Aramark Trains 1,000 Chefs to Cook Plant-Based

This week, food service company Aramark announced that it would implement plant-based culinary programs to train more than 1,000 of its chefs. The company partnered with animal-rights organization The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to develop the six-month program and will work with other animal-rights organizations and health advisors to construct the curriculum. Aramark determined that 60 percent of its customer base—which includes people who consume meals at hospitals, workplace cafeterias, and schools across the country—believe that vegan, vegetarian, and plant-centric options are important. “As part of our broad and ongoing commitment to health, wellness, and sustainability, we continue to work towards offering more plant-forward menu options and alternate protein sources to Aramark guests,” Aramark health and wellness leader Dan Wainfan said. “We are proud to work on culinary training and menu innovations which provide important health benefits to consumers, while minimizing our environmental impact.” In 2015, the company made a five-year commitment to serve healthier food to its customer base, and in 2016 reported that 30 percent of its menus were either vegetarian or vegan.