Displaying the carbon footprint of recipes in restaurants for greater transparency
Prompted by the Grenelle de l'Environnement (Grenelle Environment round table), public authorities have launched a series of environmental labeling trials with a view to changing consumer habits. Although the nutritional labeling of industrial products is highly developed, there are still no regulations regarding the direct and systematic display of the environmental impact of meals served in restaurants. Anticipating this trend, Ansamble, which is Elior's brand in France and the Group's spearhead entity with regard to environmental issues, already displays carbon impact labels in its corporate restaurants.
Measuring the carbon footprint of meals
To assign a carbon footprint to all of its recipes, Ansamble worked with Eco2initiative, an environmental transition consultancy and research firm , and drew on ADEME, Base Carbone® and FoodGES® standards as well as on the Agribalyse® database.
Measuring the carbon footprint of the ingredients is carried out according to the following criteria:
- Seasonality criteria
- The production method (organic, labels, etc.)
- The conservation method
- The average distance involved in sourcing supplies
These emission factors are then aggregated in proportion to the recipe so as to obtain the carbon impact of a dish, expressed as a multiple of 100g in carbon equivalent. The carbon impact of all restaurant meals can be indicated in a simple, readable and understandable way, by using a 5 color-coded chart ranking system.
Help guests to make their food choices by providing them access to transparent information
Since 2019, Elior has been deploying the Nutri-Score labelling system for menus served in its restaurants in order to provide its guests with transparent nutritional information. Integrating the environmental impact assessment and making this information readable for all is a structuring and engaging approach in favor of the environment and offers guests transparency. Indeed, displaying the carbon impact, the Nutri-Score and information on food labels as well as the origin of products helps guide consumers in making their food choices by giving them all the information they need to make an informed decision.
Ansamble’s goal is to deploy carbon signage in more than 150 corporate restaurants by December, which is a way to involve Ansamble teams and guests in the food transition.
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