Margaret Henry, director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility performance for food service giant Sodexo told The Salt after her talk at the National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. last week that certifications advertising farmers' and food companies' virtuous commitments to fix the environment or promote health are too numerous to keep up with and often not consistent, and hence, a solution is needed, according to National Public Radio. For the full story, click here.
Editor’s Insight: Did you know there are 365 different certifications that foodservice companies can get regarding sustainability, public health and corporate responsibility?
These certifications have become an industry unto itself, which doesn’t necessarily serve the public interest if the certifications don’t have consistent standards.
This Sodexo official, Margaret Henry, notes that government standards are helpful in some areas, but don’t cover all areas.
Henry raises an important issue for the foodservice industry. Foodservice companies that want to support the public interest should be able to do it in an effective and cost efficient way. More government involvement may or may not be the best solution.
The National Automatic Merchandising Association hosted an excellent session on this topic during last year’s CoffeeTea&Water Show in Las Vegas, led by Wendell Simonson, director of marketing at Boulder, Colo.-based Eco Products Inc. To read a report on this session, click here. By Elliot Maras
