Sodexo at Scottish Government awarded silver Food for Life mark
Foodservice firm Sodexo has been awarded the Soil Association's silver Food for Life mark for its contract at the Scottish Government.
It is the first workplace foodservice provider in Scotland and the third workplace food provider in the UK as a whole â€' to be given the accolade.
The Food for Life Catering Mark is a UK-wide scheme championing public and private sector caterers who serve high animal-welfare, fresh, additive-free food.
The silver award recognises that at least 5% of the company's purchases are organic, that 75% of the menu's dishes are freshly prepared.
All meat must be traceable back to farms and satisfy UK welfare standards, while all eggs should be from cage-free hens. No endangered fish can be served, and no meals may contain undesirable additives, hydrogenated fats or GM ingredients.
The three Government sites also source as much produce as possible from within Scotland, including fresh meat, dairy and bakery goods.
Derek Mackintosh, head of facilities services at the Scottish Government congratulated Sodexo. He said: "It is a considerable achievement to be the first workplace restaurants in Scotland to receive this award…and one we take pride in. We are committed to continuing to improve the offering to our staff in terms of fresh, sustainable and healthy food."
Graham Box, managing director for Sodexo in Scotland called the award a "fantastic achievement".
Sodexo at the Scottish Government also has a Healthy Living plus award, recognising its eco-friendly, healthy and sustainable practices, such as using biodegradable packaging, composting food and reducing landfill waste to zero.
Sodexo is one of the UK's largest foodservice firms, and has partnered the Scottish Government for over 12 years. It also provides catering for varied sites such as Wellington College, Ascot Racecourse, Santander Bank, and University College London.
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