| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.30 |
| Liaison | Stephen Ellis |
| Submission Date | May 31, 2024 |
Boston University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.47 / 6.00 |
Lexie
Raczka Sustainability Director of Dining Dining Services |
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on products that are sustainably or ethically produced:
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods:
An inventory of food and beverage purchases that qualify as sustainably/ethically produced:
A brief description of the methodology used to conduct the inventory, including the timeframe and how representative samples accounted for seasonal variation (if applicable):
Spending reports were obtained from vendors that service BU Dining Services. Reports include all purchases for the time period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The BU Dining Services Sustainability Director then analyzed the reports using the AASHE criteria and Maeta Data's Open to determine whether items could be counted as third-party certified and/or plant-based.
If reporting Real/Good Food Calculator results, provide:
Which of the following food service providers are present on campus and included in the inventory/assessment?:
| Present? | Included? | |
| Dining operations and catering services operated by the institution | No | No |
| Dining operations and catering services operated by a contractor | Yes | Yes |
| Student-run food/catering services | No | No |
| Franchises (e.g., regional or global brands) | Yes | No |
| Convenience stores | Yes | No |
| Vending services | Yes | No |
| Concessions | Yes | No |
Total annual dining services budget for food and beverage products:
Optional Fields
BU Dining Services prioritizes the purchase of food grown, caught, raised, and produced locally, thereby supporting a healthy, equitable, self-sustaining food system in New England. Through sourcing locally, we are not only able to support environmental benefits, but also have positive impacts on our local community and the local economy. Our production team meets weekly, discussing food sourcing, waste reduction, and menu composition. Since we are located in New England our ability to source local produce is limited by the seasons, we try to purchase as much local produce is as economically feasible in the fall. A vast majority of all dairy, including milk, yogurt, butter, and cheeses, are bought locally year-round. All eggs are cage-free and Certified Humane, wherever feasible. All the coffee served in residential dining rooms is organic, fair trade, and locally roasted. We also purchase grass-fed, Maine-raised ground beef and hot dogs, Maine-raised pork loin, and local and Certified Humane whole chickens and turkey. We utilize a variety of sustainable seafood certifications including MSC Certified and Seafood Watch 'Best Choice' or 'Good Alternative' to ensure that we are purchasing seafood that is sustainably caught and from sustainably managed populations. Being a coastal school, we work with a local seafood vendor to source sustainable seafood locally whenever possible.
Website URL where information about the food and beverage purchasing program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This represents FY2023 BU Metrics. BU currently has eight Certified Green Restaurants on campus. Six of which are three-star restaurants and two of which are four-star restaurants. The George Sherman Union was the first Certified Green food court-style location in the United States. Alcohol from food service and catering is not included due to gaps in data.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.