Tools and resources

Purchasing guide to sourcing dairy products without rBGH

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
  • Purchasing
  • Sustainable procurement
  • Sustainable food service operations
  • Guide
(Health Care Without Harm) Purchasers can take the following steps to source dairy products produced without the use of the dairy drug recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH generally referred to as BGH, also called rBST or Posilac (the brand name of the drug).

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Purchasing guide to sourcing food without genetically engineered ingredients

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
  • Purchasing
  • Sustainable procurement
  • Sustainable food service operations
  • Guide
Purchasers can take the following steps to source foods produced without the use of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients (also called “genetically modified” or “GMOs”).

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Purchaser's guide to sourcing sustainable coffee and tea

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
Coffee and tea production have become increasingly industrialized since the 1970s relying on more chemical-intensive fertilization and pest control techniques and other practices that can have many negative social, economic, and human and environmental health impacts. As organizations that purchase, serve or otherwise make coffee and tea readily available to patients, staff and visitors, health…

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Redefining protein: Purchasing considerations (Health Care Without Harm)

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
  • Mitigation
  • Purchasing
[Plant-Forward Future] Research reveals that certain dietary patterns have been noted to have the ideal composition for human health and reduced environmental impact. This guide offers procurement recommendations based on values of sustainability, nutrition, social, and animal welfare concerns. These considerations were generated based on findings detailed in "Redefining protein: Adjusting diets…

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Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook (Health Care Without Harm)

  • Food
  • Community Benefit and Wellness
  • Toolkit
(Health Care Without Harm) Hospitals can tackle food insecurity, obesity, and chronic disease while promoting healthy, local, and sustainable food systems. The “Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook” inspires and supports health professionals with resources to address diet-related community health needs.

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Community gardens and farms

  • Food
  • Community Benefit and Wellness
(Health Care Without Harm) Community gardens can take a variety of forms including rooftop gardens, schoolyard gardens, backyard gardens and neighborhood gardens.

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Meat and poultry product list

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
  • Purchasing
  • Sustainable procurement
  • Sustainable food service operations
(Health Care Without Harm) We know it can be difficult to find products that meet your sustainability goals. We’re here to help!  All of the meat and poultry in this database are raised without routine, non-therapeutic antibiotics. They meet the criteria used by Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb – we’ve got it all! Just click on the spreadsheet…

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Health care procurement guide: Sustainably raised meat and poultry

  • Food
  • Food and Beverage Purchasing
  • Local and sustainable purchasing
Significant health and environmental consequences are associated with industrialized meat and poultry production and distribution, including antibiotic resistance, and air and water contamination. This health care procurement guide, focused on meat and poultry, helps facilities start purchasing plans that take these critical issues into consideration and overcome barriers to identifying and…

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Strategies to increase sustainable food options via GPOs and distributors

  • Food
  • Food Service
  • Local and sustainable purchasing
There are many strategies a hospital or health system can use to increase the availability of sustainably produced food options via existing supply channels and relationships. This document offers several strategies and resources to implement.

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Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.

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