New 30% Plant-Based Menu Benchmark Takes Effect
Restaurants across 50 countries must now reach this target to maintain their Food Made Good Standard certification.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Vegetarian
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Should hospitality businesses be required to include a minimum percentage of plant-based meals on their menus?
The Sustainable Restaurant Association has introduced a new 30% plant-based menu benchmark in its 2027 Food Made Good Standard. This update, which affects restaurant operators across 50 countries, requires establishments to maintain a formal policy regarding the percentage of plant-forward offerings.
Why it matters
The change aligns industry certification with new regulatory mandates under the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive. By reweighting its scoring criteria, the association aims to standardize sustainability practices for restaurants globally.
The Sustainable Restaurant Association introduced a 30% plant-based benchmark, a figure determined after consultation with over 50 specialists. It remains unknown how individual restaurant compliance will vary across the 50 countries currently using the Food Made Good Standard.
The players
Sustainable Restaurant Association
An international organization based in London that provides sustainability ratings and standards for the hospitality industry.
Intertek
A global provider of quality and safety assurance that will conduct third-party audits for EU businesses.
World Sustainability Organization
An entity that issues certification standards for more than 500 restaurants worldwide.
Global Sustainable Tourism Council
An international body that sets standards for sustainable travel and food consumption.
The details
The new standard mandates a written policy that ensures at least 30% of menu items are plant-based, a move designed to lower the environmental impact of dining operations. EU businesses will now utilize Intertek for independent document reviews as part of the verification process. Scoring was adjusted following consultations with a diverse group of over 50 academics, NGOs, and industry specialists to ensure alignment with contemporary environmental expectations.
Timeline
July 2026: Global Sustainable Tourism Council released its initial Food and Beverage Standard.
September 2026: EU businesses received the new question set and the World Sustainability Organization updated its mandatory conditions.
January 2027: The new edition takes effect and operators transition to a rebuilt online submission platform.
Health Landscape
This development reflects an accelerating trend in food service standards to incorporate formal sustainability benchmarks. It follows the integration of similar criteria by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the World Sustainability Organization.
While this change applies to restaurant operations, it signals a broader shift toward increased plant-based accessibility in commercial food environments. Diners can look for these certified establishments as a marker of improved transparency regarding the sustainability of their menu options.
The takeaway
The new 30% plant-based menu standard signals a major shift toward standardized environmental accountability in the restaurant industry. Consumers interested in these practices should look for restaurants displaying the current Food Made Good Standard certification during their next audit cycle.
Further reading
Learn more about plant-forward dining and industry standards in our Vegetarian section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by vegconomist - the vegan business magazine.
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Should hospitality businesses be required to include a minimum percentage of plant-based meals on their menus?
