Food Service

Food Service comprises many aspects of operations – of course purchasing, preparation, and serving food is the department’s core mission, but it also deals with waste management, purchase of food serviceware, appliances, and other supplies, as well as cleaning and pest control operations. Therefore, food service has many opportunities to improve environmental performance and reduce the environmental and health impacts of purchasing choices.

Given the link between poor nutrition and chronic illness, many health care food service professionals are moving away from highly processed foods and taking steps to provide fresh, healthy foods that enhance health and well-being of patients, staff, and visitors, and also reduce the environmental impacts of food production by sourcing sustainably produced food that are locally grown, raised without the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics, allow for humane animal husbandry, and fair prices to producers.

When it comes to service ware, consider reusable plates, cups, and silverware if your facility has the capacity to wash and store reusables. If using disposable products, consider those that incorporate recycled content or biobased materials that can be composted. Specifications for all paper goods used for food service – napkins, paper towels, menus, tray liners – should require recycled content, with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content and preference for 100%, and prefer paper products that are PCF (processed chlorine free). Contract for least toxic pest control and environmentally preferable cleaning. For more specific resources on these and related topics see Practice Greenhealth’s Food Service Environmental Resource Guide below.

General Information

• Health Care Without Harm – Food

• Health Care Without Harm – Choosing Environmentally Preferable Food Serviceware

• IATP Healthy Food, Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Communities report

• Itasca Medical Center Case Study – waste reduction opportunities through reusables, including food service

• Practice Greenhealth Draft Food Service Environmental Guidance Sheet – includes EPP suggestions

• Practice Greenhealth Waste Oil Recycling resources – overview and recycler contacts

Model Specifications

• GSA National Capitol Region Food Service Contract – Recycling, Healthy Foods, Energy Efficiency

• Health Care Without Harm Purchasing Guide to Sourcing Dairy Products Produced without rBGH

• San Antonio Healthy Vending Guidelines

Certification/Labeling

• Sustainable food

• Food Alliance certification – the Food Alliance certifies farmers and ranchers who adopt a wide range of sustainable and humane production methods

• USDA Organic Certification – certifies foods raised or manufactured without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, genetically modified organisms, or sewage sludge.

• Transfair Fair Trade Certification

• Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International – a global consortium of Fair Trade certifiers

• Food Service Equipment

• Energy Star standards and products