Food Sourcing
At University Housing & Dining Services, we're committed to sustainable food sourcing. At our dining centers, cafes and campus markets, you'll find organic choices and food from growers around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as well as ingredients produced right here on campus.
Menus of Change
University Housing & Dining Services is part of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, a working group of scholars and experts in invited colleges and universities that was launched by the Culinary Institute of America, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Stanford University.
The vision of Menus of Change is to collaborate on research and education in support of culinary-centric, evidence-based food systems innovation within and beyond universities. The colleges and universities that make up the research collaborative are working toward healthier, more sustainable, plant-forward diets.
Food Sourcing Definitions
UHDS dining services is committed to sustainable food sourcing and offers a growing number of locally produced food and organic options.
Local:
UHDS has four distinctions for local.
- Campus-Made: Grown, developed or processed at Oregon State University
- Regional: Grown, made or processed within 100 miles
- Oregon-grown: Grown, made or processed within the state of Oregon
- Northwest-grown: Grown, made or processed within Oregon and Washington
Organic:
UHDS follows USDA standards when labeling or identifying foods as organic. Organic foods are produced without the use of irradiation, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms. Producers meet animal health and welfare standards, did not use antibiotics or growth hormones, used 100% organic feed, and animals are provided with access to the outdoors. For multi-ingredient foods, 95% or more of the ingredients must be certified organic.
Natural:
Since the FDA has not developed a standard for natural, UHDS defines natural foods as not containing added color, artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic substances (high fructose corn syrup), and no added growth hormones or antibiotics ever.
Natural Beverages:
At Five Four One restaurant, UHDS only serves natural beverages. In addition to the standards above, these standards are also followed:
- no added sugar or artificial sweeteners (this includes all types of added sugar including white sugar, corn syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, etc.; artificial sweeteners including aspartame, sugar alcohols, stevia)
- no plain bottled water to encourage tap water consumption from hydration station
Natural Beverage offerings include:
- tap/filtered water: naturally fruit/vegetable/herb-enhanced water
- unsweetened teas or coffee
- unsweetened low-fat milk and non-dairy beverages
- fruit juice-enhanced water or teas
- 100% fruit juice
Sustainable Seafood:
UHDS is committed to purchasing sustainable seafood based on recommendations from Monterey Bay Seafood Watch and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Fish Watch standards. Sustainable seafood is defined as seafood that has been farmed or fished in ways that promote the sustainability of the oceanic ecosystem and the long-term vitality of several marine species.
Fair Trade Certified:
Fair trade certified products are socially and environmentally sustainable.
Our Growers
*Some local items, such as fresh produce, are available only when in season.
| Item | Where to find it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Classic Cheese (OSU Campus) |
Bay Leaf, Five Four One (currently on hold) |
|
| Bob's Red Mill quinoa and oats (Milwaukie) | all dining centers, Bakeshop |
|
| Shepherd's Grain flour (Oregon farmers) | all dining centers, Bakeshop |  |
| Callahan Food Forest produce (OSU Campus) | Five Four One |
|
| Don Froylan cheese (Albany) | Serrano, La Calle |  |
| Monster Cookie Co. cookies (Eugene) | EBGBs, Cascadia, Bing's, Mainsqueeze |
|
| Norpac vegetables (Oregon & Washington) | all dining centers |
|
| High Desert Beef (Eugene) | Calabaloo's, Southside Station @ Arnold grill |
|
| Carlton Farms pork (Carlton) | all dining centers | |
| Wilcox Farms cage-free eggs (Aurora) | all dining centers |
|
| Organically Grown Co. vegetables and seasonal fruits | Five Four One |
|
| Willamette Valley Cheese Co. cheese (Salem) | retail locations |
|
| Willamette Valley Fruit Co. blueberries (Salem) | retail locations, Bakeshop |
|
| Zinner's breakfast sausage (Portland) | all dining centers | |
Additional local vendors who supply products to our retail locations include So Delicious, Cafe Mam, Chippy Chick, Marsees Bakery, Portland Roasters Coffee, Trazza, Higher Taste Sandwiches, and Heart of the Valley Salsas.