BU Dining Services chooses foods with third-party certifications to guarantee an independent organization has reviewed the growing and processing processes of products to comply with environmental standards. Nearly 9% of all BU Dining Service’s purchases carried a third-party certified seal during the 2017-2018 academic year.
Coffee, Tea & Chocolate
Fair Trade Certified – Fair Trade Certified products are made according to rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards. Certifiers ensure that people making Fair Trade Certified goods work in safe conditions, protect the environment, build sustainable livelihoods, and earn additional money to empower and uplift their communities.
Rainforest Alliance Certified – Rainforest Alliance Certified products meet rigorous environmental and social standards that conserve biodiversity, improve livelihoods and human well-being, conserve natural resources, and promote effective farm planning and management systems.
IMO Fair for Life Certified – Certification standard for Fair Trade and responsible supply-chains.
Direct Trade Certified – Producers work directly with growers and produce annual transparency reports. Producers work with growers to establish and certify environmental growing practices and fair labor standards. Direct Trade programs are independently verified by Quality Certification Services, a USDA-accredited certifier.
This Past Year
– 100% of coffee served in dining halls third party certified
– 21.69% of coffee on campus is third party certified
– 39% of tea third party certified
– 32.41% of chocolate and chocolate products third party certified
Seafood
Marine Stewardship Council Certified – The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sets standards for sustainable fishing. The MSC Certification is awarded to wild fish or seafood from fisheries that meet a science-based set of requirements for wild, traceable, and sustainable fishing.
Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Guide – The Monterrey Bay Aquarium researches whether specific species are well managed and caught or farmed in ways that cause little harm to habitats or other wildlife.
Best Aquaculture Practices Certified – Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) is the world’s most comprehensive and proven third-party aquaculture certification program, that works to improve the environmental, social and economic performance of the entire aquaculture supply chain.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute Certified – The Gulf of Maine Research Institute promotes stewarding the ecosystem, supporting sustainable seafood, and strengthening coastal communities. The Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested certification guarantees that products are traceable to the Gulf of Maine region and meet important criteria around responsible harvest.
This Past Year
– 80.31% of seafood was third party certified ($422,214.60 out of $525,750.43)
Looking forward
– Increase to 85% third party certified by 2020
Meat & Eggs
American Humane Certified – American Humane Certified program provides third-party, independent audits to help verify that certified producers’ care and handling of farm animals meet science-based animal welfare standards.
Certified Humane Raised & Handled – The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label assures that food products have come from facilities that meet precise, objective standards for farm animal treatment.
This Past Year
– 17.91% of meat and poultry products are third party certified ($452,750.93 out of $2,527,318.52)
– 99.33% of egg products are third party certified ($456,416.92 out of $459,482.34)
Looking forward:
– Increase meat and poultry products to 20% third party certified by 2020
Produce & Grocery
USDA Certified Organic – Certification of organic growers and producers that adhere to regulations surrounding the use of synthetic chemicals, modified seed, livestock care, and inspections.
This Past Year
– 11% of our produce is organic certified
