| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.41 |
| Liaison | Krista Bailey |
| Submission Date | Dec. 12, 2023 |
Pennsylvania State University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.80 / 6.00 |
Krista
Bailey Sustainable Campus Strategist Sustainability Institute |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on products that are sustainably or ethically produced:
0.67
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods:
25.19
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):
Data provided is based on actual usage and expenditures for the listed time period. Purchase and inventory data is maintained in an electronic food management and inventory system that maintains historical data for all HFS locations.
The reporting timeframe is July 2021-June 2022
Penn State wishes to not showcase total spend; therefore, the inventory is percentages of total only.
The reporting timeframe is July 2021-June 2022
Penn State wishes to not showcase total spend; therefore, the inventory is percentages of total only.
If reporting Real/Good Food Calculator results, provide:
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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 | Yes | Yes |
| Dining operations and catering services operated by a contractor | No | No |
| Student-run food/catering services | No | No |
| Franchises (e.g., regional or global brands) | Yes | Yes |
| Convenience stores | Yes | Yes |
| Vending services | Yes | Yes |
| Concessions | Yes | No |
Total annual dining services budget for food and beverage products:
$1 million - $4.9 million
Optional Fields
All products meeting our PA/Green standards are purchased on a competitive bid basis and, in addition to meeting our standards, are also our best pricing alternatives. We currently allow for a small cost premium for PA produce items on the UP campus, in order to encourage our produce suppliers to source PA grown products.
We continue to put great efforts into increasing the number of PA vendors we purchase from directly, as well as the amount that we purchase from them. In 2016 we also established a hyper-local standard that includes product from the county in which the campus resides and surrounding counties.
Since its establishment in 2016, some hyper-local produce has been purchased from the Penn State Student Farm. Although there is no specific policy that requires these purchases, Housing & Food Service's head chef actively encourages the managing chefs to buy from the student farm, especially when it has surpluses.
The Vendor Application Form asks for product standards which include:
Pennsylvania/Local Standard-Product is grown in Pennsylvania (40% of raw materials in the finished product originate from Pennsylvania; Products are processed and/or manufactured in PA); Hyper-local (Product is grown in County in which Campus is served or adjacent counties; 40%of raw materials in the finished product originate in County in which Campus is served or adjacent counties; Indicating if company and/or products comply with the following certifications - Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/agriculture/food), Princeton Review (https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/green-guide/data-partnership), STARS.
In May 2023, the university announced it's target to make 35% if its entrees plant-based by 2025. https://www.foodservicedirector.com/menu/penn-state-make-35-its-entrees-plant-based-2025
We continue to put great efforts into increasing the number of PA vendors we purchase from directly, as well as the amount that we purchase from them. In 2016 we also established a hyper-local standard that includes product from the county in which the campus resides and surrounding counties.
Since its establishment in 2016, some hyper-local produce has been purchased from the Penn State Student Farm. Although there is no specific policy that requires these purchases, Housing & Food Service's head chef actively encourages the managing chefs to buy from the student farm, especially when it has surpluses.
The Vendor Application Form asks for product standards which include:
Pennsylvania/Local Standard-Product is grown in Pennsylvania (40% of raw materials in the finished product originate from Pennsylvania; Products are processed and/or manufactured in PA); Hyper-local (Product is grown in County in which Campus is served or adjacent counties; 40%of raw materials in the finished product originate in County in which Campus is served or adjacent counties; Indicating if company and/or products comply with the following certifications - Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/agriculture/food), Princeton Review (https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/green-guide/data-partnership), STARS.
In May 2023, the university announced it's target to make 35% if its entrees plant-based by 2025. https://www.foodservicedirector.com/menu/penn-state-make-35-its-entrees-plant-based-2025
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:
NOTE: Penn State Housing and Food Services elected not to showcase total spend for food purchases. Therefore, all the information in the spreadsheet is strictly percentage of total.
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.