With big goals to source 100% of its food sustainably and locally by 2025, Kaiser Permanente has been making bold moves. Toward this end, it provided a $2 million loan grant for the construction of the newly opened Union City Culinary Center, a 56,000-square-foot space aiming to produce meals for noncommercial and retail operations in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible manner. As part of its partnership, the Center will provide 2.5 million patient meals yearly to be served across the health system’s 21 hospitals.
“This center is one truly remarkable example of our shared commitment to making a difference for people,” Carrie Owen Plietz, president of Kaiser Permanente Northern California said in a statement, adding that “we are tackling food sustainability for our communities and providing an important opportunity to help build health and wealth in the Bay Area.”