5 things: Cage-free egg commitments making strong progress

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:

Despite supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, companies and producers continue to make progress on their commitments to source eggs from cage-free hens, with 71% of tracked companies reporting progress (versus 63% in 2020) against their cage-free commitments, according to the fifth annual EggTrack report released by Compassion in World Farming. It notes that 12 companies, including Compass Group, reported meeting U.S. or North American commitments this past year while eight—including Elior Group, Epicurean Feast Cafés and Spectra—have missed U.S. or North American commitment deadlines, though five—including Aramark, Delaware North and Sodexo—continue to make and update the progress they made against those commitments despite having missed their deadlines.

Read more: Progress towards cage-free egg commitments continues despite supply chain disruptions, latest EggTrack Report reveals

As it struggles to compensate for supply chain interruptions and staffing issues, Washington University at St. Louis (WUSL) Dining Services has been working to address complaints from students about the variety and quality of campus food through initiatives like inviting local food trucks on campus and initiating a program called Bite of St. Louis, which brings local food to campus dining venues. Other strategies being contemplated are bringing back some popular items like the quesadillas served in the Danforth University Center that were taken off the menu because they are labor-intensive and slow down serving lines, perhaps by having the customization option available only on the GrubHub mobile order platform so that the food could be made ahead of time without lengthening in-person lines.

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Read more: How Dining Services has worked to address student complaints this semester

Aramark has announced its commitment to set enterprise-wide science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It follows the company's announcement earlier this year of its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 15% from its 2019 baseline by the end of 2025, aligning the company with SBTi’s new Net-Zero Standard.

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Read more: Aramark Commits to Setting Science-based Targets for Emissions Reduction

Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) in Hawaii recently celebrated its newly renovated cafeteria under its new name, Café Laulima, which was the winning entry in an emplyee/provider naming contest and "means ‘many hands working together in cooperation,’ which is what we do at MMMC to deliver the best patient experience and care," says the contest winner, OB Nurse Laura Schick. "Gatherings around food are always a way to celebrate, even if those gatherings are on hold for now. Our new cafeteria can be a place we gather to eat and celebrate the many hands that work together at the hospital and in our community.”

The cafeteria's remodeled food service area features new, healthy food and menu options from a panini and pizza bar, a hot service area with daily vegetarian and soup options and grab-and-go area with pre-packed and individually wrapped sandwiches, salads, chia seed pudding cups and other single serving snacks and desserts.

Read more: Newly Renovated Cafeteria at Maui Memorial Medical Center Reopens as Café Laulima

The Oak View Group global sports and live entertainment venue development, advisory and investment company has finalized the acquisition announced in August of Spectra, a major live events and entertainment services provider whose food Services & hospitality unit is an FM Top 50 company, following regulatory approval by the U.S. Justice Dept. Spectra will fold its 330 clients across the globe, which include stadiums, arenas, convention centers, performing arts centers, fairgrounds and casinos, into OVG, which has existing partnerships with prominent venues such as the recently opened Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and UBS Arena in Belmont, N.Y.

Read more: Oak View Group Completes Major Acquisition of Spectra

Bonus: Meet the 2021 Food Management Best Sandwiches winners

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]