The trial aims to assess the carbon impacts of 1,800 recipes sold at the NEC and ICC. It is the latest move in Amadeus’ ambitious sustainability strategy, working to drive down carbon footprint across its venue portfolio.
Marc Frankl, food and beverage director for Amadeus, said: “Innovation is front and centre in our work across the live events industry. We want to empower our visitors to make more sustainable choices and educate themselves about the carbon impact of food and this is a great step towards that.
“We’re thrilled to be able to introduce this with the help of Foodsteps’ technology and we’re really interested to see how this labelling will affect customer’s behaviours. We’re constantly looking at ways to review and improve our sustainability methods and it’s something we’d love to roll out across our wider venue portfolio.”
Developed alongside scientists and academics at the University of Cambridge, Foodsteps offers a cloud-based platform, as well as labelling capability and QR codes. Food providers can upload recipes and view the sustainability impact of each ingredient. It can be used to monitor targets, develop new recipes and improve a menu or product's sustainability.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, added: “Given the collective efforts underway in our region to tackle the climate emergency and to achieve our #WM2041 net zero goal, I’m pleased to learn that caterers are taking the step to carbon label their menus to help spectators make informed decisions when choosing what to eat.
“I wish them all the best with placing this bold sustainability commitment at the heart of future events. I look forward to seeing how this initiative develops going forward as it has the potential to form an innovative part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy.”