Erudus… showcases Food for Life Supplier Scheme Certification

One of these attributes is certifications, so users can see which industry certifications a product holds. And in this series we explore the range of certifications you can add to an Erudus product specification, and what they mean.

So far we’ve covered

• BRCGS
• Red Tractor
• British Lion
• SALSA
• RSPCA Assured
• MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Certified
• Fairtrade
• Quality Meat Scotland
• LEAF Certification
• Farm Assured Welsh Livestock Certification
• ISO 14001 Certification

This time the spotlight is on Food for Life Supplier Scheme Certification…

What is Food for Life Supplier Scheme certification?

Food for Life Supplier Scheme certification is awarded to suppliers offering food products to Caterers that meet Food for Life Served Here standards. There are 3 levels of certification, known as Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, and they are all designed to improve food quality, sourcing practices and environmental sustainability.

What is the aim of the Food for Life Supplier Scheme?

The Food for Life Suppliers Scheme aims to help businesses and promote the use of food products committed to personal health and environmental responsibility. Both Caterers and those who supply them are intended to benefit from the scheme, by the overall improvement of food quality.

There are now 1.7 millions meals a day served in the UK that meet the Food for Life Served Here standards, with products supplied by Food for Life Supplier Scheme members.

How does the Food for Life Supplier Scheme help Suppliers?

The Food for Life Suppliers Scheme believes there are several ways in which it can aid Supplier Scheme members:

• Improve sales and offer new business opportunities (some cases are quoted at a 20% sales increase)
• Add value to products by showcasing the Scheme member logo
• Access business-supporting, ready to use marketing materials
• Improve customer service through a better understanding of many customers’ needs
• Show a point of difference when applying for contracts and tenders

What does Food for Life Supplier Scheme membership include?

The following is included in a Food for Life membership:

• A listing on the schemes supplier directory
• Face-to-face Food for Life Served Here training that enables you to add value for your customers
• Access to a suite of technical tools to make product assessment against the standards quick and easy
• Access to a suite of marketing materials to help you spread the word
• The opportunity to feature in our newsletters
• The opportunity to feature new products or best practice examples on our website
• A regular newsletter to keep you up to date with changes and new opportunities
• Opportunities to hear directly from caterers
• Invites to Food for Life Served Here events and sponsorship opportunities

What is the Food for Life Supplier mark?

The red and black Food for Life Supplier logo can be used by Suppliers who hold Bronze, Silver or Gold Food for Life Supplier Scheme certification, having met the standards set by the scheme.

You can find more information and resources regarding the logo and scheme here.

Who does the Food for Life Supplier Scheme work with?

The Food for Life Supplier Scheme works with all parts of the foodservice supply chain, allowing Caterers (such as those from organisations such as hospitals, schools and care homes) to search for products that meet criteria for Food for Life Served Here, and awarding certification to Suppliers (producers, wholesalers and procurement companies) whose products meet the scheme’s standards and work across the following categories:

• Ambient & prepared products (prepared products refers to chilled or frozen multi ingredient products, such as non-meat protein alternatives, soup and ready-made sauces)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Meat
• Fruit & vegetables
• Dairy

What are Food for Life Supplier Scheme standards?

Food for Life Supplier Standards are known as Food for Life Served Here Standards and vary for each of the different categories - ambient & prepared products, eggs, fish, meat, fruit & vegetables and dairy - and can be viewed via the product range checker. To gain access to the product range checker homepage you must correctly answer a general question about food safety. From the homepage you can select the checker for your specific category.

Standards vary between categories and Bronze, Silver and Gold awarded certifications and a cross-section includes:

• Eggs (including liquid egg) coming from free-range hens
• Ambient and prepared foods being free from undesirable additives, artificial trans fats and GM ingredients
• Fish not being present on the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)
• Meat and meat products satisfying UK animal welfare standards (Organic free range and RSPCA assured earns a product more points)

You can find more product range tracker information and examples here.

How do you gain Food for Life Supplier Scheme certification?

To gain Food for Life Supplier Scheme Certification you will need to gain Supplier Scheme membership. The most important part of qualifying for this is to learn more about the Food for Life Served Here standards and verify your products against a series of pre-application questions. Without meeting the standards, membership cannot be gained.

To find out more about membership or start the process, you can call 0117 914 2406 or email foodforlifesuppliers@soilassociation.org.

You will need to provide a company contact who will take on responsibility for the scheme - this entails, amongst other things, committing to attending a training day within the first year of membership.

There are some annual membership fees, which are:

• Membership of the scheme costs £1,100 per year
• Membership for Soil Association Organic Wholesalers is £550
• Membership is free of charge for all Soil Association organic processor and producer licensees

For more information about the Food for Life Supplier Scheme visit the website.