“A meal is a community process”. Charter for Community Catering

Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland, 28 February 2020

“A meal is a community process”
Charter for Community Catering

Commercial kitchens often have a poor reputation. Cafeteria food must be cheap. The Nutrition Circle for Kitchen Professionals advocates an appreciation of the processes involved in the cultivation, production, preparation and consumption of food in its Charter for Community Catering.

“What we see today in some facilities – unfortunately also in residential care facilities – is a tragedy because people are trying to save costs on food”, observed Jasmin Peschke. She heads the Nutrition Section of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum and has at doctorate in ecotrophology. “Nutrition is more than just something to eat”, she says. It is about providing tasty and varied meals, high-quality food that is carefully prepared. 

“The quality of our food depends on many factors: the seeds, the soil, the cultivation, the time of harvest, storage times and processing methods”, says Jasmin Peschke. This is why she has now been joined by eleven nutrition experts with experience in anthroposophical fields of work to make a public statement. With their Charter for Community Catering, they are setting an example for healthy and wholesome enjoyable nutrition – precisely because day-to-day cooking in commercial kitchens is often stressful. 

One of the first signatories of the charter is Heinz Fendrich. The executive chef at the Sonnenhof in Arlesheim, Switzerland, points out that even the attitude and mood that are cultivated during cooking contribute to the quality of the food. This is why he and other chefs and nutritionists consider it important that cooks and their kitchen assistants treat food with care and also involve those eating the meal – this is also important to prevent food from being wasted. Ultimately, it is up to everyone to ensure that meals are eaten regularly and on a rhythmical basis. “This also includes a relaxed and consciously designed atmosphere when eating”, the charter states. 

“A meal is a community process before, during and after the activity in the kitchen”, concludes Jasmin Peschke.
(2032 Characters/SJ; translated by Bettina Hindes)

Charter for Community Catering
Web www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/fileadmin/SLW/Arbeitsfelder/ernaehrung/Gemeinschaftsverpflegung/Charter_Community_Catering_EN.pdf (available also in German, French and Italian)

Contact Person Jasmin Peschke, jasmin.peschke@goetheanum.ch