Western Oregon University

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Society

Western Oregon University Commits to 50% Plant-Based Meals by 2027

Western Oregon University (WOU) has announced its commitment to transitioning 50% of campus dining options to plant-based meals by 2027. This initiative, part of the Forward Food Pledge, is in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The university, the oldest public institution in Oregon, intends to offer a more inclusive dining experience, featuring globally inspired whole food and plant-based dishes to cater to its diverse student body. Currently, 29% of meals served on campus are plant-based, and WOU’s sustainable dining program includes composting food waste, using reusable to-go containers, and sourcing local foods when possible. Kym Bower, a food service innovation specialist at HSUS, praised WOU’s efforts. “We applaud WOU’s commitment to helping animals, their students, and the planet through this …

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Society

University of Leeds Offers Studentship on Social & Environmental Impact of Alt Proteins

The UK’s University of Leeds is collaborating with GFI Europe to offer a studentship addressing the question, “How will alternative proteins affect people and the environment in the UK and Europe over the coming decades?” The interdisciplinary PhD project is said to be suitable for an academically excellent, impact-focused candidate. Applicants must have an excellent, relevant undergraduate degree, along with a passion for sustainable food systems and proven quantitative and communication skills. The project will seek to address three queries within the main overarching question: How are different alternative proteins likely to be accepted in different European contexts? How could European demand for different proteins change up to 2050? What would the social, economic, and environmental impacts of meeting this demand be? The aim is …

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Students eating outside

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Food Service

Kent State University Partners with Forward Food, Aims for 30% Plant-Based Meals by 2026

Kent State University in Ohio has announced its plan to increase its plant-based meal offerings to 30% across all dining services by 2026. This initiative, developed in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States’ Forward Food program, aims to enhance the sustainability and nutritional value of food choices available to students on campus. Kent State University’s decision to double the plant-based meal target comes after the university successfully exceeded its previous objective of making 15% of its meals plant-based in its residential dining facilities. Sarah Korzan, a licensed and registered dietician and assistant director of Kent State’s culinary services, says that the shift is part of a move to cater to the diverse dietary preferences of the student population. “With over a third …

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Forward Food plant based cafeteria

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Food Service

SFU and Forward Food Summit: Educational Institutions Shaping Plant-Based Food Market

On November 2nd, Simon Fraser University (SFU) in British Columbia, Canada, partnered with Humane Society International and its Forward Food initiative to host the SFU and Forward Food Summit (Plant-Based Edition). This event provided a platform for food service professionals and leaders to come together, facilitating networking opportunities and equipping them with the necessary skills to integrate plant-based foods into their menus, with the goal of promoting a more sustainable and locally sourced food system. The summit featured a lineup of expert speakers and panelists, including Brent Loken, the global food lead scientist for WWF Global Science, and Amy Symington, nutrition professor and plant-based chef at George Brown College. In addition to the informative sessions, 24 chefs participated in specialized training, showcasing how to effectively …

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plant-based university

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Food Service

Canadian University Surpasses 40% Plant-Based Menu Goal

Western University in Ontario, Canada, has exceeded its initial commitment to introduce plant-based meal options in its residence dining halls. The institution, which had originally pledged in May to make 40 percent of its dining hall menus plant-based by January 2024, has surpassed this goal ahead of schedule. As of September 2023, 43 percent of the meals offered in Western University’s dining halls are plant-based, according to Colin Porter, the university’s director of hospitality services. This achievement comes as a result of Western University’s collaboration with the Humane Society International, making it the first institution in Canada to commit to a plant-based goal through an audit process. The collaboration also involved a professor from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. This …

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3D-printed plant-based pork and turkey burgers

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Printed Technology

SavorEat’s 3D Printing Robot Chef Makes Its Debut at University of Denver

After a partnership announcement in 2021, Sodexo and SavorEat officially deployed their 3D printing robot chef as part of a pilot project at the University of Denver, marking its US debut. Starting this week, students at the University of Denver can enjoy SavorEat’s printed burgers at the Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market in Community Commons, as initially reported by The Spoon. Personalized printing SavorEat, an Israeli food-tech company known for its plant-based 3D printing technology, debuted its Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2021 after raising $13 million from an IPO. Its 3D printer, which prints and cooks plant-based burgers using infrared light, allows customers to personalize their burgers based on their own preferences, including fat and protein levels.  Racheli Vizman, CEO of SavorEat, told The …

