| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.36 |
| Liaison | Matthew Williams |
| Submission Date | Dec. 4, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Florida
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.32 / 6.00 |
Kayla
Caselli Sustainability Manager Gator Dining Services |
Percentage of dining services food and beverage expenditures on products that are third party verified under one or more recognized food and beverage sustainability standards or Local & Community-Based:
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (expenditures on conventional animal products)? (If data is not available, respond “No”):
Percentage of total dining services food and beverage expenditures on conventional animal products (meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, and dairy products that do NOT qualify in either the Third Party Verified or Local & Community-Based category):
A brief description of the sustainable food and beverage purchasing program, including how the sustainability impacts of products in specific categories are addressed (e.g. meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, dairy, produce, tea/coffee):
Gator Dining Services (GDS) follows Aramark’s Green Thread sustainability platform. Green Thread is an ongoing commitment to reduce our environmental impact through programs and practices that enrich and support the natural environment. The four focus areas include:
- Responsible sourcing:
- Locally Sourced: We are committed to prioritizing Fresh from Florida produce and continuing to expand this program into our everyday menus
- Humanely Raised: As of Spring 2019, our dining halls are serving cage-free shelled, liquid (excluding egg white), and hard-boiled eggs.
- Sustainable Seafood: We are committed to meeting our goal to source 100% sustainable seafood.
- Climate-Healthy Menus: We are addressing climate risks through our purchasing practices and menu options.
Coffee used in the dining halls and other locations including Camellia Court Café includes the serving of Sweet Water Organic Coffee. This coffee is roasted and processed in Gainesville, Florida. Their coffee is USDA certified organic, Fair Trade Alliance, and is shade grown. Sweet Water buys their coffee from small farmers and cooperatives supporting families and small businesses in the coffee growing regions of the world.
Most of our egg products in the inventory are American Humane Certified (Cage Free and Enriched Colony). This includes hard-boiled eggs on the salad bar and liquid eggs used at the omelet station.
Many of our fish and seafood products carry certifications such as Best Aquaculture Practices and MSC Certified
https://www.aramark.com/files/green-thread-sustainable-seafood-report
An inventory of the institution’s sustainable food and beverage purchases that includes for each product: the description/type; label, brand or producer; and the category in which it is being counted and/or a description of its sustainability attribute(s):
A brief description of the methodology used to conduct the inventory, including the timeframe and how representative samples accounted for seasonal variation (if applicable):
Total food and beverage purchases were acquired from Gator Dining Services controller. Then invoices from September 1, 2018 – October 31, 2019 and Januarys 1, 2019 - February 15, 2019 were requested from our major food vendors including Sysco and FreshPoint. The locations included in the inventory are Camellia Court Café, Croutons, Catering Operations, Fresh Food Company, Gator Corner Dining Center, Chomp-it Law School, Chomp-it Racquet Club, and Chomp-it Graham Oasis. Convenience stores and national brands were not included in this analysis. Choosing two months during the fall and almost two months during the spring semester allowed for a reflection of some seasonal variations.
Percentage of total dining services expenditures on Real Food A (0-100):
Percentage of total dining services expenditures on Real Food B (0-100):
Which of the following food service providers are present on campus and included in the total food and beverage expenditure figures?:
| 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. national or global brands) | Yes | No |
| Convenience stores | Yes | No |
| Vending services | Yes | No |
| Concessions | No | No |
A brief description of purchased food and beverage products that have other sustainability attributes not recognized above :
"Fresh From Florida' is a program from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that promotes the wide array of products produced by Florida's farmers, rachers, seafood fishemen, aquaculturists and horticulturists. Fresh From Florida highlights in-season produce and food products, provides recipes, and encourages consumers to support in-state agriculture.
Additional percentage of dining services food and beverage expenditures on conventional products with other sustainability attributes not recognized above (0-100) :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Information for the dining credits is for FY18/19. Information for the rest of the STARS submission is for FY17/18.
Information for the dining credits is for FY18/19. Information for the rest of the STARS submission is for FY17/18.
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.