At a time when the institutional catering sector is changing dramatically, the incorporation of responsible practices is becoming an essential point of leverage for making tenders stand out from the crowd. CSR (corporate social responsibility) criteria are gaining in importance, reflecting a shift in the expectations of consumers and all kinds of organisations. Responsible sourcing, sustainable menus and social engagement are the three pillars that are redefining standards in Europe’s institutional catering industry. Although these aspects do not constitute the crux of tender processes today (economic criteria remain the dominant factor in awarding a contract), they are being taken into ever greater consideration, whether explicitly stated in the specifications or as ways for tenderers to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Responsible sourcing: A strategic lever
Sourcing supplies from engaged local producers has become a major expectation among consumers. For example, a study by ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition) notes that 62% of French people say they have changed their consumer habits to reduce their environmental footprints. In Canada, nearly 38% of consumers often or always consider the environmental impact of their food choices. As for the United States, 20% of consumers have made the choice not to purchase products from food companies that are not taking steps to shrink their environmental impacts.
In this global context, this change is pushing institutional caterers in particular to diversify their sources. As a result, eggs – which can be found in a very large number of dishes and menus – benefit from criteria like enhanced traceability and shorter distances travelled by raw materials, even in international logistics chains.
Further, adding standards like free-range or organic farming not only guarantees product quality, but it also responds to growing requirements in terms of animal welfare. Although they are costly, these kinds of initiatives can serve as differentiating arguments in a tender.
Sustainable menus and reduced waste
With 59 million tonnes of food waste generated each year in the European Union, the fight against waste is a real priority. Multiple concrete measures can be taken in this direction by institutional catering, which is profoundly involved in this challenge. This includes optimising orders by means of forecasting tools, which can reduce surpluses while minimising financial losses. Those tools, which are based on historical data analyses and consumer trends, can accurately predict the necessary quantities as a function of menus, planned events and dining habits. AI-powered software can also be used to automatically adjust orders according to expected patronage and the rate of consumption of different dishes. This type of innovation, which can be found in tools like Melba and Inpulse, lowers food surpluses and reduces the costs associated with storage and waste.
In addition, the recovery of biowaste is becoming a key solution for giving leftover food a second lease of life. Many European countries are encouraging institutional catering establishments to invest in equipment like composters and methanisation units. Those devices transform organic waste into biogas, a renewable energy that can be used to power vehicles and heating systems. In Sweden for example, school canteens work with local treatment centres to convert their food waste into biogas, a process that helps them reduce their carbon footprints.
These initiatives are not limited to large organisations. Even medium-sized establishments can partner with companies that specialise in the collection and treatment of biowaste in order to take advantage of those practices without having to make a major investment. Aside from reducing the costs associated with traditional waste disposal, these approaches also make it possible to meet the sustainability expectations of clients and municipal structures.
Social engagement and logistics optimisation
Social engagement is a key component for entrenching CSR practices in institutional catering. It is essential to train catering teams on the importance of sustainability strategies and empower them to take action. These initiatives will increase their involvement and their motivation, while encouraging a better implementation of responsible practices.
Transparency is crucial, too. Working with suppliers that can guarantee an ethical, traceable supply chain is becoming an important criterion in tender processes. In France, the EGAlim Law is increasing the obligation for institutional catering establishments to provide information to consumers. It requires the posting of information about the provenance and quality of the products used in meals. This includes posting about special product origins and quality, including organically farmed products, so that diners can make informed food choices.
In Belgium, Vegaplan is a certification system that guarantees the quality of plant-based products and of services provided in the agricultural sector. In this way, Vegaplan plays a vital role in ensuring the quality of Belgian primary production, and facilitates certified farmers’ access to national and international markets.
Other European initiatives include Italy’s Foodinsider, an NGO that has instituted annual assessments of the quality and sustainability of the menus served at Italian school canteens. Like a sort of TripAdvisor for institutional catering, that platform feeds into a national discussion on food sustainability and enables the comparison of different institutional catering models.
There is also the case of Sweden, where the town of Södertälje has been working for over a decade on the sustainability of its institutional catering. Its efforts have reduced meat consumption by 30% and food waste by 40% at government-run canteens.
Lastly, the optimisation of logistics chains has a central role to play. By centralising orders or collaborating with partners to pool deliveries, costs can be cut while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This strategy is employed in particular in Nordic countries, where sharing logistics between multiple establishments has become the norm.
Launching sustainable, social initiatives is a winning strategy for institutional caterers. These approaches not only allow those actors to satisfy consumer expectations and tender requirements, but they also have a positive impact on the environment and on local communities. By gradually incorporating these practices, companies submitting tenders can bolster their competitiveness while taking part in a process of collective responsibility. The key lies in maintaining a balance between ambition and pragmatism: investing in a sustainable future without losing sight of economic realities.