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Plant Based Universities

© Plant Based Universities

Charity & Campaigns

850+ Academics, Politicians, and Public Figures Demand Vegan Catering in UK Universities

The Plant-Based Universities campaign has sent an open letter to university vice-chancellors, catering managers, and student union presidents across the UK, calling for a transition to 100% plant-based catering in UK universities.  The open letter, supported by over 850 academics, politicians, and public figures, including Chris Packham, Etienne Stott MBE, and George Monbiot, marks one of the largest instances of academic endorsement for a plant-based food system.  Urgency of change Michelle Farnham of the Plant-Based Universities campaign emphasized the urgency of the call, saying, “This open letter should be a clear message to universities across the UK and beyond that the time for bold and decisive change is now.” Chris Packham, a well-known broadcaster and environmentalist, expressed his support, stating, “The student campaigners of Plant-Based …

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JUST Egg becomes popular at US colleges

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Egg Alternatives

JUST Egg Now Served at 45% More US Colleges Than a Year Ago

JUST Egg has reported a 45% growth in US college and university food service accounts over the past year, with over 40 new campus partners added since January 2023 alone. This takes the total number of higher education institutions offering the plant-based egg alternative to 120. College caterers are said to be using JUST Egg in a wide range of dishes, including sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, grain bowls, salads, and baked goods. JUST Egg has also continued to expand throughout other US locations, with distribution up 14% since last year. The company’s food service business has seen particular success, growing 15% in Q1 of 2023 and 39% in Q2. Making plant-based the default The news comes as students and higher education establishments increasingly embrace plant-forward food. …

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Brakes promotes plant-forward meals

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Food Service

Leading UK Food Wholesaler Brakes Encourages Plant-Forward Meals in Educational Settings

Brakes, the UK’s leading food wholesale supplier, has launched an initiative encouraging education caterers to serve plant-forward meals. The company is offering a set of resources to help school, college, and university caterers understand the benefits and opportunities of including more plant-based ingredients in their dishes. This includes recipe and menu suggestions, along with nutritional information and cost-saving tips. Brakes said that removing animal products entirely can be challenging for caterers, especially as some students struggle with unfamiliar foods. However, taking a plant-forward approach provides significant sustainability benefits and cost savings without entirely eliminating animal ingredients. While Brakes’ plant-forward resources for educators emphasise whole foods like beans and vegetables, the wholesaler also offers meat alternatives such as those made by Moving Mountains and THIS. “Virtuous …

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University of Cambridge plant-based

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Charity & Campaigns

University of Cambridge Students Vote to Remove All Animal Products From Menus

Students at the UK’s prestigious University of Cambridge have voted to make menus fully plant-based across the student union’s cafes and canteens. Following a four-week consultation process, 72% of non-abstaining voters were in favour of the motion. The vote was held in response to lobbying from the Plant-Based Universities campaign, which is supported by Animal Rebellion (an offshoot of environmental group Extinction Rebellion). The motion does not guarantee that Cambridge’s catering services will remove animal products altogether, as decisions about menus are made by the university rather than the students’ union. The vote also does not apply to the university’s colleges, though Plant-Based Universities Cambridge said it provided “an extremely strong mandate for colleges to begin transitioning to 100% plant-based menus”. But while the outcome …

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Berlin University

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Berlin Universities to Drop 96% of Meat on Canteen Menus For Climate Harm Reduction

In response to popular demand from students, canteen meals in Berlin are becoming even more climate-friendly. According to dpa, a meat-free Monday is planned, as well as a general expansion of the range of vegetarian and vegan dishes from the coming winter semester. “The new nutritional concept was developed in particular because students have repeatedly approached us with the wish to make the food on offer in the dining halls even more climate-friendly,” explains Daniela Kummle from the Studierendenwerk. In the future, vegetarian and vegan options will make up the majority of the menu in Berlin’s canteens, with only about four per cent of the menu consisting of meat or fish. According to Kummle, the city’s refectories have been offering a so-called vegan climate meal …

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Society

The Good Food Institute Announces Top Universities for Scholarship Programme

The Good Food Institute has recently launched a competitive $3 million  scholarship program to support open-source research on plant-based and cultured meat. The 24 universities selected for the programme have now been announced. They have beaten the competition because of their technical expertise, research capacity and partnerships with the private sector.

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