PlateA calculates the environmental impact of every dish and shares it with your guests in a transparent, verifiable way.
Share the sustainability of your menu, one dish at time
LCA environmental metrics| Tailored metrics
The context
Food sustainability is complex. Existing tools just aren't enough.
Standard carbon footprint software forces universal metrics that fail to highlight the unique values and constraints of different operational environments. An alpine lodge at 2000 meters simply cannot be compared to a city bistro.
Custom indicators with a transparent methodology
Every custom indicator must feature a clear definition, an explicit formula, documented sources and an interpretation scale. These are not arbitrary numbers: they are verifiable and reproducible metrics.
Ingredient-level LCA calculation
Every dish is broken down ingredient by ingredient. The impact is aggregated from raw material production all the way to serving. Maximum granularity, defensible results.
Clear guest-friendly communication
Calculated values are translated into easy-to-read scores and categories, complete with plain-language explanations right on the menu. Guests understand, make conscious choices and trust you more.
Regulatory compliance
PlateA wasn’t adapted to comply with regulations; it was built from the ground up with them in mind: the Green Claims Directive, ISO 14040/14044 and EU Reg. 1169/2011. No claims without substance.
Who is PlateA for?
Every food service environment has its own unique take on sustainability. Our indicator framework is configured to mirror the specific operational, cultural and environmental priorities of each establishment.
Restaurants, Farmstays and Hotels
Standard climate metrics combined with indicators for short supply chains, seasonality and origin. Genuine sustainability to share with your guests.
Mountain huts and alpine accomodation
Tailored, specific indicators to showcase a truly unique level of complexity and logistics.
How it works
From plate to guest insights
The final result is the plateA score, a master index that condenses all chosen indicators into a single rating from 0.5 to 5. It guides guests in their choices while keeping individual indicators visible for those who want a closer look.
#1 Step
Enter recipes ingredient by ingredient
For each dish, specify every ingredient along with its quantity in grams, liters or units. You can also add metadata such as local origin, organic or preserved. the built-in database automatically provides the environmental data for every ingredient.
#2 Step
Select the indicators to calculate
Select which indicators to measure for your menu. You can use standard metrics (GWP, water footprint, eutrophication) and add custom indicators tailored to your specific context.
#3 Step
The platform calculates and aggregate data
PlateA retrieves data for each ingredient, applies calculation formulas weighted by quantity, aggregates impacts at the dish level and factors in your business’s specific weighting criteria. Everything is fully traceable and verifiable.
#4 Step
Communicate transparently with your guests
Calculated values seamlessly integrate into printed menus, digital displays or online ordering systems. Each indicator features a clear explanation, units of measurement and an interpretation guide, fully compliant with the Green Claim Directive.
PlateA score
The rating scale: from 0.5 to 5
All indicators are normalized against the establishment’s own menu. Scores cannot be compared across different businesses; they are designed purely for internal comparison between dishes on the same menu.
Do you need more information?
Get in touch for more information or to schedule your custom demo.
Platform features
Scientific rigor meets contextual flexibility
The true innovation behind PlateA isn't the automated calculation. It's the approach: it empowers each establishment to share its own sustainability story through verifiable data, free from misleading comparisons with other contexts.
Ingredient-by-ingredient LCA calculation
Environmental impact calculated for each ingredient and automatically aggregated at the dish level.
Custom indicators for your context
Define specific metrics using a transparent and verifiable methodology.
Overall score for each dish
An overall score from 0.5 to 5 that provides an instant summary of all indicators.
Dashboards and reporting
Charts and indicators for a comprehensive overview of your menu’s ingredients and dishes.
Data-driven menu optimization
Identify high-impact ingredients and optimize recipes without compromising dish quality.
Full traceability and audit trails
Every calculation is documented and traceable back to the original data source.
Do you need more information?
Contact us for any information.
Sustainability is relative and context-dependent
A sustainable menu at a Mediterranean coastal restaurant is fundamentally different from one at high-altitude Alpine lodge, an urban vegetarian bistro or a corporate cafeteria in Northern Europe.
Alongside standardized environmental metrics, PlateA empowers each establishment to define, weigh and communicate the indicators that matter most to their specific context, without generating misleading comparisons between different realities.
Regulatory compliance
Designed for compliance with EU environmental communication regulations.
In an era of increasing scrutiny over greenwashing, PlateA was developed in alignment with key EU regulations on environmental claims and food information.
EU Directive 2024/825
Green Claims Directive: no vague claims without substance. Every indicator is defined using a transparent and verifiable methodology.
