A healthy food and beverage policy can increase access to healthy foods, offering nutritional benefits to occupants and protecting against the development of chronic disease.
Key Terms
- Prepared Food Areas are commercial spaces, including restaurants, cafeterias, delis, and food trucks which include staffed food preparation areas.
- The Fitwel Food and Beverage Standard is a healthy food and beverage framework, based on the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities, which provides guidelines for food, nutrition, facility efficiency, environmental support, and food safety in food service concession and vending operations, including cafeterias, cafés, snack bars, grills, concession stands, sundry shops, micro markets, and vending machines.
- Prepared foods is a category of food retail that includes foods that are fresh, cleaned, cooked, assembled (e.g., salad or sandwich), or otherwise processed and served “ready-to-eat.” Prepared foods include those that are made and served on site, or those prepared at a central kitchen and then packaged and distributed to other locations. These foods have a relatively limited shelf-life (compared to packaged snacks), and can be sold in any food service venue. Examples of prepared foods include hot entrées, side dishes, soups, salads, deli sandwiches, and fresh whole fruits and vegetables.
- Packaged Snacks, synonymous with non-perishable food items, is a category of food retail that includes processed foods that are packaged in small portions or individual servings, are widely distributed, and have a relatively long shelf-life (compared to prepared foods). Packaged snacks include food items such as granola bars, chips, crackers, raisins, and nuts and seeds. These foods can be sold in any venue, such as vending machines or “grab-n-go” areas of cafeterias.
- Beverages refers to consumable liquid drinks, such as water, milk, 100% juice, soft drinks, energy drinks, teas, and coffees.
For full strategy and documentation requirements, please refer to the digital scorecard made available on the Fitwel Platform.
Strategy Insights
Fitwel created a Fitwel Food & Beverage Policy for projects to use as a guide or adopt as a governing policy. You may find a copy of this policy here.
Please note, the governing Food and Beverage Policy(ies) must meet the following as applicable to the project’s location types below.
- Type A. Staffed prepared food area that includes an on-site dining and serves perishable foods that are prepared on site (Type A examples: Full-service restaurant, cafeteria/canteen).
- Type B. Staffed prepared food area that includes an on-site dining and serves perishable foods that are prepared on-site or off site, as well as non-perishable foods (Type B examples: Quick service restaurant, cafeteria/canteen, snack bar, cafe, deli).
- Type C. Unstaffed area serving only non-perishable packaged items (Type C examples: Vending machine, Micro market, Honor bar).
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Type D. Unstaffed area serving perishable packaged foods, which may also include non-perishable packaged snacks and beverages (Type D examples: Vending machine with perishable items, combination vending machine, snack bar).
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Please note: the type of food served and the setting is more relevant than whether a space is staffed or unstaffed. The following categories meet the criteria for Type C and Type D, respectively, and are relevant to "snack bars and vending machines" strategies:
- 1) A snack bar with only non-perishable packaged snacks, staffed with cashiers, and that has no dining tables.
- 2) A snack bar with non-perishable packaged snacks and perishable packaged meals prepared off-site, staffed with cashiers, and that has no dining tables.
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Please note: the type of food served and the setting is more relevant than whether a space is staffed or unstaffed. The following categories meet the criteria for Type C and Type D, respectively, and are relevant to "snack bars and vending machines" strategies:
Please refer to the definitions above to better identify the types of food areas included in your project.
Please see the Fitwel Meetings and Events Catering Standard for projects pursuing Alternative Compliance.
Documentation Guidance
- All policies are required to be on company letterhead, with a start date of implementation.
- If a project adopts the full Fitwel Food & Beverage Policy, please submit a copy on company letterhead and with a date of implementation.
Sample Documentation
This documentation is an example of a qualifying Official Statement, required for projects pursuing Alternative Compliance.
Documentation credit to Hudson Pacific
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