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Juneau, Alaska, September 10, 2007 –The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and The University of Massachusetts, Amherst will be making quite a splash on students during Wild Alaska Seafood Week, October 1-5th, 2007. Imagine sharing your dinner table with 13,000 hungry diners. At UMass, Amherst this is the everyday norm. As the third largest campus dining service in the country Ken Toong, Director of Dining Services is running what has now become known as one of the best programs in the nation. Toong believes that education doesn’t stop in the classroom, that it is a part of dining services’ responsibility to help educate students on the foods they eat. Toong believes that education is the key to his success, claiming that with the students’ help “we can make a difference in campus dining with wild and sustainable Alaska seafood, local produce, and healthier dining options,” Toong’s innovative approach is re-defining campus dining.
Wild Alaska Seafood Week
The five-day long event will feature a different wild and sustainable Alaska seafood species each day including salmon, halibut, black cod, Weathervane scallops, and cod. Randy Rice, Technical Director of ASMI will be the guest speaker, discussing the importance and true definition of sustainability. Local chefs, UMass professors and dietitians will also contribute to the event. Recipes from The Alaska Seafood Spice Pantry will be incorporated to capture bold flavors from around the globe, and an Alaska seafood quiz will be available for students with a chance to win prizes. The event will include whole fish displays, along with Alaska seafood materials throughout all four of the campus dining facilities.
“Live Well. Eat Smart.”
Toong claims that this is a key philosophy of the program. His work has shown a positive response as students more and more want to know where their food comes from, and if it is sustainable. Students are also requesting healthier options. Long gone are the days of fried fish. Toong has decreased portion sizes, while increasing flavor with ingredients such as miso, herbs and spices. Toong switched to a sustainable seafood program over a year ago, setting precedent and acting as a true model for other operators. Toong anticipates that the Wild Alaska Seafood Week will gather a great deal of support from students, as so many of them are now supporters of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood.
Alaska is the pioneer of sustainability. Since acceptance into the Union in 1959, Alaska has been the only state in the nation whose constitution mandates that “fish… be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” This long-term dedication to sustainability has resulted in keeping the world stocked with a continuous, ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood. Indeed, Alaska’s effective and precise fisheries management practices are considered a model for the world.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is the State of Alaska’s official seafood marketing arm. It is a public agency of the State of Alaska, funded by the Alaska seafood industry and state and federal monies. ASMI promotes Alaska seafood throughout the U.S. and in 16 other countries. ASMI also provides education and training to the seafood industry in food safety and quality assurance practices. Please go to www.alaskaseafood.org for more information.
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Contact: Claudia Hogue
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
800/806-2497
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