A presentation from Soil Association at the Department of Health Improving Hospital Food event about Food For Life Catering scheme.

1. Food for Life Catering Mark
Good food you can trust
“We recommend Government draw on pioneering work
such as the Food for Life scheme.”
Professor Tim Lang, Sustainable Development Commission, 2011

2. Horsemeat: the lessons

3. 2007: Cornwall Food Programme
“I hope the lessons of this
remarkable and innovative
project will soon come to
influence the quality of food
in every hospital in the land.”
HRH the Prince of Wales

4. 2009:Catering Mark launch

5. 2010: Hospital food best practice
• Barnsley
• Bedford
• Darlington
• Gloucestershire
• North Bristol
• Nottingham
• Royal Brompton
• Royal Marsden
• Royal Cornwall
• St Andrew’s
• Sussex Partnership

7. Operation Hospital Food – BBC 2 primetime

8. Food for Life Catering Mark
“to normalise good quality, healthy food
wherever people eat regularly outside the home”
• Independent accreditation
• Backed by inspection
• Public & private sector catering
• Step-by-step

9. Catering Mark impact to date
• 730,000 meals a day
• 130 million meals a year
• 30% at Silver & Gold
• Early years
• Schools
• Universities
• Hospitals
• Workplaces
• Restaurants
• Visitor attractions

10. Governance
• Independent Standards Committee
• Chair: Rebecca Speight, National Trust
• 10 caterers: range of sectors & scales
• 6 stakeholders/opinion leaders, including:
– Dr Helen Crawley, CWT/First Steps Nutrition

11. • Meat traceable to the farm (Red Tractor)
• No trans fats
• No harmful additives
• 75% dishes from unprocessed ingredients ,
prepared on-site or in local CPUs.
• Free drinking water prominently available
• Seasonal menus
• Free range eggs
• No endangered fish – ‘fish to avoid’
• Skills & communications training for catering staff
• Demonstrate how you meet national nutrition guidelines for
your sector (if applicable)
Bronze standards

12. Continuous improvement in 3 categories:
– Making healthy eating easy
– Ethical and environmentally-friendly food
– Championing local producers
Silver and gold standards

13. Making healthy eating easy
Points are awarded for the following:
• Steps to minimise salt
• Action to support patients to eat well
• Action to cut plate waste
• Steps to serve meat in moderation
• Healthy vending
• >50% bread is wholemeal or granary
• Fruit cheaper than dessert (where sold)

14. Ethical and environmentally-friendly food
Points are awarded for:
• Organic
• Free range
• Freedom Food
• Fairtrade
• LEAF
• MSC

15. Championing local producers
Points are awarded for:
• Serving food produced in your
region or adjacent county
• Serving primary commodity
(raw ingredient) food items
produced in the UK, above the
national average of 59%

16. Local economic benefits
• New economics foundation research:
>£3 return for every £1 invested in Food for
Life menus (£6 return in East Ayrshire).
• Most value from local economic opportunities
for producers around supplying local, seasonal
food, and resulting employment.
“We’re returning £60,000 back in to the local economy now
by using local suppliers and food products.”
Bill Campbell, Shire Services, Shropshire

17. For wholesalers, producers & distributors of food
for the catering industry
• Launched 2012
• 80 suppliers signed up so far
www.sacert.org/catering/supplierscheme
Assured Suppliers Scheme

18. Hospital Food Leaders Network
• Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
• Braintree Community Hospital
• Darlington Memorial Hospital
• Devon Partnership NHS Trust
• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation
• Hinchingbrooke Hospital
• NHS Lothian
• North Bristol NHS Trust
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Royal Brompton Hospital
• Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• St Andrews Healthcare Trust
• St Joseph’s Hospital
• Scarborough and NE Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust
• South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

20. For more information
• Email catering@foodforlife.org.uk
• Call Mike, Suzie or Michael
0117 914 2406
www.soilassociation.org/cateringmark