The Food for Life Catering Mark is a scheme that promotes healthy and sustainable food in schools, businesses and communities. It sets standards for fresh, seasonal ingredients and ethical practices. Caterers who meet the Bronze, Silver or Gold standards receive the Catering Mark endorsement. Research shows menus that meet the standards lead to health benefits like increased vegetable consumption and reduced obesity rates. They also have environmental benefits from supporting local economies and reducing food miles. Over 600,000 meals per day in the UK now meet the Catering Mark standards.

1. Food for Life Catering Mark
Fresh 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. From the Food for Life Partnership

5. The Food for Life Catering Mark
• Promotes healthy eating & environmentally friendly menus
• UK’s fastest growing best practice scheme
• Nearly 600,000 meals per day, over 110 million meals each
year
• Over 20% of all schools meals meet the Catering Mark
standards
• Over 75% of all London Boroughs covered by the Catering
Mark
• Over 100 pioneer business directly involved as members

6. For all food providers
Unique independent endorsement
that what’s on the menu is:
•Freshly prepared
•Seasonal
•Free from controversial additives
•Better for animal welfare

7. You’ll be in good company

8. • No undesirable additives or trans fats
• 75% freshly prepared
• Meat farmed to UK welfare standards
• Eggs from cage-free hens
• Seasonal menus
• Training for all catering staff
• No GM ingredients
• Free drinking water prominently available
• No endangered fish
• Information on display about how and where food is
produced
• Demonstrate how you meet Government nutrition guidelines
for your sector (if applicable)
Bronze standards

9. • Meet bronze, plus achieve points thresholds for
ingredients in three categories:
– Making healthy eating easy
– Ethical and environmentally-friendly food
– Championing local producers
• Points awarded for every percentage of total
ingredient spend
Silver and gold standards

10. Making healthy eating easy (for menu-
cycle based services)
Points are awarded for the following:
• Meat-free day or equivalent
• Steps to serve meat in moderation
• Steps to minimise salt
• Actions to cut plate waste/support eating well
• Actions to promote meal take-up
• Monitoring against food & nutrient-based
standards
• Healthy vending
• >50% bread is wholemeal or granary
• Fruit cheaper than dessert (where sold)

11. Making healthy eating easy (for
restaurants/cafés/take-aways/events catering)
Points are awarded for the following:
• Actions to cut plate waste
• Steps to serve meat in moderation
• 25% or more meat-based meals replaced by plant-based
options
• Main meals accompanied by vegetables or salad
• Special offers, dish of the day and meal deals include at
least one portion of vegetables or salad
• >50% bread is wholemeal or granary
• Steps to minimise salt
• Healthy vending
• Fruit, not confectionery, cakes, biscuits or savoury snacks
at till points
• Fruit cheaper than dessert

12. Ethical and environmentally-friendly food
Points are awarded for the following:
• Organic
• Free range
• MCS ‘fish to eat’
• Freedom Food
• Fairtrade
• LEAF

13. Championing local producers
Points are awarded for the
following:
• 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%

14. • Good for local economy, British farming and
sustainability
– for every £1 invested in Food for Life menus, there is a return of
over £3 in value to the local economy and society.
5
• Good for public health
– 5-a-day increase at school and at home6
– Recognised as a programme that can successfully tackle obesity
• Good for education
– Positive impact on pupil behaviour, attention, and attainment
7
• Good for tackling inequalities
– Boost to healthy meal take-up by disadvantaged pupils
8
– free school meal take-up increased
9
The Food for Life Catering Mark is:Food for Life is

15. • Proven to support a healthy balanced diet - East
Ayrshire children went from second most obese to
second slimmest Scottish borough in 2 years
1
• Removal of all undesirable additives and trans
fats
• Promotes the use of high quality fresh, local and
organic ingredients
• Reduction in salt levels and amount of meat
served – both shown to have significant health
benefits
Health benefits

16. Health benefits
Independent evaluation of schools eating Food for
Life Catering Mark menus:
•Number of children eating 5-a-day increased by
28%2
•45% of parents said family eats more vegetables3
•43% of parents buying healthier & more
sustainable food4

17. Sustainability
• Food = 18 % of an individual’s CO2 footprint
• Catering Mark offers a comprehensive
package: fresh, seasonal, local, organic,
lower-meat menus.
• Cooking from fresh enables you to use
seasonal and local food.
• Seasonal menus cut out food miles &
energy-intensive heated greenhouses,
refrigeration and air-freighting.

18. Climate change
• Local & seasonal: Food Climate Research
Network states lowest climate impact is from UK-
grown, seasonal fruit and veg.
5
• Organic: UN FAO says “There is scientific
evidence that organic farming sequesters more
carbon.”
6
• Less meat, local meat - Manchester University
found Gold menu had:
– 47% lower climate impact where local beef
replaced Brazilian
– Up to 25% less where 1 meat-free day each week.

19. Marketing benefits
• Independent endorsement – CSR, integrity
• Marketing and communications pack for PR value
• Feature on our consumer website
• Public recognition for all your great work
• Reassurance for your customers
• Use of the Catering Mark on menus
• Gives you a competitive edge

20. Social return on investment
• NEF: for every £1 invested in Food for Life
menus, there is a return of over £3 in value
to the local economy and society.7
• Most of this value lies in local economic
opportunities around supplying local,
seasonal food, and resulting employment.
• Serving Catering Mark-accredited menus can
help achieve Corporate Social Resposibility
targets.

21. Consumer media coverage

22. Supported by policy work

23. • The award recognises "unsung heroes, whose work has increased
our access to, and knowledge and appreciation of, good food".
• "the most important food project in Europe”. She
commented: "For years, for decades, we've been looking for this
golden way of changing attitudes to food. The Food for Life
Partnership has changed things. You've seen the evidence, it's
remarkable. It seems to me that if we lost what the Food for
Life Partnership has achieved it would not only be a disaster
for the schools and the children, it would be a disaster for the
entire British Society".
Sheila Dillon, Food Programme, Radio 4 (24 July)
Food for Life Partnership wins prestigious BBC Radio 4,
Derek Cooper Award

24. “Being part of the Food for Life
Partnership is the best initiative that we
as a school have undertaken in the last
10 years.
It isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about
hands on experiences for the children
which will stay with them for life. It
gives the children skills which have
disappeared over the last generation
and prepares them for their future.”
Penny Wetton, Headteacher, Helpringham
Primary, Lincolnshire (Silver Award)

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

26. References
1 Scotland food and drink report East Ayrshire Council’s findings:
http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/news/article-info/1493/healthy-school-meals-
help-trim-the-fat-in-east-ayrshire.aspx
2
University of the West of England and Cardiff University, Food for Life Partnership
Evaluation, Orme J et al 2011, p.141
3
University of the West of England and Cardiff University, Food for Life Partnership
Evaluation, Orme J et al, 2011, p.141 (completed by 740 parents)
4
University of the West of England and Cardiff University, Food for Life Partnership
Evaluation, Orme J et al, 2011, p.141 (completed by 740 parents)
5
Fruit and Vegetables & UK Greenhouse Gas emissions: exploring the relationship,
Working paper produced as part of the work of the Food Climate Research Network,
Garnett, Tara, 2006, p.7
6
Organic Agriculkture and Carbon sequestration. Possibilities and constraints for the
consideration of organic agriculture within carbon accounting systems, Muller-
Lindenlauf, Maria, p.9
7
The Benefits of Procuring School Meals through the Food for Life Partnership. London:
new economics foundation, Kersley, H.,Aleksi K, 2011, p.2