MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend is like a Super Bowl-level event in Miami, especially when it comes to food.
VIPs will flock to the paddock as luxurious hospitality packages are prepared and award-winning chefs will be cooking over the weekend to bring a taste of South Florida to F1. Over the years, the Williams sisters, David Beckham, Ed Sheeran, Michael Jordan, Paris Hilton and more have walked the Hard Rock Stadium campus. Approximately 242,000 people attended the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, but his team of restaurant chefs who run the event know what to expect when preparing meals across campus. did not.
Thousands of pounds of food are made over the three-day weekend, from simple ingredients like common produce to filet mignon. By the end of the weekend in 2022, there will be approximately 90,000 pounds of food left, the equivalent of approximately 75,000 meals, a significant amount of food that will need to be rescued.
Food insecurity is on the rise in the United States, particularly in South Florida. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion defines the term as “a household-level economic and social condition in which access to adequate food is limited or uncertain.” Nonprofit organization Feeding South Florida reveals that more than 1.2 million people across Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties will face food insecurity in Thanksgiving 2023 did.
Enter Food Rescue US. Intermediary and solves the F1 food surplus situation in Miami. This nonprofit organization has volunteers who pick up viable leftover food (such as food not used for buffets) and deliver the surplus to local agencies such as homeless shelters and food pantries. But if the food isn't rescued, it's likely to end up in a landfill. The South Florida office has worked with Hard Rock Stadium for several years to deliver surplus food from college and professional football games to local organizations.
When F1 came to town, it was only natural that Food Rescue US – South Florida Chapter would team up with Hard Rock Stadium once again.
“I remember them calling me and saying, 'Ellen, we just got F1,'” site director Ellen Bowen said. “'Think of it as the Super Bowl times three.'”
How to use
Food rescue missions will not begin until after the Grand Prix weekend.
The first year of the race, volunteers spent three days collecting and delivering surplus food. Surplus food, she says, is food that can be sold or given away but doesn't leave the kitchen. In 2022, they ranged from pulled pork to vegetables and pastries. “It was phenomenal,” Bowen said. “A total of about 125 volunteers basically worked four-hour shifts and it took him three days to do this.”
It is impossible to save 100% on extra food. For example, media catering is buffet style. But rescuing the 90,000 pounds in the first year will require a huge effort, not only to provide meals but also to keep food out of landfills.
“Landfill space is in short supply in Miami and Broward County. The incinerator we were using burned down last year. So we, as an organization and as a county, are looking at ways to actually reduce waste. I think we're seriously trying to find out,” Bowen added. “The organizations we provide food to are community-based organizations that serve underserved communities, whether it be homeless shelters or through churches and community centers, and we is putting food in the community's refrigerators. So all this food we've rescued will help people who have never had filet mignon before or, without a doubt, this delicious, healthy and nutritious food. The food will go to the people who really need it.”
In the second year, volunteer participation decreased as the existing kitchen staff hired more employees to help store food, leaving Food Rescue US – South Florida to coordinate transportation. After one Grand Prix weekend, the kitchen staff knew what was coming, and although the food surplus was reduced, it was “comparable to the Super Bowl in terms of quantity.”
Bowen estimates they received 60,000 pounds of food in the second year, which is the equivalent of 50,000 meals. In 2024, that number totaled 65,000 pounds and approximately 55,000 servings. (Miami GP managing partner Tom Garfinkel estimates his 2024 race last weekend drew 275,000 fans.) According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, meals weigh It's about 1.2 pounds, so divide the weight of the meal by 1.2 to get an estimate. The number of meals. Food Rescue US – In addition to South Florida, Miami GP has worked with Flipany for the past two years.
For many years, the process has been essentially the same (although this year it was one day shorter). The first day includes cooked food, leftover cooked food, salads and produce, and the second day includes unused items such as plates and cups, and condiments. And the third day is bread. This operation in 2024 took him to six different shelters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in just two days using seven trucks. “If you have a huge can of tomatoes that you didn't use, like a ton of tomato sauce, we'll take that, too, because if you think about it, what happens if the grand prize goes away? That site shuts down,” Bowen said. 'And you don't want to store anything that might expire. ”
Food Rescue US – South Florida does the same thing during football season, including when the Dolphins don’t have a home game for two weeks. Mr Bowen said: Can you freeze it and then use it? Or is it something they just keep holding onto that they don’t really expect to use in the near future?”
dietary requirements
Nor can all the food on campus be rescued.
Bowen said Food Rescue US will not accept hot food. Due to the need for refrigeration and cooling, F1 activity does not begin until the Monday after the race weekend. Additionally, food must be stored in a sealed container and labeled with the food name and packaging date.
However, the organization and its chefs also adhere to other guidelines such as ServSafe (which provides alcohol and food safety training) and the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The federal law essentially “allows us to not be liable for food that is donated in good faith,” Bowen said.
As for who will receive the surplus food first, Bowen said, “We're going to support the homeless shelters first because they have the capacity to store and freeze trays and trays of food.” Ta. She primarily works out of her four large shelters, all of which can reheat food and safely handle large amounts of food.
Leftover food is divided into smaller pantries, which typically don't have full kitchens or the ability to reheat food like those found in homeless shelters. They often receive agricultural products and non-perishable foods because they are “long-lasting and can be distributed as food products.”
Look at the big picture
Food insecurity remains a global issue, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Affordable housing is limited in Florida, and gas and food prices continue to rise, Bowen said.
“I think the people who identify as food insecure now are probably the same people who didn’t identify as food insecure before coronavirus,” she added. “The statistics are staggering: 40 percent of all food is wasted. But in Florida, 1 in 10 people report going to bed hungry, and 1 in 5 of those are children. I know, I mean, we don't do a very good job of feeding our own people, but part of that is feeding them nutritious food. ”
Therefore, Food Rescue US – South Florida focuses on delivering surplus food to underserved communities, especially food deserts. Healthy, affordable food is lacking or has limited availability in these areas. “They shop at local corner stores. They don't have a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods in their backyard. They don't have a low-cost supermarket or warehouse to shop at,” Bowen said. But many of those receiving aid have to spend that money.”
Areas of Miami classified as food deserts include Little Haiti, Little Havana, Liberty City, Overtown, and Miami Gardens, home of Hard Rock Stadium and host of the Grand Prix.
Surplus food relief not only helps feed underserved communities; It also helps reduce the amount of food waste ending up in landfills, ultimately dampening the long-term effects of climate change.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that food waste significantly contributes to climate change. In a recent report quantifying methane emissions in U.S. landfills, researchers found that “an estimated 58 percent of fugitive methane emissions (those released into the atmosphere) from municipal solid waste landfills It was discovered that the food waste was from landfilled food waste. When organic waste (including food waste) decomposes, it turns into methane, which NASA has identified as a “potent greenhouse gas” and “the second largest cause of climate warming after carbon dioxide (CO2).” It is said that Methane also comes from other sources, such as fossil fuels and agriculture, but evidence from the EPA study suggests that diverting food from landfills can reduce its climate impact.
F1 continues to insist that sustainability is a top priority for the sport and aims to be net-zero carbon by 2030. Last month, F1 published its Impact Report, reporting that it had reduced its carbon emissions by 13 per cent between 2018 and 2022. Charity activities are common at most F1 circuits, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where rescued surplus food is donated to help local communities.
“Anything we can do and anyone can do,” Bowen said. “By keeping food out of landfills, we could actually help reverse climate change.”
Top photo: Ellen Bowen/Food Rescue South Florida, USA