The ISS Facility Services Healthcare catering service at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has achieved the Soil Association’s Food for Life Bronze Standard Award – the first time a contract caterer has achieved this important accreditation in the NHS – and is now looking to progress to the Silver standard.
The ‘Food for Life Catering Mark’ is an independent endorsement that a caterer is taking steps to improve their food, using fresh ingredients, free from harmful additives, and better for animal welfare. To achieve the Standard, the Trust demonstrated the use of seasonal menus, with 75% of dishes freshly prepared. Meals incorporate non-GM ingredients, including meat from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards. Alongside stringent food standards, comprehensive training is provided for all catering staff.
Rob Sexton, chief executive of Soil Association Certification, said: “The new Hospital Food CQUIN (Commission for Quality & Innovation) provides the opportunity for hospitals to take steps towards serving better food. I hope other NHS Trusts and their caterers follow ISS’s and Rotherham’s lead – into a new future for hospital food which delivers multiple benefits for patients, staff, and visitors.”
