Aramark Receives the American Heart Association’s Award of Meritorious Achievement

National award recognizes Aramark for the success of its Healthy for Life^® initiative

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), the largest U.S.-based food services provider, received the American Heart Association’s Award of Meritorious Achievement last night at the Association’s National Volunteer Awards. Aramark earned this distinction for its dedication to bettering the nutrition and lifestyle habits of consumers, communities, and its employees through the Healthy for Life initiative.

"We are honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our efforts to improve the health of Americans through better nutrition and lifestyle,” said Aramark CEO John Zillmer. “Through our work with the American Heart Association, we are continuing to break new ground, impact the food environment, engage consumers, support underserved communities, and improve the health and well-being of our employees, their families, and people in the communities where we live and work.”

Since 2015, Aramark and the American Heart Association have worked together on an innovative health impact initiative that empowers people from across the country to lead healthier lives. The Healthy for Life initiative includes community level nutrition education, menu innovation, consumer engagement and employee health and wellness education, and has made significant impact including:

• Menus: A 20 percent decrease in average calories, saturated fat and sodium and a nearly 20 percent increase in fruits, vegetables and whole grains across menu items served in workplaces, hospital cafes, and university dining halls. 34 percent of main dishes on these menus are now vegetarian or vegan.
• Consumers: Healthy eating information shared with millions reached through health awareness activities, education, and marketing programs.
• Community: Nutrition education resources utilized by over 800 community-based organizations.
• Aramark Employees: A robust suite of award-winning employee health programs. More than two thirds of Aramark employees surveyed believe that "Aramark encourages me to make healthy choices and to lead a healthier life."

“The American Heart Association is deeply committed to developing innovative solutions with industry leaders, like Aramark, to help all Americans live healthier lives. As part of this visionary collaboration, we have developed new ways to improve the nation’s health and will continue to do so in the years ahead,” said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association’s CEO.

Aramark and the American Heart Association will continue to engage consumers by encouraging them to discover and choose healthy food, and the extensive community nutrition education resources already available will be further expanded to Federally Qualified Health Centers across the country. Additionally, Aramark will continue to build on its plant-forward menu and healthy menu innovation and its wellbeing solutions for its employees and their families.

Aramark’s commitment to people is a core part of the company’s sustainability plan, Be Well. Do Well., focused on positively impacting people and the planet. Aramark’s people priority is to facilitate access to opportunities that will improve the well-being of the Company’s employees, consumers, communities, and people in its supply chain. Building on current work, Aramark continues to help people develop careers and livelihoods; access, choose and prepare healthy food; and grow communities, businesses and local economies.

To learn more about the Healthy for Life initiative, or to view the latest impact report, visit the Healthy for Life website.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.