ISO 14040/14044
Principles and requirements for Life Cycle Assessment. The Climate Score strictly follows these international standards.
Reg. EU 1169/2011
Voluntary supplementary food information. Environmental indicators comply with the requirements of clarity and non-misleading communication.
Agribalyse 3.2
An agri-food emission database developed by ADEME. The source of emission factors for each ingredient.
EF3.1 Method
Environmental Footprint 3.1 – the impact assessment method used to calculate total GWP.
No carbon neutrality
PlateA does not allow for “carbon neutrality” claims based on offsets, in line with the ban under Annex I, point 4quater.
THE PILOT PROJECT
Rifugio Telegrafo, Italian Alps, 2147 m
PlateA was developed, coded and tested between September 2025 and March 2026 by Ecoloop and WALD as part of the European TASTE project, featuring the Rifugio Telegrafo "Gaetano Barana" as its pilot.
A high-altitude lodge, a different way to read the menu
Rifugio Telegrafo faces unique logistical challenges: supply runs via helicopter, cableway or on foot, extreme seasonality, limited power and traditional Alpine cuisine as a cultural heritage. No standard tool could capture this level of complexity.
Three indicators were selected in collaboration with the lodge manager: the Climate Score (GWP calculated using the EF3.1 method), the Logistics Score (high-altitude supply chain complexity) and the Hutfulness Score (adherence to Alpine tradition). Their combined result forms the PlateA Score.
The outcome: every dish on the menu is now backed by verifiable, transparent information that helps guests make informed choices, while empowering the manager to optimize the menu using real-world data.
The indicators used in the Rifugio Telegrafo project
Environmental for everyone, tailored to you
PlateA supports two categories of indicators. Standardized indicators follow international LCA methodologies, while customized ones are defined by the business using a transparent and verifiable methodology.
Standardized | ISO 14040
Climate score (GWP)
Global Warming Potential calculated using the EF3.1 method and the Agribalyse 3.2 database. Cradle-to-gate system boundaries extended to table service, including raw materials, processing, packaging, transport and cooking processes.
Custom | Rif. Telegrafo
Logistics score
Measures the logistical complexity of high-altitude sourcing: transport modes, distance from suppliers, delivery frequency, ingredients shelf-life and geographical origin. High scores indicate simple, local logistics.
Custom | Rif. Telegrafo
Hutfullness score
Measures how closely each dish reflects traditional Alpine cuisine and the lodge’s identity: recipe simplicity, typical high-altitude ingredients, suitability for hikers and the preparation effort required under mountain conditions.
Want to learn more about the calculation method we used?
Read the methodological note.
European TASTE project
The TASTE project (Transformative Approaches for Sustainable Food in Tourism) is funded by the European Commission under the Single Market Programme (SMP). Its mission is to drive transformative change in sustainability, digitalization and resilience at the intersection of food and tourism. The project brings together partners from six European countries: Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Latvia and Slovenia.
Find out more at taste-project.com
FAQ
Is this just another carbon footprint tool?
No. PlateA includes GWP (carbon footprint) calculation as one of its standardized indicators, but the real innovation lies in the ability to add customized indicators that reflect the business’s specific context, such as logistics, culinary tradition, seasonality and local supply chains, all backed by a transparent and verifiable methodology.
Are restaurant scores comparable with each other?
No, and that is a strength, not a limitation. The scores are specific to each business’s menu and are designed for internal comparison between dishes. Explicitly stating this is also a requirement under the Green Claims Directive to prevent misleading comparisons.
What are "custom indicators"?
These are metrics defined by the business to capture sustainability dimensions relevant to its specific context. They must feature a clear definition, an explicit formula, documented sources and an interpretation scale. They are not opinions: they are verifiable internal metrics, labeled as such.
How are the scores communicated to guests?
The calculated values or categorical scores are integrated into print menus, digital displays or online ordering systems. Each indicator is accompanied by a plain-language explanation, units of measurement, an interpretation guide and an explicit statement that the scores compare dishes within that specific business only.
Is PlateA only suitable for Alpine lodges?
No. While our first pilot was the Telegrafo Mountain Hut (Mount Baldo, Verona), PlateA’s modular architecture is designed to adapt any foodservice context, including urban restaurants, farmhouses, hotels and corporate cafeterias. Each business defines the indicators that matter most to their specific reality.
How does it integrate with print or digital menus?
PlateA generates values and scores that can be added (either printed or via QR code) to print menus, digital displays or online ordering systems. The Ecoloop team helps design the communication format best suited to the establishment’s context and brand positioning.
Discover PlateA
Contact us for a personalized demo. We’ll show you how PlateA adapts to your specific context.
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