Aramark is soon aiming for nearly half of its menu items on college campuses to be plant based.
The foodservice management company plans to have 44% of offerings on its residential dining menus be plant based by 2025.
Currently, 26 to 30% of Aramark’s menu offerings at colleges are plant based, according to the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) Protein Sustainability Scorecard.
This goal is supported by Aramark’s partnership with the HSUS, with whom Aramark has collaborated on plant-based initiatives for 15 years, according to a statement.
Aramark says it will expand training for culinary staff, broaden marketing efforts, provide annual reports on its progress toward this goal and work with the HSUS to develop and integrate more plant-based entrees.
This new initiative aligns with Aramark’s climate change commitments, including its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the food it serves by 25% by 2030.
“Increasing plant-based proteins, while decreasing animal proteins, is a major factor in helping us reduce food-related emissions and is responsive to changing consumer dietary preferences,” said Alan Horowitz, vice president of sustainability at Aramark.
Aramark’s move is in line with a similar goal announced earlier this year by Sodexo, which aims to leverage its own relationship with the HSUS to increase its plant-based offerings in higher ed.