Press Release

Five Culinary Programs Recognized as Exemplary at 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference

St. Augustine, Fla., April 8, 2008 - Five postsecondary culinary programs were recognized by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFFAC) as exemplary at the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati, April 5-7.

The programs are at the following schools:

• Hospitality Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute-Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Md.
• Hudson County Community College, Jersey City, N.J.
• The International Culinary Schools at the Art Institute-Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati, Ohio
• New York Institute of Technology, Central Islip, N.Y.

The ACFFAC, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), provides regulatory oversight of post-secondary institutions. The primary function of the ACFFAC is programmatic accreditation. This specialized accreditation is a voluntary action on the part of the institution that requires curriculum, faculty, resources, support staff, and organizational structure all meet or exceed quality standards.

Culinary or foodservice programs that are accredited by the ACFFAC have been reviewed against established standards. These programs undergo a self-evaluation and report their findings to the ACFFAC. The ACFFAC then authorizes a fact-finding team to visit the school to verify compliance with the standards. The self-evaluation, the report of the fact-finding team, and the program response to the fact-finding report, are studied. The ACFFAC then grants accreditation to programs that meet the published standards.

To qualify as an exemplary program upon renewal of ACFFAC accreditation, a program will have had to have been in full compliance the last two site visitation reports. The visiting team determines that the program has met the ACFFAC standards in eight required areas: eligibility; program mission and goals; organization and administration; faculty and staff; curriculum; facilities; student services; and assessment. Exemplary programs are accredited for seven years.

Chosen for its big city vibrancy and small-town charm, Cincinnati was the location of the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference hosted by ACF Greater Cincinnati Chapter. Bringing more than 500 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to the city, the conference provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative business seminars, forums, clinics and cutting-edge demonstrations. In addition, the conference offered participants the opportunity to learn about the latest cooking trends and techniques.

Sponsors of the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference and national award sponsors include: American Lamb Board; Barber Foods; Badia Spices; Beef Information Center; Buckhead Beef Company; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Inc.; Contessa Premium Foods; Custom Culinary, Inc.; GFF, Inc./Girard's Dressings; John Morrell & Co.; La Brea Bakery; Lactalis Foodservice, Inc; Lobster Select; Maker's Mark Distillery, Inc.; Mann's Fresh Vegetables; MARS Foodservices; Mind's Eye Resource Management, LLC; Nestlé Professional; NEWCHEF Fashions; Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats; Pearson Prentice Hall; Queensgate Foodservice; RC Fine Foods; Reinhart Foodservice; R.L. Schreiber, Inc., Rubbermaid Commercial Products; Snake River Farms; Splenda®; SYSCO Food Services of Cincinnati; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Foodsolutions; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With 20,000 members spanning more than 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and also holds the presidium for the World Association of Chefs Societies, the largest international network of chef associations with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.

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Photos can be obtained by contacting Patricia Carroll at pcarroll@acfchefs.net or by calling (800) 624-9458, ext. 147.

Contact: Patricia Carroll
Communications Director
(800) 624-9458, ext. 147
pcarroll@acfchefs.net

• Five Culinary Programs Recognized as Exemplary at 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference