News

For consumers, as well as businesses like Bon Appétit Management Company, taste and economics aren't the only reasons to buy locally. Add recent food safety scares, the importance of keeping money in the local community, and preserving rural farmland, and the reasons for buying local just keep stacking up.

Until today, there was no way to distinguish specifically which foods heat the planet and which ones don't. Now there's help: the Low Carbon Diet Calculator, created by food service provider Bon Appétit Management Company. On April 22 cafés around the country will roll out the calculator for public access.

Bon Appétit chefs will transform each food station to highlight low carbon food choices and answer all the tough questions: does my sushi have more frequent flier miles than I do? Do cow burps really harm the planet more than my car?

Bon Appétit Management Company's third-annual Eat Local Challenge is September 25. On that day, more than 200,000 diners in over 400 cafés will eat a meal prepared with ingredients from within 150 miles of the café kitchen. From Monterey, California to Middletown, Connecticut, diners at Bon Appétit cafés across the nation can choose a lunch that is 100 percent local.

The Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, (SCCLCV), which promotes local environmental protection, has selected Bon Appétit Management Company as their Green Business of the Year. The award will be presented on Wednesday, September 19th, at the historic McKenna House, as part of SCCLCV's annual Environmental Awards and Fundraising Event.

Bon Appétit Management Compnay donates $8,500 to The Community Alliance with Family Farmers to protect family farms and keep California produce diverse.

The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal welfare organization, welcomes this news as a positive step in the right direction, since a shift in the poultry industry toward CAK would help reduce the suffering of billions of birds annually.

Palo Alto, Calif. (April 17, 2007) -Global warming activists have a new ally in their fight to save the planet lunch. It turns out that food (and all the energy it takes to make it) is one of the largest human activities contributing to global warming. The average American creates 2.8 tons of CO2 emissions each year by eating even more than the 2.2 tons each person generates by driving, according to recent research (Eshel and Martin, 2006).

In all 400 restaurants and cafés around the country, the company is using healthy cooking techniques combined with reasonable portion sizes and sustainable sourcing to positively influence the daily food choices of diners.