Aramark to launch new health and wellbeing plan

Foodservice company Aramark is to launch a new health and wellbeing plan in a bid to help its clients lead healthier lifestyles and meet demand for healthier eating options.

The Healthy for Life programme will aim to be "a comprehensive employee health and wellbeing service" across all Aramark accounts, and the company has outlined ten commitments showing how it aims to help clients lead healthier lifestyles.

The main points include offering daily healthier choices, including calorie-conscious options, and those cooked in healthier ways such as steaming, grilling and baking; trimming all meat of excess fat; using margarine instead of butter and 1% fat milk, and reducing salt levels.

It has also signed up to the government's Public Health Responsibility Deal, a pledge taken by restaurants and other food providers in association with the Department of Health, to make food healthier, including through the reduction of salt and saturated fat.

Candice West has been appointed as new health and wellbeing manager to help spearhead the programme, which the firm said was inspired by client demands.

She said: “Research among Aramark operators shows that over 80% of our clients are keen to have more health and wellbeing products and services for their employees.”

One of the UK’s largest foodservice firms, Aramark delivers food and service management to businesses and retail outlets across the country, including the healthcare, education, defence and offshore oil sectors.

Its global arm recently listed an IPO of over £700m, while in the UK it won millions of pounds of new contracts in 2013, including a £4m deal with the University of Bedfordshire and a £1.2m contract extension at the Old Bailey.

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