More catering companies commit to healthier food
Wednesday 30 July 2008
More of the UK's workplace caterers have made commitments to provide healthier food, lower in salt, saturated fat and sugar. These agreements, which add to undertakings made by some of the biggest contract caterers and suppliers earlier this year, will result in a positive impact on more than one and a half million meals served in workplaces every day.
Food eaten in the workplace increasingly makes up an important part of our daily diet. The Agency is therefore working with a range of catering companies to improve the nutritional content of food eaten out of the home and to encourage companies to provide clear and easy to understand nutritional information.
The Agency has, with the help of the British Hospitality Association, received commitments from: Accent Catering, Artizian, Autograph, Charlton House, ISS Eaton and ISS Mediclean. These companies will make changes in line with the Agency’s existing framework, which include activities around procurement, menu planning, kitchen practice and customer information.
Some of the commitments include:
- switching to rapeseed oil, which is lower in saturated fat
- grilling or steaming foods instead of frying
- buying low-fat meat and low-salt products
- using skimmed milk in desserts and sauces
- offering wholegrain breads and pastas
- training chefs and involving nutritionists in menu planning
- using logos and nutritional information to help customers choose healthier options
These developments will result in healthier food and more information for a further 160,000 meals served, by these six companies, in the workplace every day. This means a total of 1.6 million healthier meals. These are positive steps in the right direction and the Agency welcomes the work that is being carried out.
Major employers give tips on delivering healthier food
The Agency has also published case studies from seven major UK employers, detailing the successes and challenges they have faced in delivering healthier food for their staff.
Asda, Pepsico, Nestlé, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco and Unilever have outlined the processes they undertook to provide healthier food. These companies worked closely with their catering providers, occupational health, and most importantly, with their staff to find out what they would like.
The case studies include practical tips and likely challenges, which will help other businesses looking to implement healthier choices in their own workplaces. The case studies demonstrate that there is not one right approach, and show the value of making gradual changes tailored to the company in question. The Agency is keen to share this learning with other businesses that may be thinking about managing a similar change for their staff.
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