ARLINGTON, VA – Last week, USA Rice hosted an accredited training webinar for school nutrition and foodservice professionals on the importance of using and sourcing U.S.-grown rice in their respective operations. The sixty-minute webinar, “U.S.-Grown Rice 101 for Foodservice Professionals,” provided a free opportunity for participants to increase their knowledge of U.S.-grown rice and the domestic rice industry while earning a Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
The training webinar was presented by Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice senior director of domestic promotion, to an audience that represented school nutrition programs, foodservice distributors, hospital feeding programs, government entities, and other foodservice operations. Jacobs opened the webinar with an introduction to USA Rice and the organization’s role as the global advocate for the U.S. rice industry followed by a thorough overview of the crop’s production cycle, the industry’s economic impact and commitment to sustainability, U.S.-grown varieties, and the nutritional power of rice. Participants were then presented information on the vital role rice can play in all aspects of foodservice operations from back-of-house to customer experience.
The live webinar covered current and emerging trends that positively impact rice’s popularity and use, from shifting consumer preferences toward global flavors and cuisine to plant-based or plant-forward diets becoming mainstream. Jacobs also shared information on all USA Rice foodservice partner offerings.
“This accredited training webinar provided a significant and cost-effective opportunity to help teach those responsible for feeding folks every day the power of rice in every sector of the foodservice industry, all while promoting the U.S.-grown difference,” said Jacobs. “Rice brings a tremendous amount of value both in the kitchen and on the menu for foodservice operations and through presentations like these, we’re able to get in front of our target audience and share valuable information while making new connections.”
The webinar was accredited by three governing bodies: the Association of Nutrition Food Professionals (ANFP), the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), and the School Nutrition Association (SNA).
USA Rice plans to add the webinar recording to its suite of foodservice resources and have it available on
thinkrice.com where it can be accessed on demand by foodservice professionals looking to learn more about U.S.-grown rice and gain CEUs to maintain their operating license.
The audience of 51 registered foodservice professionals was receptive, appreciative, and satisfied with the presented information, giving an overall average score of 4.8 out of 5 on a post-session evaluation that asked if participating increased their knowledge on rice, if the content held their attention, if the host effectively presented and communicated key information, and if the information learned could be applied to their work.
“Following completion of the webinar, attendees received a link to the recording of the training session to share with their colleagues,” said Jacobs. “They also receive additional information on our foodservice resources and how to stay connected with USA Rice.”