Unilever offers new nutrition training

UNILEVER FOOD Solutions (UFS) has launched an “industry-first” health and nutrition training programme to help lecturers raise awareness and improve catering students’ knowledge of nutrition in the workplace.

 

The interactive programme – called “Understanding Nutrition in Commercial Kitchens” – will help chefs better understand nutrition and the use of convenience ingredients in the professional kitchen. It was developed with the hospitality industry’s sector skills council People 1st.

 

The programme complements a new “Principles of nutrition in food production environments” unit that will be added to the Qualification Credits Framework in October.

 

UFS managing director Tracey Rogers said the idea was to empower chefs of the future to recognise the influence they can have over their customers’ health.

 

“Times are changing, as are consumer needs, so we want to ensure we’re equipping young chefs with the right knowledge and skill set for when they enter the workplace,” she explained.

 

The one-day training programme is made up of seven sessions, including the building blocks of nutrition, catering for special diets and retaining nutritional content when cooking. All students that successfully complete the programme will receive a formal qualification through vocational educational organisation City & Guilds.

 

To celebrate the launch, the first 60 lecturers to book their place on the training programme, will have their fee paid for by Unilever Food Solutions. In addition to this, the first 500 students to be taught the content will receive a free workbook to guide them through the course and their certificate paid for.