The FAB Company aims to provide the highest quality of food and drink throughout its business operations. In delivering this the company is fully committed to following the healthy eating guidelines set by the Government (National Nutritional standards for healthy eating).
As a company we share the desire to improve on the health and welfare of our customers and see the food we provide as being an integral part of this development.
Our objective is to provide healthy options by offering a wide range of choices and using subliminal methods such as:
- reduced fat in cooking and the use of oils high in polyunsaturated fats
- baking foods as opposed to frying
- reducing salt and sugar in onsite prepared food products
- increased use of food items containing fibre
We aim to ensure that the food products supplied are nutritionally balanced and enable the customer to choose from a wide range of alternatives according to their personal preferences.
Within the menu range offered, we ensure a balance of food items is available from the four main food groups:
- Fruit, vegetables and salad items
- Starch / carbohydrates particularly offering a choice of breads including wholemeal and granary, rice salads, pasta salads and potato based dishes where appropriate. Within our sweet / bakery range we offer low sugar / low fat alternatives.
- Protein- meat, fish / seafood, and non dairy protein options with a choice from each category.
- Milk and dairy products – skimmed milk, semi skimmed and full fat options in our hot beverage range and low fat options where appropriate.
A simple colour coded labelling system informs the customer as to the overall nutritional value of the product as follows:
RED label indicating the item could be classed as “Indulgent” being high in an ingredient that we should be trying to cut down on and should preferably only be eaten occasionally or in smaller amounts if a healthy diet is to be followed
AMBER label indicating the item isn’t high or low in tan ingredients we should be trying to cut down on and therefore can be eaten most of the time, but should also be balanced with green labelled items if a healthy diet is to be followed
GREEN label indicating the item is low in the ingredients we should be trying to cut down on and therefore can be eaten frequently as it is forms an integral part of a healthy diet.
This type of colour coded system aims to help our customers make an informed choice and keep a check on the high –fat, high - sugar and high – salt foods they are eating.
In addition to a colour coded information system we ensure customers are informed of products that contain ingredients to which they may have an allergy to for example nuts, nut oil, dairy and wheat products.
Our commitment to a providing our customers with a quality service that offers value for money is also demonstrated in our purchasing policy. The FAB Company’s purchasing of food and non food products is undertaken to extremely stringent requirements. All food items are purchased via nominated suppliers therefore ensuring a compliance with set down quality standards. All food products and ingredients are checked for acceptability (i.e. nutritional specifications, genetically modified organism requirements and nut ingredients) All products identified for inclusion in our range are compared for ingredient and nutritional value against set specification criteria, before being tested by our management team and customers, for taste, appearance, cooking performance and value for money. Where appropriate we offer a range of organic and fair trade alternatives for customers who prefer these products. Whenever possible seasonal products are used, this enables us to provide the best quality and value for our customers.
We ensure all pre packaged products display the correct nutritional and product information as laid down by the Food labelling regulations act 1984 and the food act 1984 (as amended).
We continually place great emphasis on customer response to new products. Throughout this process we liase and consult with our customers to ensure acceptable quality before a new item is introduced on our menus. We are committed to offering our customers food products which have been produced, stored and delivered in optimum conditions. We place stringent contractural demands on our suppliers in support of legislative requirements and favourable trade operating practices.
All suppliers are requested to comply with the following legislation:
- Food safety Act 1990
- Food Labelling Regulations 1984 as amended
- Ice Cream Regulations 1967 as amended
- Cream Regulations 1970 as amended
- Colouring Matter in Food Regulations as amended
- Cocoa and Chocolate Products Regulations 1976 as amended
- Miscellaneous Additives in Food Regulations 1980 as amended
- Poultry, Meat, (water content) Regulations 1984
- Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Product Regulations 1984 as amended
- Bread and Flour Regulations as amended
- Emulsifiers and Stabilisers in Food Regulations 1989 as amended
- Trade Descriptions act 1968
- Weights and Measures act 1985
We ensure all staff are trained in product knowledge so that they can offer informed advice to our customers if required. We actively encourage our staff to consult with customers if they are unsure about the nutritional / ingredient contents of a product on the menu and to promote healthier options where appropriate. This helps to maintain a healthy interaction between customers and employees whilst also improving the level of service we provide.