This news release is being distributed to the Internet community as a service of the Communication Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Please address correspondence concerning Internet access of this information to Dan Hamstra at the following address: hamstra@andrews.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Released by: Ray Dabrowski Phone: +31-30-955-324 (June 29-July 8) or +301-680-6300 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 29, 1995 ADVENTISTS PROVIDE LARGEST VEGETARIAN FOOD SERVICE IN THE NETHERLANDS Utrecht, The Netherlands... An estimated 250,000 vegetarian meals will be served during the Seventh-day Adventist Church's World Congress being held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, June 29-July 9. Millie Kurtz, Conference Food Service Director for the Congress, says this is the first time that all four kitchens at Jaarbeurs (Royal Dutch Fairs) convention center have been used at once. It is also the first time that an exclusively vegetarian menu has been served at the center. "Another unique aspect of our service is that our staff is made up of 335 volunteers from about 10 different countries including 40 from the Netherlands, 30 from Russia, and others from the United States, Trinidad, Mexico, Poland and several countries in Africa. Our biggest challenge was to choose our staff from the 500 applications we received, then organize the international staff and have them working as a food service team within 24 hours of their arrival in Utrecht," Kurtz said. The volunteers speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. They also have a variety of professional backgrounds, including doctors, nurses, teachers, secretaries, administrators and students. They are donating their time and travel expenses to provide food service to the delegates and guests attending the session. The menus were planned by registered dietitians and food service professionals.The menus are vegetarian, but include milk and eggs. No caffeinated beverages are served and, where possible, recipes have been adapted to reduce fat and sodium. Although a vegetarian diet is not required by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Adventists promote a healthy lifestyle. Kurtz says the latest studies show approximately 50 percent of Seventh-day Adventist Church members follow a vegetarian diet. The menus were also planned to include foods that reflect the backgrounds of the international staff and guests attending the session. These menus include special Dutch recipes as well as Indonesian, Mexican and Italian foods. Kurtz says the majority of their food supplies were obtained through GVA, which is the largest food distributor in the Netherlands. "Peter Heisen, project manager for GVA, has been extremely helpful in researching food products which meet our dietary guidelines." Local food manufacturers have also prepared vegetarian meat analogs for the session using recipes provided by Kurtz. She met with the local Restaurant Association president in January 1995, and explained the Adventist's emphasis on a healthy lifestyle. Brochures prepared by the Seventh-day Adventist Dietetic Association were distributed to local restaurants in preparation for the large number of vegetarians attending the session. The planners' goals are to provide nutritious, economical food as conveniently and quickly as possible. The speed line is estimated to serve 9,000 meals in three hours (or 50 people per minute). They also provide variety through buffet and an a la carte meal service. The World Congress is attended by thousands of Adventist believers representing 205 countries of the world and is the largest international conference ever staged in the Netherlands. -end-