Project updates 2011

Winter 2011

The London 2012 Olympic Games caterers have adopted sustainable food procurement standards and aspire to healthier catering, with specific commitments set out in the London 2012 Food Vision (published autumn 2009). The certification bodies will be working with the catering companies in the first quarter of 2012 on verifying the sustainability credentials of food supplies for the 13 million meals. London 2012 is also exploring an option to include an information box on London 2012 menus to highlight certified food and assurance logos.

The Food Legacy programme, inspired by the London 2012 Food Vision, will:

• Promote widespread uptake of the London 2012 Food Vision standards by the caterers, venues, events organisers, restaurants, hospitality and institutions with a Food Legacy pledge.
• Promote an online free-to-use Food Finder to enable organisations to find suppliers of food and catering services that meet Food Vision criteria.
• An important principle of the Food Legacy programme is to enhance the work of existing sustainable catering programmes and sustainable food groups. A sustainable food legacy from London 2012 will include a thriving future for these important tried-and-tested approaches. In addition, Food Legacy will also seek to develop or enhance areas of work not covered by existing schemes.

The project has already:

• Included Food Legacy in the Good Food for London mapping report
• Distributed project information through the Associate Food and Parliamentary Health Forum newsletter and Foodservice Footprint magazine
• Worked as a member of the new Food for Life Catering Mark standards board to ensure that endangered fish will now be excluded from the catering of award holders at Bronze award level, and nutrition standards will apply for award-holding caterers in care settings
• Approached a range of institutions, tourist attractions, sports venues and events organisers to seek support for sustainable food policies
• Collaborated with Fairtrade London on plans for a trade event in spring 2012, and with Sustainable Fish City on a Sustainable Fish Summit in January 2012
• Approached the organisers of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games about them adopting healthy and sustainable food standards.