ISS Guckenheimer, Metz Culinary Management and Sodexo top the 2024 Protein Sustainability Scorecard

Some foodservice providers lean on vegetables as the centerpiece of the plate. | Photo: Shutterstock.

When it comes to increasing consumption of plant-based foods, workplace foodservice provider ISS Guckenheimer is leading the on-site foodservice industry, according to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) 2024 Protein Sustainability Scorecard .

The goal behind the scorecard is to identify both companies that prioritize sustainability and those that do not. The scorecard is based on three main areas: transparency, objectives and an action plan.

“All companies must be transparent about their sustainability goals, objectives and progress. Customers deserve to know which companies deliver on their promises and which companies don’t deliver on their promises,” said Kate Watts, director of Food Service Innovation at HSUS. “The HSUS Protein Sustainability Scorecard was created to give the public and customers a clear picture of what companies are actually doing to deliver on their promises.”

The data was collected through surveys, with each company on the list receiving an invitation to complete the survey. If they did not, HSUS informed them that it would be completed for them using publicly available information.

Watts said this year’s report was particularly exciting for a number of reasons, but mainly because foodservice management companies appeared to be making further commitments.

“Several have raised their plant-based targets, several have adopted actual tariff reduction targets, which is a wonderful additional edition because we’re really seeing across those companies that with the success of the increased plant-based meal options, of course, they saw a reduction in their reliance on animal-based protein. And so that was one of the biggest things we saw,” she said.

Additionally, Watts said the numbers were much more accurate this year because HSUS asked companies to provide more additional documentation than in years past.

Watts said she hopes the Protein Sustainability Scorecard raises awareness of the issue of food-related carbon emissions.

“There are still a large number of companies that do not pay attention to this. They are issuing statements regarding their sustainability efforts, which do not include anything related to their food emissions,” she said. “Companies are not making the connection. That potential for impact is there and it is their social responsibility to make changes to address that.”

Here’s a look at the top three performers in protein sustainability this year and a look at their strategy when it comes to plant-forward dishes.

1. ISS Guckenheimer

The San Antonio, Texas-based foodservice provider topped the list for the third year in a row, with a score of 465 and a grade of A+. In the report, HSUS says ISS Guckenheimer is leading the way in protein sustainability for on-site dining. The company has the most aggressive plant-based goal: 55% of all supply will be plant-based by 2025, with an additional goal to reduce annual protein purchases annually by the end of 2027. In addition, the company also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the food it serves by at least 25% globally by 2030. The company currently serves an average of 51% plant-based meals.

When it comes to plant-based dishes, the company’s strategy is to use plant-based foods as the centerpiece of the plate. ISS Guckenheimer has developed a toolkit called PowerPlant, which focuses on this philosophy.

“Yes, it originally started with trying to make the vegetable the main ingredient of the plate,” says Pete Rukule, VP of culinary at ISS Guckenheimer. “In the beginning, I really started representing local, regional farmers, and sourcing seasonal ingredients, very consciously.”

The foodservice provider has also recently tried the idea of ​​plant-forward as a standard, most notably through its new program called Terra Fagioli. The menu consists of climate-friendly and plant-based dishes, including a variety of Barilla chickpea and red lentil pastas.

“It allows people to just have a great experience without focusing so much on the fact that it’s plant-based. We certainly market it that way. And it is the standard,” Rukule said.

Going forward, much of ISS Guckenheimer’s new programming will focus on “plant-forward cuisine,” he said.

“We program a plant-based station in all our cafés. The way we can reach this 55% is through our central menu,” he said.

The company is also working with HSUS on its plant-forward initiatives. Last year, the foodservice provider completed a virtual culinary workshop with the HSUS and even tested at least four new plant-based options on its menus every week for five weeks. Guckenheimer chefs who complete the training then serve as Plant Based Ambassadors, educating future chefs on plant-based cuisine.

Rukule encouraged other foodservice players to form partnerships when it comes to setting and achieving sustainability goals.

“I would encourage anyone if they need support or help to work with the Humane Society on what they can do and how they can get better data, or make better decisions, wherever they are on their journey to process, but they’ve been a pretty great partner overall,” he said.

2. Culinary management of Metz

Metz Culinary Management, based in Dallas, Pennsylvania, finished in second place with a score of 445 and an A+ grade. The company has set a goal of serving 50% plant-based meals by 2025 and reducing animal protein purchases by 5% annually between 2025 and 2027. The food service provider currently serves an average of 31-35% plant-based meals.

HSUS also has a strong partnership with Metz; the two collaborated on virtual culinary workshops in the fall of 2022. During that process, the HSUS culinary team developed 10 plant-based recipes for Niagara University. These recipes are currently in the Metz recipe database so all accounts can use them. The two have plans to collaborate on more plant-based culinary workshops in 2024.

Like other high-profile companies, Metz has committed to marketing its sustainability efforts and also continues to educate and train chefs and team members in plant-based cuisine.

Metz also maintains data to measure meat reduction efforts and pursue educational opportunities.

“To keep the momentum towards our goal, we will be hosting a vegetarian recipe competition among our chefs later this year. The competition will challenge them to create delicious new dishes that we can add to our already diverse database of plant-based recipes,” said Brian Bachman, VP of Purchasing for Culinary at Metz, in a statement.

3. Sodexo

Rounding out the top three, tied for second in the rankings is Maryland-based food service provider Sodexo. The company achieved a score of 445 and an A+ grade. The company has set a goal of having 33% plant-based menus by 2025. However, Sodexo’s USA Campus segment is aiming even higher, aiming for 50% plant-based meals by 2025. Currently, the foodservice provider serves an average of 26% – 30% plant-based meals.

In the report, HSUS says Sodexo is working to reduce the overall reliance on animal proteins as its core ingredients. Sodexo USA shared that over the years, approximately one-third of its emissions are related to the purchase of animal-based ingredients.

The foodservice provider’s main strategy when it comes to reducing carbon emissions includes increasing the share of plant-based menus and reducing portion sizes of animal proteins.

“Sodexo USA has demonstrated year after year that the above public objectives are a top priority for the company; it has established annual benchmarks for its largest segments, including campus, hospital and healthcare, and corporate dining,” HSUS said in the report.

Sodexo also recently provided an update on the plant-based figures per segment. Beginning in spring 2024, planned campus menus will include 45% plant-based entrees, patient menus will be 31% plant-based, retail 28%, and corporate Modern Recipe programs will follow the 50/50 approach, meaning plant-based and plant-based . forward dishes will make up 50% of menus by 2025, with at least 35% plant-based dishes.