5 things: New Bon Appetit climate policy aims to reduce beef and cheese use

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

Bon Appétit Management Co. has announced climate change policy that commits it to reducing emissions per calorie of food by 38% by 2030. The company says it will work to achieve the target without the use of external carbon offsets through strategies such as an update to its proprietary Food Standards Dashboard reporting tool and using it to continue to track red meat and cheese consumption with a target of less than one ounce per guest per meal for beef and less than 2.5 ounces for all meat, poultry, and seafood.

In addition, Bon Appétit’s Plant-Forward Culinary Collaborative, a working group of chefs tasked with creating plant-forward resources for the company’s culinary staff, will work with the company’s wellness team to conduct regional plant-forward trainings to help to skew menus away from meat and cheese and toward plants.

Read more: Bon Appétit Management Company Announces Ambitious New Climate Change Policy

Ohio County Schools in West Virginia is using UPS to deliver packages containing five days worth of shelf-stable breakfast and lunch items each week between June 7 and July 26 to 586 district students who signed up to get the meals. Delivery by UPS was the most effective way to send the meals as the school district is a member of the Mountaineer Co-op and receives a discount, explains Renee Griffin, the district's child nutrition director.

Related:FM On Demand: Key strategies for K-12’s return to lunchrooms

Read more: Ohio County Schools: Summer Meal Packs To Go Out This Week

Despite California officially reopening for business on June 16, only about 10% of tech companies in the state's Bay Area plan to return to the traditional Monday-through-Friday workweek, claims Jennifer Stojkovic, executive director of tech trade association sf.citi. "So we heard from a lot of companies that this means when employees come into the space they don't necessarily have a desk with their name on it. It's more of a roaming model."

Read more: Timelines Vary for Bay Area Companies Reopening Offices

A renovation of the Selleck Hall food court at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, scheduled for completion by the start of the 2021 fall semester, will include converting the Presidential Dining Room into a new space that allows for gluten-free meal options. “This renovation will provide students with a contemporary dining area that is designed for grabbing a quick meal to go, or sitting down and sharing the meal experience with others,” add David Annis, director of dining services, about the renovation project.

Related:5 things: University of Georgia to offer customizable meal plans this fall

Read more: Selleck dining renovation to add dedicated gluten-free space

A fast food chain in Yokosuka in Japan is using drones to deliver meals to hospital workers. The meals are remote ordered by customers using a delivery service app.

Read more: Drone Delivers Meals to Hospital Workers in Japan

Bonus: 7 wicked tasty New England summer menu items from lobster rolls to whoopie pies

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]