Morrison Commits to PHA Healthy Food Initiative

Morrison Management Specialists says it has become the first healthcare food service contract company to commit to The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) and its Hospital Healthy Food Initiative. The commitment could impact up to 41 million patient meals and 403 million retail meals annually.

"This commitment is an extension of our already well-established wellness platform initiatives and programs, which align with PHA goals and the mission of their organization," says CEO Tim Pierce. "We've been at the forefront of the industry on health and wellness for more than two decades. The PHA partnership is an extension of our philosophy of offering wholesome, nutritious, and better-for-you foods and will allow us to make healthful choices easy and even more accessible to millions of patients, staff and visitors."

In joining the initiative, Morrison agrees to make a commitment to adopt standards for nutrition labeling, healthy food marketing, wellness meal offerings, elimination of deep fat fryers, increases in healthy beverages and increases in fruits and vegetables offered. The changes the company committed to include...

• eliminating 5.7 million pounds of sugar from bottled beverages;

• switching to exclusive use of whole grain or legume-based pasta in the  3.7 million pounds of pasta served each year;

• offering whole grains as an alternative to the 1.9 million pounds of rice served annually;

• offering better-for-you foods in place of high impulse low-nutrient food at cash registers;

• reducing fat calories by using healthier, misted oils exclusively in appropriate applications;

• featuring images of healthy nutrient-rich food in regular marketing promotions.