those living in the South. Respondents with children rated locally-grown claims slightly more influential than those without children.   James Beard Foundation Survey Reveals Chefs’ Opinions on How Money and the Media Impact the American Food System   The working chefs who responded to the James Beard Foundation survey not only have concerns outside the kitchen, but they actually consider themselves agents for societal change. When asked about their role in impacting the American food system, 68 percent said they feel that chefs and restaurateurs have a responsibility to encourage and support healthy eating habits in America; 66 percent believe that chefs are at the forefront of food system change; and 56 percent agreed that chefs have a lot to teach the public about nutrition.   Additionally, the chefs’ observations give a unique insight into how economic fluctuations impact their industry. When asked what aspect of the restaurant business was most affected by economic factors, their responses were: wine sales (89 percent), client morale (79 percent), average check (72 percent), reservations (64 percent), and food costs (56 percent).   The results also indicate that chefs are not voracious consumers of media. The type of news outlet chefs refer to the most is newspaper food sections (58 percent). Somewhat surprisingly, the media outlet chefs follow the least are television food programs, which only 24 percent watch consistently. Yet despite this, 77 percent of chefs surveyed believe that food programs influence demand among their clientele.   About the James Beard Foundation Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, nurturing, and preserving America's diverse culinary heritage and future. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter.   About Good Housekeeping Founded in 1885, Good Housekeeping (www.goodhousekeeping.com) magazine reaches 24 million readers each month. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute, the magazine’s state-of-the-art consumer advocacy and product testing laboratory was founded in 1900 and continuing today with the same mission: dedicated to improving the lives of consumers and their families through education and product testing. Only products evaluated by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute can be accepted for advertising in the magazine, and thereby become eligible to display the Good Housekeeping Seal, the hallmark that provides assurance to readers that the products advertised in the magazine are backed by a two-year limited warranty against being defective, with specified exceptions. In 2009, the Green Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced as an environmental extension to the primary Seal, offering consumers guidance on products making environmental claims. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with Good Housekeeping mobile (m.goodhousekeeping.com), at Goodhousekeeping.com, on Zinio, nook, and through its iPhone and Android app. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Good Housekeeping publishes nine editions around the world. Good Housekeeping is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com). With its acquisition of Lagardère SCA's 100 titles in 14 countries outside of France, Hearst Magazines now publishes more than 300 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2011) and reaches 87 million adults (Spring 2011 MRI).   Methodology: In September 2011, 1,130 chefs received the James Beard Foundation survey, “Sustainability and the Foodservice Industry,” via email. Ninety-seven chefs took part in the 35 question survey. In August 2011, Good Housekeeping commissioned Fairfield Research of Lincoln, NE to conduct an attitude and opinion survey among members of its Reader Advisory Panel regarding their healthy eating habits and how these habits influence their daily lives. The results are based on 908 respondents; 95% women and 5% men.   JBF17646