University Business - August 2008 - (Page 12)

BEHIND the NEWS Dining Halls Feel Squeeze from Soaring Food Prices HARVARD HAS A ROUGHLY $38 billion endowment, yet recently its Dining Services started to supplement cherry tomatoes with tomato wedges and use more chicken thighs in place of breast meat, a cost-control decision that sparked student outrage and media attention. Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor cite that national domestic food costs rose 5 percent compared to where they were one year ago, and Harvard’s adjustments are in line with what food-service operations at higher ed institutions across the country are doing in response to increasing food costs. Gas prices, which are incorporated into food costs, contribute to this issue. Measures being taken at campus dining halls range from creative menu changes to renegotiating contracts with food suppliers, all while trying to maintain food quality. “This increase has tasked us with working a little harder and being more creative in helping to offset costs without sacrificing food quality,” says David Heidke, director of LSU Dining at Louisiana State University. Ongoing menu revisions aim to offer edible options that are not as costly to make but still appeal to student palates, such as pasta dishes. Another cost saver is making pizza dough in-house. Even with such steps, meal plans at the university will cost almost 7 percent more this fall. Another savings option, and one that carries additional health benefits for students, has been reducing portions. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has taken this measure by implementing a “small plate, big flavor” program, according to Ken Toong, executive director of Dining Services. With chicken, for example, students now receive a 3-ounce portion (which the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion considers a single serving) instead of a 6-ounce one. U To combat rising food costs, staff at LSU Dining at Louisiana State University have revised its menus to feature price-savvy dishes that are still savory to student palates. A FEW COMMON FOOD STAPLES AND THEIR AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE, from June 2007 to June 2008: Ground beef, lean and extra lean, per pound $3.061 to $3.198 = up 13 cents American processed cheese, per pound $3.629 to $3.929 = up 30 cents Chicken breast, bone-in, per pound $2.251 to $2.424 = up 17 cents Milk, fresh, whole, fortified, per gallon $3.427 to $3.773 = up 35 cents Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Consumer Price Index, Average Price Data http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=ap UMass, which serves 40,000 meals per day to 13,600 students during the school year, has also streamlined its cooking process by using software to analyze the flow of dining traffic so that cooking can be done based on need. In addition, the school has been actively renegotiating its contracts with vendors to address food costs increases. Eliminating plastic trays is another way schools reduce food waste—and use less energy and detergent. Heidke notes that food waste has been reduced by nearly 30 percent as a result of the decision at LSU to go trayless. With the fall semester approaching, dining services will still face food cost increases. Sodexho spokesperson Jaya Bohlmann says the company is seeking ways to enhance efficiencies in areas relating to deliveries, food preparation and consumption, and waste management. How long will it all last? “From the data we are seeing,” Heidke says, “we believe that we are going to be looking at continued food inflation for the next year or so.” —Michele Herrmann 12 | August 2008 universitybusiness.com http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=ap http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2008

University Business - August 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
On the Hill
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
Community Colleges
Dorms of Distinction
Streamlining Admissions: Opening the Front Door
E-mail, Gmail, and Beyond
EduComm Deals a Winning Hand
What's New
End Note

University Business - August 2008