Workplace caterers commit to healthier food

Thursday 17 January 2008

The Agency has published the first stages of its activity with workplace caterers to give people across the UK improved access to healthier meals while they are at work.

Although people prepare and eat the majority of their meals at home, food eaten in the workplace does increasingly make up an important part of our daily diet. About three million meals are eaten at work every day, two million of which are prepared by contract caterers. It is important that people are given the opportunity to choose food that is lower in salt, fat and sugar, enabling them to take positive steps towards a healthier, balanced diet.

Over the past year, the Agency has been working in partnership with major caterers, ARAMARK, BaxterStorey, Compass Group, Elior and Sodexho, along with the two biggest food product suppliers to the catering sector, 3663 and Brakes, to help them develop individual commitments to provide healthier food for their customers at work.

The voluntary commitments made by these businesses have focused on the types of products and ingredients businesses buy, how dishes are prepared in the kitchen, the menu choices available and nutritional information provided to customers in work canteens.

Rosemary Hignett, Head of Nutrition at the Food Standards Agency, said: 'Though we know people prepare and eat the majority of their meals at home, food eaten in the workplace does increasingly make up an important part of our daily diet.

'We strongly welcome the commitments these businesses have made, which will enable people to make sensible choices about their diet, no matter where they eat. We’d like to see more businesses do the same and intend to develop this work further.'

The Agency intends to work with the full range of catering businesses to contribute to this programme, in a way that fits the style of their business and meets the needs of customers. The businesses involved will report back to the Agency on their progress on a six-monthly basis, allowing the Agency to monitor the progress of this work. Further details of this activity will be published throughout 2008.