Sustainability on the menu: Organic foods in catering

Six million people eat someplace away from home every day.¹ That makes the catering industry an important lever for promoting sustainable food policies and encouraging organic farming. There are already lots of consulting options to support large kitchen operations in going organic. Now the latest regulatory decisions are also advancing the catering industry’s shift to organics.  

A turning point for organic products in catering

The German government’s policy on food and nutrition faces the ambitious challenge of increasing the country’s farming to 30 percent organic by 2030. To do that, it will also be essential to increase demand for organic products. One potential source of demand that has been mined only lightly to date is the institutional catering sector. Currently the level of organic products used in the catering industry in Germany comes to only 1.3 percent.² In spite of all the potential, going organic poses challenges for many commercial kitchens in practice. The higher cost of organic foods, the complexity of procuring adequate quantities, and the additional expense of mandatory organic monitoring are viewed as the biggest obstacles. But while support from the political side used to be scant, that seems to be changing. The government’s latest decisions signal that attitudes have shifted. 

A political tailwind

Early in October 2023 the new Organic Foods in Catering Regulation went into force, which simplifies the certification process and advertising for organic foods by establishing three levels of labels: gold for 90 to 100 percent organic, silver for 50 to 89 percent, and bronze for 20 to 49 percent. The new regulation’s goal is to make the situation clearer, simpler and more honest. Labelling for organic foods on the menu is intended to raise awareness, acceptance, and appreciation for food and its means of production, and also to boost regional sales markets and consolidate demand on a lasting basis.³

Additionally, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has laid a foundation for further support in its recently presented Organic Strategy 2030, intended to make it easier for firms in the catering industry to start using organic foods. Strengthening organic catering, especially in childcare centres, hospitals, company cafeterias, and senior residences, is one of the key provisions on the list. Institutions can apply for financial support for both consulting and employee training under the German government’s new directive that is intended to aid catering companies in getting advice on organic products.⁴ The assistance will cover up to 80 percent of the cost of a consultant. For childcare centres and schools with their own kitchens, the coverage can rise to as much as 90 percent. The support is capped at EUR 35,000. Additionally, Organic Strategy 2030 promises assistance with the cost of getting organic certification in the first two years.⁵ 

Beacon projects from Germany

It’s not just the Danish example of Copenhagen that shows how cities can influence the food environment and thus many people’s eating and consumption habits. A German project, Kantine Zukunft – Canteen of the Future – from Berlin highlights catering’s potential and is now attracting nationwide attention as a beacon project. Jointly with its participating kitchens, it offers in-depth, practical consulting, training seminars, networking events, excursions, and public-relations campaigns to advance Berlin’s culinary transformation. Since 2019, its consulting programme has assisted more than 50 cafeterias, whose use of organic products in all categories has reached 60 percent.

Another showcase example for organic catering is the WACKELPETER company in Hamburg. This organic caterer’s main business is in providing meals at childcare facilities and schools. They’ve been delivering 3,000 meals a day for more than 30 years – all 100% organic. Roehl knows the secret for success here, too. “The company has set up a supplier structure that’s very diverse and thus very resilient. They buy both from organic wholesalers and directly from the farms. Their meal prices are not necessarily higher than those from conventional competitors. The key is their simplified recipe and meal planning, for one thing, and for another, their continuous regional and seasonal optimization of their purchasing prices.” But the most crucial success factor is yet another one: organic foods are built into the DNA of the company’s philosophy. “The owners have a deep intrinsic motivation to be organic. Just as organic wholesalers deal only in organic products, these organic caterers cook only with organic foods – because they want to, and can’t do otherwise,” Roehl explains.

Fine-tuning for success

Usually, training at all levels, from basic to advanced, and the personal and professional development of kitchen and service terms, are viewed as the pathway to success. As for cost-effectiveness, Thomas Voss knows there are many ways to compensate for costs. “Revising menu plans and reducing how much they involve meat products – that can yield considerable financial savings that the kitchen can reallocate to buy higher-quality, more sustainable foods.” Sophia Hoffmann, chef and owner of Berlin’s HAPPA organic restaurant, believes there’s an additional opportunity: “Reducing food waste has a significant leverage effect that can make organic quality affordable.”  

BIOFACH 2024 – The HoReCa Forum

BIOFACH too has adopted the goal of increasing the amount of organic products used in catering, and in February 2024 it will put a special spotlight on the topic. With the HoReCa Forum for institutional catering and the restaurant business, for the first time the event will offer a format tailored to the needs of the catering industry. “This new area will offer an opportunity for interactive networking,” explains Steffen Waris, the event head for Biofach. “We’ll be discussing matters like procurement and product availability, transforming a kitchen and a business, support available at the federal, state and municipal level, and also the new Organic Catering Regulation.”