ABC's For NYC: New Restaurant Rating System Should Consider Sustainability

A sparkling report card may impress parents and admissions officers, but we've come to understand that such a narrowly focused rating system does not make for a well-rounded student.  Focusing solely on getting straight A's runs the risk of missing out on a more comprehensive and meaningful approach to learning. Just like in the classroom, New York City's new letter grading system for the cleanliness of restaurants may be missing the mark by not including sustainability in their assessments.

Beginning this week, health inspectors will assign New York City restaurants either an A, B, or C rating, depending on how the establishment rates on the department's cleanliness and food safety scale. While some critics argue that the system is too subjective or includes issues unrelated to consumer health, I would argue that the review process doesn't go far enough. The report cards should also reflect whether a restaurant is sourcing its ingredients from sustainable, traceable sources or simply hooked on the industrial food chain.

Maintaining a clean kitchen and storing foods at proper temperatures are obviously important priorities, but restaurant-goers should also be entitled to know if their food originated from places that take the health of humans (and the environment) seriously.  We've seen more than enough outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in recent years to recognize that centralized, factory farming methods are posing greater risks to consumers.  When growers and producers utilize sustainable methods–proper crop rotation, chemical avoidance, proper waste management–and value quality over quantity, they are much better equipped to monitor and limit contamination.

If the city is going to increase the demands on restaurants to meet health and safety requirements, it should seriously consider incorporating a sustainability index to provide consumers with more thorough information about the origins of their next dinner.  Fortunately, a number of sustainable rating systems are already in operation, including the Eat Well Guide, London's newly launched Sustainable Restaurant Association, and Fish2Fork for sustainable seafood.  Tracing the origins of ingredients can be a challenging task for a restaurant struggling to keep afloat in the hustle of New York. But with guidance from these types of programs, even the smallest corner pizzeria could meet those demands and flourish with a flood of customers looking for a safer, more sustainable meal.

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