SPE Certified
SPE Certification is a foodservice industry standard aimed at enhancing the nutritional quality of meals, without compromising the taste. SPE stands for “Sanitas per Escam” in Latin; its English translation is literally “Health Through Food.”[1] The certification program’s core principles include increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, as well as reducing intake of saturated fats, added sugars and salt.[2]
The SPE Certified seal, described by The New York Times as a “squiggly red insignia” is placed on a foodservice establishment’s menu next to a specific dish when the dish has met all the required culinary and nutritional criteria.[3]
SPE was developed as a nutritional and culinary philosophy in Rouge Tomate restaurant, Brussels, in 2001. In 2011 it was molded into a certification program aimed at encouraging other foodservice establishments to cook healthy, sustainably-sourced dishes, retaining focus on the taste of the food.[4]
References
- ↑ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2118513,00.html Time Magazine “Certifiably Good”
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/dining/hold-the-butter-healthy-food-served-here.html The New York Times “Hold the Butter”
- ↑ http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120618/upper-east-side/new-restaurant-certification-rates-healthy-sustainable-meals DNAinfo.com “New Restaurant Certification Rates Healthy and Sustainable Meals”
- ↑ http://foodarts.com/news/views/19857/crusading-for-health