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for customers nor an organizational
problem for restaurateurs. If the doggy
bag becomes a customary practice, also
thanks to the new law entered into
force on the subject of waste, it could
significantly contribute to recovering a
significant amount of foodstuffs which,
instead of ending up in the garbage,
could become a resource available to
the community.”
A FURTHER OPPORTUNITY
And in the kitchen, how do you view
the practice of taking away what you
have ordered, but not consumed?
“First of all it would take a change of
language – explains Giancarlo Deidda,
patron of the restaurants Dal Corsaro
e Dal Corsaro al mare di Cagliari – I
think you should not talk about
leftovers, a term that has a negative
connotation, but simply what you have
not been able to consume at the time.
Even “doggy bag” is an expression
that I do not like very much, because
it diminishes the value of what it takes
away: we are not talking about bones
to gnaw. It would be better to call
it a “family bag” which refers to the
familiar habit of keeping what remains
from the table to re-use it the next day,
especially given that the tastiest part
lies at the bottom of the bowl or the
serving plate». This practice (which
is established in other countries and
which is being timidly stated also in
Italy) takes on the good habit that
nothing is wasted and catering can
exploit this phenomenon also as a tool
of communication. “If one of my clients
goes out on the street – he continues
– not with an anonymous plastic bag,
but with a nice bag printed with the
name of my restaurant would be is as if
he was saying: “I liked it here so much
that I want to eat what they prepared
me another time.” It takes a process of
raising awareness on the part of the
restaurateur to put
at the disposal of customers
appropriate take-away containers.
Moreover, if at the time of the order
we advise the client that he’ll have the
possibility, if he wishes, to take home
what remains on the plate, he would
probably would order differently. A
useful procedure, which would assist
this practice, could be to return to the
serving dish, rather than serve the
meal already plated, when there is the
possibility to do so. Then again, that’s
how you serve at home.”
Even the way of charitable donation
is not difficult to practice. “It happens
to me often, especially at catering or
banqueting events – he says – when
what is left is not even part of the
restaurant menu and maybe we’re
talking about finger food. It is a matter
of simply putting in the appropriate
container what was leftover to leave it
at the disposal of one of the charitable
associations that operate in the area. As
soon as that which was not consumed
returns to the restaurant I contact one
of these charities and I know that
within half an hour someone will be a
little happier, thanks to our food».
The Gadda law has facilitated a
practice that already existed. “It made
clear responsibilities of a hygienic
and sanitary nature,” says Deidda,
“and allows the deduction of the food
donated. Once in a while, a law of
common sense has been brought in. “
AT PAGE 42
The dangerous trend of
“yeast-free” bread
Bread and pizza, beware of
spontaneous fermentation: it’s
criminal!
BY Fabio Abati
The police inspect half of Italy and the
food fraud section of the State Forestry
Corps
have launched an alarm aimed at
consumers and operators in the sector:
in the bakery and pizzaria world,
products are being marketed with the
technique of so-called spontaneous
fermentation (Wild Yeast Water), which
pretends to replace the industrial yeast
‘saccharomy cescerevisiae’.
It is an increasingly widespread
practice, also helped a little by trends,
useful for creating soft and cheap
dough for bread and pizza but adding
the word “without yeast” or “no yeast
added”.
But beware: these products may
contain micro-organisms also
hazardous to health. An entrepreneur
who therefore puts products “leavened”
in this way on the market would risk,
as well as administrative measures,
most likely also criminal proceedings
because, by misleading advertising
(infringement art. 1 Comma2, Art.
6 dl145/07), the customer is not
informed, especially those subject
to yeast allergies and led to believe
they are actually consuming products
without yeast.
In turn, the wording “without added
yeast”, is not transparent and draws
equally in deception as it implies
non-voluntary addition, but does not
exclude the presence of the
yeast in the same dough just as a
natural contaminant derived from the
establishment.
It’s like saying: “I did not put it in
but it’s there anyway and I am not
responsible!” Allergy sufferers are at
risk and are not protected in any way.
It is the warning launched, among
others, by Piero Nuciari, selected officer
for the local police, author of numerous
texts in commercial matters, who for
years has dealt with police inspections,
animator of the blog www.pieronuciari.
it/ always full of news from the food
world. “In recent years the business
has “cooked up” a new type of yeast –
confirms Nuciari – the yeast obtained
from spontaneous fermentation”.
The policeman experienced in
food fraud added: “To create these
doughs, we start from cultures that
spontaneously develop by fermenting,
in bottles containing a solution of
water and sugar, pieces of fruit, in
inadequate laboratories, managed by
persons that often have no specific
microbiological training”. “It should
be emphasized - continues Nuciari
- that “spontaneous” cultures are
without any control and that, very
probably, the danger behind this new
leavening system is underestimated.” In
addition, to say that a bakery product
is “without yeast” is incorrect. The
leavening is due to a micro-organism (s.
cerevisiae) that permeates throughout
the environments traditionally used
to make dough and its presence is
essential.
As Dr. Simona Lauri, food
technologist and member of the
Order of Lombardia and Liguria Food
Technologists OTA, explains in her
“lesson number 20 of white art”,
entitled: “Final product, alterations
MAGAZINE