Food thoughts
The discussion on Frito Lay’s environmental efforts brings up an interesting debate about how environmentally friendly the company is being if they are using corn and whether it’s non-GMO. I don’t know the answers to that, but what about other companies? What are they doing to minimize impact, and what else could they be doing?
Kristina from Stonyfield pointed me in the direction of great resource as to what their company does in this respect. Stonyfield is pretty well known for their efforts in organic foods & farming, but what about other areas of sustainability?
Stonyfield & Sustainability
Looks like this might be a company that’s done it right again. They actually have whole teams dedicated to exactly this topic. Some of the things they focus on:
– Reducing C02 emissions from transportation & plants (factory plants..not green plants..;))
– Eliminating waste products & maximizing recycling
– Creating sustainable packaging
And what I find the most valuable as a consumer:
– ‘Stonyfield Walking Our Talk’ aka the SWOT team- a team dedicated to making sure the company practices what it preaches
Ok I just reread that- I promise this isn’t a sales pitch or anything. I’m a fan of the company and the Frito Lay factory tour plus my latest library find by Gary Hirschberg, Stonyfield CE-Yo (Stirring it Up: How to Make Money & Save the World) have me intrigued.
Does a company’s efforts in sustainability & minimizing environmental impact matter to you? How does it affect decisions you make as a consumer? Do you know about other companies that are working to “be green”?
HLS
I admit, I was a little shocked when I saw Frito Lay was not only a sponsor of the Healthy Living Summit, but was also offering an activity for attendees.
Potato Chips + Healthy Living = ???
Though I’m all about balance & not ruling foods out, I didn’t quite see the connection.
I went back & forth, and finally decided to participate in the tour of the Frito Lay plant. When I don’t understand something, the obvious solution is to learn more about it. Plus, I love “behind the scenes” activities. (Beer tours, anyone?)
To be honest, I was secretly hoping I’d find out some astounding health secret Frito Lay was working into their products, but not so much. It was, however, a fun & informative tour, and I’m glad I went. However, I was left feeling like the day was full of contradictions.
Health Stuff
– Several of Frito Lay’s “original” products contain only 3 ingredients: Potatoes, oil, & salt.
– The oils used are heart healthy! Olive & canola oils aren’t stable enough, but Frito Lay uses a lot of sunflower oil. A majority of the fat in their potato chips ends up being unsaturated.
– “Healthier” versions are being added to the line up: tortilla chips with whole grains, Sun Chips with extra fiber, potato chips with less salt.
The good: No crazy preservatives, chemicals, & fillers in many chips.
The bad: Added fiber comes from “corn bran”, 3 ingredient options only include “original” flavors, little “nutritional” value.
The ugly: Corn, corn, & more corn. Corn bran, corn oil, corn kernels. (Have you read The Omnivore’s Dilemma?)
Sustainability Stuff
– The Beloit, Wisconsin plant is Gold LEED certified.
– Frito Lay is working on a “Net Zero” project- how to make their product with having an impact on the earth. (Capturing heat, recycling water, compostable bags, renewable energy, etc.)
The good: Sustainability is pretty much the equivalent of gold. It rocks. Especially when big companies do it.
The bad: Not all of the plants are using all of the sustainability options the company has.
The ugly: Have I mentioned corn? I’m not sure how that’s being factored into the “zero impact” initiative.
The Tour
On to the actual tour. Seeing the factory at work makes me wish I had decided to be an engineer. Watching the machines in action was amazing. How cool of a job would it be to design a machine that uses color to identify chips that are too brown for consumption?!
Before we were allowed into the plant, we had to take some sanitization & safety precautions.
Hair nets & lint rolling.
Goggles & earplugs.
Ready to hit the factory floor!
Then it was time for some chip action.
Peeled potatoes. I wish they’d leave the skin on. 🙁
Corn squishing for tortilla making.
Uncheesed Cheetos.
Freshly seasoned Cooler Ranch Doritos.
Doritos hot off the press. (So much better than from the bag. Although I accidently tasted the cheeseburger flavored version- gag.)
Evaluating what makes the “perfect” chip.
Lunch & Learn
While we lunched, we listened to a Frito filled presentation.
Lunch was a spinach wrap of marinated veggies, a monster salad, and some fruit.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love fresh pineapple?
There were lots of salad topping options: carrots, sprouts, dried cranberries, walnuts, gorgonzola, croutons, and balsamic dressing.
Health salad balance by yummy treats: a peanut butter cookie & my weakness, Diet Mt. Dew.
Plus plenty of chip snacks- during the presentation, on the tour, and on the bus.
These were some of the regional flavors. We tried the Tangy Carolina BBQ & Garden Tomato Basil. I had to toss my NC loyalty aside- I hated the BBQ version, but the Tomato Basil was great.
The Mad Dash
After a 3 hour bus ride [enter unintentional detour here] to the plant in Beloit, Wisconsin, we were hoping for a quick & uneventful trip back to Chi-town —> a cocktail party was awaiting!
However, no such luck. Chicago traffic had other plans, and eventually it became clear our best option was to debus and hop on the L. 20+ bloggers with overflowing bags of chips rushing through the train station and piling in a single car during train rush hour was quite a sight, but made for a great adventure.
Luckily, we made it in the nick of time. Cocktail party here we come!
