EMERYVILLE, CALIF. — Clif Bar and Co.’s Kali’s Kitchen, an employee-run cafe located at its Emeryville headquarters, has received Gold certification for sustainability and nutrition from the United States Healthful Food Council’s (USHFC) non-profit organization Eat REAL. An acronym for Responsible Epicurean Agricultural Leadership, Eat REAL audits food service providers by looking at sourcing, cooking practices and menu options. Scoring above 85% on the audit scale, Kali’s Kitchen is the first and only Gold certified corporate food service provider in the United States.
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| Scott Erickson, executive chef of Kali’s Kitchen |
“At Clif, we believe in producing good food built with a purpose for our community,” said Scott Erickson, executive chef of Kali’s Kitchen. “That’s why Kali’s Kitchen sources local ingredients, emphasizes in-house cooking practices and aims to minimize our environmental impact. We’re thrilled to be REAL Certified Gold and will remain committed to healthy, transparent, and sustainable food practices.”
Eat REAL recently updated its audit standards, which now include an increased focus on animal welfare and an enhanced survey. The metrics were developed by a panel of academic, industry and government experts as well as chefs and restauranteurs. Currently, Clif Bar is the only institutional food service provider to have completed this updated audit.
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| Caesare Assad, c.o.o. of Eat REAL |
“Clif Bar has been at the leading edge of employee food service for years, through their private employee restaurant Kali’s Kitchen,” said Caesare Assad, chief operating officer of Eat REAL. “Kali’s Kitchen provides an exceptional case study for how food service can be an integral part of company culture — impacting not only employees’ performance, but also the local food system at large.”
