To commit your company to the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, either download the pledge and follow submission instructions OR submit the online form at the bottom of this page.

Food Service Contractor Pledge

As a responsible provider of food and nutrition services in the healthcare industry, we are committed to the health of patients, residents, visitors, staff and the local and global community. We are aware that food production and distribution methods can have tremendous adverse impacts on public environmental health. As a result, we recognize that for the consumers who eat it, the workers who produce it and the ecosystems that sustain us, healthy food must be defined not only by nutritional quality, but equally by a food system that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and supportive of human dignity and justice. We are committed to the goal of providing local, nutritious and sustainable food and food services.

Specifically, we are committed to supporting the following healthy food in healthcare measures:

In our Client facilities that have taken the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge we will:

• Support stepwise implementation of the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge.
• Develop and provide an annual report to our client hospitals on progress towards their Pledge goals.

As a Food Service Organization we will:

• Encourage our vendors to supply us with food that is locally sourced whenever possible and among other attributes, produced without genetic modification, synthetic pesticides or herbicides; meat and dairy products from animals that have not been given hormones (i.e. rBGH) or antibiotics in the absence of diagnosed disease, and produced and distributed in ways which support farmer health and welfare.
• Communicate to our supply chain our interest in foods whose source and production practices (i.e. genetic modification, antibiotic and hormone use, pesticide use, etc) are identified, so that we may have informed consent and choice about the foods we purchase.
• Inform our suppliers and our distributors of our need for product catalogues and programs which identify third party certified eco-labeled products (i.e. Certified Organic, Food Alliance Certified, Certified Humane, etc.), country, state or farm of origin, genetically modified foods, as well as trans fats and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) content and other indicators of nutrition and sustainability.
• Train and educate our staff throughout our organization, on the relationship between food production and distribution and ecological and individual health.
• Increase our offerings of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nutritionally dense and minimally processed, unrefined foods, and reduce our use of processed foods.
• Support new and existing value chains that promote local ownership, environmental stewardship and economic sustainability for all members of the value chain.

• Create seasonal menus to increase our use of fresh, locally produced food.
• Establish systems to minimize food waste and to compost and otherwise beneficially reuse food waste.
• Purchase for the environment through purchasing policies and practices that minimize the inherent toxicity of our equipment and supplies; which conserve water and energy; and reduce and eliminate waste.
• Develop or adopt reporting tools and benchmarks to track and measure our use of third party certified eco-labeled foods, genetically engineered foods, and other preferred attributes as listed above.
• Report annually to the public or shareholders on implementation of this Pledge.

Your facility or system will be listed on our website with other pledge signers. Contact info@hcwh.org with questions.