Innovative food company BlueNalu in partnership with Research Chefs Association (RCA) established the Eat Blue™ Essay Contest to place a spotlight on seafood sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. The competition highlights the role that chefs and food scientists will have in shaping sustainable food systems for the future.
The 280 RCA culinary student competitors wrote essays in response to the prompts, “What does it mean to you to Eat Blue™?” and “How do you incorporate this into your daily life and find inspiration to Eat Blue™ in your personal and professional journey?”
A panel of judges reviewed the essays based on empowerment, inclusivity, and ocean optimism, then selected the first, second and third place winners, respectively: Clarissha Vallerie Widjaja from Malaysia, Ayesha Arshad from India, and Sarah Caballero from the United States. Each student won a scholarship to support their educational expenses and received an invitation to present their works live at the virtual RCA+ Culinology® Conference this past March.
To “Eat Blue™” is to be a part of BlueNalu’s leadership in food innovation, as they work on developing seafood products that are cell-cultured rather than fresh-caught. The products perform the same as conventional seafood in a variety of cooking applications for chefs and food service operators. Because fisheries and aquaculture are under heavy stress with seafood demand currently at a peak, BlueNalu offers an appealing food security solution.
The three essay competition winners are asked to become Eat Blue™ Ambassadors, having been given a platform to speak based on their essays. They will address a global audience that is hungry for safe, healthy and sustainable seafood.
“It is critical that we collectively make conscious efforts that support and impact the sustainability, health, and biodiversity of our ocean,” said Lou Cooperhouse, President and CEO of BlueNalu. “All of us at BlueNalu are inspired by these students and essay contest winners for their commitment to the principles of Eat Blue™.”
The competition’s announcement coincides with Earth Day, and serves to remind audiences that there are generations of up-and-coming students who will be dedicated to solving the Earth’s climate crisis.
“The next generation of chefs and food scientists possess the opportunity to create change through food. As an educator, I tell my culinary students that their purchasing decisions and their voice gives them the ability to shape consumer perceptions and drive food trends through their creativity, intention and passion for sustainable food systems,” said Chef Gerard Viverito, Corporate Chef for BlueNalu and Associate Professor in Culinary Arts.
Read about another competition run by Humana to help fight Hunger in America
