Street talked to Bon Appetit's Christopher Smith, campus executive chef, and Donald Stauffer, executive chef at Hill Dining Café, to learn more about the sustainability efforts of Penn's dining services. Penn is working on its eco–profile by investing tons of resources into green development and environmental responsibility. And while our dining halls talk a big game, we wanted to find out just how far they go to keep our food green.
Street: Where does Penn’s food come from? Christopher Smith: Bon Appetit at Penn Dining sources its food from a number of different locations with a priority and focus always on local purveyors. As a company, Bon Appetit annually commits that 20 percent of its overall food purchases come from local vendors—according to their Farm to Fork program. Chefs at Bon Appetit are required to purchase at least 20 percent of their ingredients from small, owner–operated farms and ranches located within 150 miles of their kitchens.
Street: How much of Penn’s food is organic? Donald Stauffer: I have not placed a focus on organic products simply because there is not a consensus around terminology. To be organic, the product has to be grown or raised in organic means, but past that point there is no regulation. For example, baby carrots are made by processing large carrots down. The large carrots can be grown organically, but then are processed into the baby carrots and run through a chlorine and chemical bath. The carrots can legally be called organic even though the chemicals were introduced into the product during processing.
Street: Is any of it sustainably grown? CS: Our kitchen philosophy is simple. We cook from scratch using fresh, authentic ingredients. We start with food in its simplest, most natural form. We purchase local and seasonal products. We make our food alive with flavor and nutrition. Our freezers are small and our intention to serve great food is big. Menus are written based on seasonality and availability of regional fresh product. Whenever possible, these are produced locally using sustainable and organic practices. Turkey and chicken are produced without the routine use of antibiotics as a feed additive. Hamburgers are made with Certified Humane ground beef from cattle raised on vegetarian feed with no antibiotics or added hormones. Vegetarian options are plentiful at every meal.
Street: Does Bon Appetit work with any local businesses? CS: Retail locations (Houston Market, Joe’s Café, Mark’s Café, 1920 Retail) are using a variety of local vendors, including Four Worlds Bakery, Rival Bros. Coffee, La Colombe, Flint Hill Farms, Capogiro Gelato, Metropolitan Bakery and Little Baby’s Ice Cream. Houston recently had a day where everything was locally sourced. DS: On September 24, Bon Appetit as a company holds its annual Eat Local Challenge where chefs are “challenged” to source entire menus from 150 miles away or less—the only exception is salt. Additionally, during Spring semester, Bon Appetit will put on an event called Low Carbon Day. For this one day, each Bon Appétit café illustrates the principles of the Low Carbon Diet in menu choices and signage. For example, beef and cheese are high carbon foods because they come from cows, and cows emit methane gas, which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. At the grill station on Low Carbon Diet Day, beef burgers get replaced by lower carbon choices such as turkey or black bean burgers.
Street: Does Bon Appetit have any plans for the next few years to move towards more sustainable or local food? CS: Bon Appétit will continue to work with the most responsible meat and poultry producers to pursue Animal Welfare Approved, Food Alliance, Humane Farm Animal Care or Global Animal Partnership certification of their animal welfare practices. These four programs have standards that not only prohibit such cruel practices as gestation crates and battery cages, but also require animals to be allowed to engage in their natural behaviors
Street: If Penn students are looking to eat healthy, is there a better dining hall/retail option? CS: All Bon Appetit locations on the University of Pennsylvania campus subscribe to the Bon Appetit philosophy and offer a variety of choices.
