2018-09-13
ISS Ireland has a Happy Heart!
While ISS has always been associated with the Irish Heart Foundation, with several sites already having been accredited with the Happy Hearts award, the criteria changed this year. We can now apply for Bronze, Silver or Gold levels, but must meet specific criteria.
To date, a number of our catering sites have being successful in achieving the new award for example HPE Galway achieved the Silver award with Medtronic Galway achieving the Bronze award. Several other sites are awaiting audits and we are hoping for more success/accreditations on those accounts as well.
With the introduction of the new grading system HPE Galway, while always having the Healthy Heart award, needed to enhance and improve their healthy options. They obtained the silver award by making some of the following changes:
- Oily fish offered at least twice per week
- At least two chip free days are in place
- Beans, peas or lentils are offered on a hot or cold menu at least twice per week
- Range of confectionery is kept to a minimum and confined to one area of the staff restaurant hot or cold pastries are not offered at least one day a week
- Calories are displayed on the hot lunch menu in line with Food Safety Authority of Ireland guidelines
This new approach further increases standards in healthy catering, menus and builds on success already achieved over the program’s twenty years.
Providing healthy workplace meals and offering employees healthier food choices are at the core of what ISS Food & Hospitality, Ireland are doing. This is where we are positively impacting the health and wellbeing of our clients and our own employees.
As people become more health conscious and mindful of what they eat; they are looking for these healthy options to be made available. We as the catering provider have an opportunity to engage our staff to show innovation and initiative to help produce food that is healthy and appetising at the same time.
By engaging with the Irish Heart Foundation and providing healthy food offers it allows our client’s business to be recognised as preferred employers with an enhanced image and positive profile in the respective industry.
Eric Doyle the Managing Director of ISS Ireland stated: “We are delighted to continue to work closely with the Irish heart foundation through the introduction of their new innovative grading system which enhances and improves the healthy options available to our customers”.