Charlotte, NC (December 7, 2016) – In 2016, Compass Group USA took monumental steps in improving practices that affect the environmental and social wellbeing, as well as continuing to strengthen its foothold with existing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments. Compass USA is proud to share those stories of sustainability, partnerships, and the passion of our people in the newly released 2016 CSR report. Highlights include:

Plant Forward with Menus of Change
In 2012, Compass Group USA entered an industry-changing partnership with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health who developed Menus of Change®, a multi-year project designed to bring together all areas of foodservice in an effort to create a healthier and more sustainable future. Compass adopted many of the initiative’s principles, which include menuing more produce and whole grains while reducing beef purchases. This has empowered our chefs to pioneer change and encourage our customers to make better choices to minimize our eco impact. Because of our scale, we can create change that is radical and transformational. (Pages 12-13)

“Compass has pledged to reduce the amount of red meat it serves as part of adopting the Menus of Change principles, becoming the first major foodservice company in the US to adopt such a goal and set a new and important direction for improving our health and the health of the planet,” said Arlin Wasserman, founder and partner at Changing Tastes and chair of the Menus of Change Sustainable Business Leadership Council.

Reducing Food Waste
Compass USA, Chartwells Higher Education and Food Recovery Network (FRN) are approaching their one year anniversary of partnership. In just one year, 360,266 pounds of food, which equates to around 300,000 meals, have been recovered. FRN is largest student movement against hunger and a leader in the food recovery space. (Pages 25-33)

Animal Welfare
In November, Compass Group USA and the animal welfare certification program Global Animal Partnership (GAP) announced a historic and unique partnership to transform the welfare of chickens within Compass’ supply chain. This will be GAP’s first-ever partnership with a foodservice company and will result in improving the lives of approximately 60 million broiler chickens per year. With this announcement, Compass became the first foodservice company to commit to healthier, slower growing strains of chickens, improved living conditions, and more humane slaughter. (Page 43)

In addition, this year, Compass Group was named to Fortune’s Change the World List. The Change the World list recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy.

Click here to view the full 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

About Compass Group
Based in Charlotte NC, Compass Group North America is the leading foodservice management and support services company with $16 billion in revenues in 2016. Compass Group USA was named one of America’s 500 Best Employers by Forbes, ranking as the highest contract food and support services company. With over 500,000 associates worldwide, its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC, was named the 6th largest publicly traded employer in the world by USA Today and one of 50 Companies Changing the World by Fortune. Compass Group PLC had revenues of £19.9 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016.

Media contact:
Veronica Ospina
704-328-4291
[email protected]