How sustainable is your food supply?
Sustainable food procurement is becoming more important to companies when choosing a caterer. But why is this and just what does a sustainable food supply chain entail?Many companies have their own CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policies that any contractors have to be in line with. In particular, Olympic tendering organisations have food sustainability high on their agenda.Many caterers believe that serving sustainable food will cost more money but this does not have to be the case. Working with CESHI (Centre of Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry) Safer Food Scores can examine your food supply chain and ensure that as well as being safe it is also sustainable. SUSTAIN (the Alliance for Better Food and Farming) has seven principles of sustainable food. They believe people and businesses should:1. Use local, seasonally available ingredients as standard, to minimise energy used in food production, transport and storage.2. Specify food from farming systems that minimise harm to the environment, such as certified organic produce.3. Limit foods of animal origin (meat, dairy, products and eggs) served, as livestock farming is one of the most significant contributors to climate change, and promote meals rich in fruit, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts. Ensure that meat, dairy products and eggs are produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards. 4. Exclude fish species identified as most ‘at risk’ by the Marine Conservation Society and choose fish only from sustainable sources – such as those accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council.5. Choose Fairtrade-certified products for food and drinks imported by the Marine Stewardship Council.6. Avoid bottled water and instead serve plain or filtered tap water in reusable jugs or bottles, to minimise transport and packaging waste.7. Promote health and well-being by cooking with generous portions of vegetables , fruit and starchy staples like whole grains, cutting down on salt, fats and oils, and cutting out artificial additives.Please get in touch if you are interested in our supply chain audits or for general advice.
Any guidance given in our articles is not official and Safer Food Scores can take no responsibility if the information is used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. However, please do get in touch if you are interested in our support services and would like to benefit from official guidance relating to your particular circumstances, email [javascript protected email address]
