BY ANTONIO DELOS REYES
Every industry has a noticeable impact on the environment and the food industry is no exception. As such, a shift towards a more sustainable ingredient sourcing endeavor by larger industry players will have a bigger impact.
Resorts World Manila is the first in the Asia-Pacific region to commit to joining the global shift towards the use of only cage-free eggs across all its hotel food and beverage outlets by 2025 as part of the group’s sustainable culinary initiative
Bruce Winton, Multi-property Vice President of Marriott International for the Philippines and over-all Chairman of the I Love Earth sustainability program, expresses delight in leading this initiative of the IR. “It is indeed an honor to be entrusted by RWM with this important role and lead the significant endeavor of chartering the course of I Love Earth, a concerted initiative of all hotels and operating units within the IR towards sustainable operations,” he said
The switch to cage-free eggs stem from both a humane and food safety standpoint.
Research from the European Food Safety Authority found that cage-free egg farms are up to 25 times less likely to be contaminated with salmonella compared to hens raised in cages. Furthermore, each egg-laying hen in traditional battery cage egg production facilities live their lives in small cages that barely fit them, resulting in a more stressful life.
Resorts World Manila has partnered with Batangas Free Range Chicken (BFRC) as the supplier for its cage-free eggs for the different hotels and F&B outlets. BFRC, founded by Emerson Sicar, is a social enterprise (SE) which was born out of passion to provide alternative healthy poultry products and livelihood.
To celebrate the milestone, hotel brands in the integrated resort created dishes which featured cage-free eggs. Marriott Hotel Manila created a twist on the tapsilog featuring a Batangas cage-free egg custard with beef tapa flakes, puffed rice, labuyo pearls and calamansi.
Meanwhile, Sheraton Manila presented Eggs Two Ways with cage-free soft egg and cured egg yolk with Bohol asintibu-ok, pulled pork barbecue, and adlai rice. Resorts World Manila’s Happy 8 offered bold savory notes with just a whisper of soothing heat with the Vegetarian Cage-Free Egg Rendang featuring Malaysian style wok-fried cage-free egg, sautéed vegetables and fluffy brown rice.
Hilton Hotel Manila’s Cloud 9 recreates another popular classic with the pandesal bagel, house-made corned beef, fresh lettuce, cage-free egg foam and poached egg yolk draped in rich Hollandaise sauce. Finally, Hotel Okura Manila created an Onsen Tamago — Japanese-style soft-cooked egg served with flavorful dashi sauce Aonori on noodles.
