Singapore — SaladStop! Group won praise from the international NGO, the Lever Foundation, for its commitment to diversifying protein sourcing, with a target of sourcing at least 60% of its protein from plant-based ingredients across its shops globally. Plant-based proteins are already widely integrated into the company’s dishes, with ingredients such as legumes, seitan (wheat protein), nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens, and mushrooms featuring prominently across the group’s menus.

Founded in 2009 with the aim of bringing a more conscious approach to fast food, SaladStop! Group now operates over 80 outlets across Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and beyond, serving over five million people a year. Its motto, “Eating Wide Awake,” captures the group’s core commitment: finding the best possible ingredients to feed the mind and body by taking into consideration the environment as well as the food chain. The group seeks out like-minded partners who share its commitment to sustainable sourcing, while still delivering the freshest ingredients possible. In 2023, SaladStop! became B Corp certified, affirming its commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance.

SaladStop! Group’s protein transition target connects directly to the company’s net-zero journey. In 2020, it became the first restaurant group in Asia to carbon-label its entire menu, and the Group has committed to achieving Net Zero across its operations by 2030. Achieving a 60% plant-sourced protein rate across its restaurants is an important additional measurable step toward reducing the carbon intensity of the food it serves, translating its broad sustainability commitment into something customers can taste and choose every day. Across its portfolio of brands—SaladStop!, Heybo, Wooshi, Smoosha, and FreshKitchen—plant-based proteins already play a prominent role, serving not just as protein sources but as ingredients that provide essential
nutrients, fiber, phytochemicals, and a greater sense of fullness.

“At SaladStop! Group, we believe that great food should offer richness, variety, and flavor while remaining well-balanced,” said Adrien Desbaillets, CEO of SaladStop! Group. “We are reinforcing that philosophy with our protein diversification policy goal of sourcing at least 60% of our protein from healthy plant-based sources across our shops and operations globally. This approach allows us to explore diverse ingredients and create exciting, satisfying dishes for our customers while strengthening our commitment to reducing environmental impact.”

“SaladStop! Group is setting an industry-leading example of how protein diversification can be embedded into a growing global food business without compromising taste, freshness, or nutritional balance,” said Marielle Lagulay, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, which supported the development of the commitment. “In formalizing a goal of sourcing at least 60% of its protein from plants, the Group has established a clear and meaningful benchmark that we hope other food service companies will follow.”

Plant-based proteins contain no cholesterol, are high in fiber, and are nutrient-rich, all of which support improved health outcomes for customers. Research from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and countless others has made clear that plant-based proteins generate substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than animal proteins, require far less land and water, and generate significantly less food waste.

ABOUT LEVER FOUNDATION

Lever Foundation is a global NGO operating across Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Lever partners with
leading companies to upgrade their food sourcing toward more humane, safe, and sustainable supply chains, with a focus on
expanded plant-based food offerings and improved animal protein sourcing standards.