Neutral, Maker of The Nation's First Certified Carbon Neutral Milk, Expands Partnership with Shake Shack
Neutral Foods, the first certified carbon neutral food company in the U.S, today announced the expansion of its partnership with Shake Shack to supply its certified Carbon Neutral Whole Milk to over 90 Shake Shack locations in the U.S.. Shake Shack is the first fast casual restaurant partner for Neutral Foods and is using Neutral Milk to create its beloved hand-spun shakes.
"Shake Shack has always stood by its commitment to do the right thing since day one, and we respect its dedication to support American farmers who are investing in climate smart practices," said Marcus Lovell Smith, CEO of Neutral Foods. “The scale, reach, and popularity of Shake Shack has been integral to our foodservice business supporting our mission to radically reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture across the U.S.” Neutral Foods partners with farmers across America to support carbon emissions reduction projects which can reduce the carbon intensity of milk production. From researching feed supplements that can reduce enteric methane emissions to low carbon electricity when using on-farm equipment like tractors and feed mixers, to off-farm processing, manufacturing and transportation, Neutral Foods invests directly with farmers to mitigate the climate impact of dairy farming.
“Neutral helps me pay for a supplement that reduces greenhouse gases, but it also helps my cows,” said James Mumford, Neutral farm partner in Ostego County, New York. “They are healthier than ever.”
To validate its product promise, Neutral Foods also measures the entire carbon footprint of its products bought from farmers, based on the purchase of offsets, to create products like Neutral Milk without compromising on taste or affordability. Neutral only acquires offsets from U.S. dairy farmers that are verified by Climate Action Reserve (CAR), American Carbon Registry, and VERRA. Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Greg Thoma, a faculty member at Colorado State University, advises in the calculation of each of Neutral Foods’ product footprints and has dedicated the past 12 years to quantifying the carbon footprint of U.S. dairy, including studies assessing and reducing the environmental impact of dairy production systems in the northern U.S. in a changing climate. Neutral organic dairy products are Certified Carbon Neutral by SCS Global Services, a leader in third party verification for environmental and sustainability claims.
"Staying focused on delivering the highest quality ingredients and experience is core to what makes Shake Shack the brand it is today," said Jeffrey Amoscato, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Menu Innovation at Shake Shack. “As many American farmers face economic challenges, Neutral Foods is partnering with them to innovate and find new ways to thrive and help our industry reduce its environmental footprint. This support is something we can certainly get behind as a company born in the hospitality business.”
Shake Shack first started its pilot with Neutral Milk at select Shake Shack locations in early 2022 and is now expanding to more locations across New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Massachusetts. By using Neutral Milk, to date, Shake Shack has already avoided more than 375 metric tons (MT) of CO2e, equivalent to 873,000 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle (source: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator). Neutral Milk supplied to Shake Shack will be sourced from several local farmers in the northeast.
To learn more about Shake Shack’s commitment to Stand for Something Good and read its latest report, visit shakeshack.com.