Guidance

Sustainable procurement: the GBS for food and catering services

Official Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food and catering services

Documents

Annex to GBS for food and catering services

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Details

All government departments and their related organisations must make sure that they meet the minimum mandatory Government Buying Standards (GBS) when buying goods and services. We also encourage the wider public sector to specify the minimum mandatory standards in tenders.

We encourage everyone to meet the best practice standards, which go further than the mandatory standards.

The product specifications set out in the GBS are aimed primarily at public sector organisations procuring goods or services. However, any organisation concerned about sustainable procurement may choose to follow them or to specify them in tenders.

Published 1 July 2014
Last updated 18 August 2021 + show all updates
  1. Added the technical guidance for nutrition standards.

  2. We've updated the Government Buying Standard for food and catering.

  3. Buying Standards document has been updated to clarify the best practice criterion for sugar sweetened beverages – the criteria have not changed.

  4. First published.