Sodexo considers beef certifications

May 25—Wading through all the different certificaitons out there can be tough, especially for a large contract company like Sodexo.

That's the job of Margaret Henry, director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility performance for Sodexo. And it can wield serious purchasing power for commodities like beef, considering it bought about 50 million pounds last year.

Sodexo is considering throwing its weight behind Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. It's a group of NGOs like the Rainforest Alliance and The Nature Conservancy, and really big buyers of beef like McDonald's, Wal-Mart and Cargill. According to Henry, the roundtable is coming up with a new standard for beef production that incorporates social and environmental concerns.