F W P

REDUCING FOOD WASTE 1
Reducing Food Waste in a University Food Service Program
_______________________
Applied Research Project
Presented to
Department of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism
College of Education and Allied Studies
California State University, East Bay
Hayward, CA
______________________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
M.S. in Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism
_______________________
by
Courtney A. Ellis
May 2023
© Courtney A. Ellis 2023
Keywords: food waste, food insecurity, catering, sustainability

© 2023
Courtney A. Ellis
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Table of Contents
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 4
Chapter One .................................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 5
Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................................ 6
Type of Project ........................................................................................................................ 7
Significance of the Project ...................................................................................................... 7
Chapter Two.................................................................................................................................... 9
Review of Related Literature ...................................................................................................... 9
Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry .................................................................................. 9
College Students facing Food Insecurity .............................................................................. 16
Gaps in the Literature............................................................................................................ 19
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 20
Chapter Three................................................................................................................................ 22
Scope of the Project .................................................................................................................. 22
Project Type .......................................................................................................................... 22
Goals & Objectives ............................................................................................................... 22
Informing Resources ............................................................................................................. 23
References ..................................................................................................................................... 25
List of Figures
Figure 1: Food Waste Conceptual Map………………………………………………………….13

Chapter One
Introduction
The objective of this project is to explore the waste of food in an institution of higher
education’s food service program and present strategies for the reduction of waste. The food
service program examined for this project is located at the newest of 23 public, four-year
universities in the California State University (CSU) system, California State University Channel
Islands (CSUCI). According to the CSUCI Facts & History (2022) website, CSUCI had 5,643
students in fall 2022 including 173 post-baccalaureate students. The student population consisted
of 66.01% women, 33.79% men, and .19% non-binary. There were approximately 79% of
students who commuted to campus. Most of the students resided in Ventura County where
CSUCI is located and from Los Angeles County to the immediate east. CSUCI offered 27 areas
of focus, 27 areas of concentration, 13 graduate and credential programs. A point of pride for
CSUCI is its student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Additionally, CSUCI is designated as a Hispanic
Serving Institution with a 56.8% Latino/Hispanic student population and educated roughly
61.2% first-generation college students in the fall of 2022.
University Auxiliary Services (UAS), the food service program at CSUCI serves the
campus community including residential students, commuter students, employees, and a small
community of private residences housing about 2000 residents located on campus. UAS operates
several locations with varying levels of food service. There is one full-service buffet-style
restaurant; a pizza and salad fast-casual restaurant; one cafe with a small menu of made-to-order
fast food, soups, and sandwiches; a coffee shop with a small selection of pastries and pre-made
sandwiches and salads; a small convenience store; as well as a full-service catering operation.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this project is to create a manual that provides tactics for the reduction of
food wasted in a university food service program as well as providing options for redistributing
surplus food. Food and drinks are a main draw for events and are always at the top of the list of
logistical considerations when planning an event. Kim et al. shared that “quality food functions
are one method to create exciting and memorable events” (2009, p. 212). Food and drinks assist
in creating a sensory encounter for event attendees and contribute to an enjoyable experience for
eventgoers. Since food and drinks are such a core component for events, it is no coincidence that
the waste of food is a serious issue that the hospitality industry worldwide must face. More than
one-third or 1 billion tons of the world’s food waste is a result of spoil or being thrown away
annually according to Eriksson et al. (2017). Over 41% of food goes to waste annually in the
United States alone (Feeding America, 2022). According to Recycle Track Systems (2022),
consumer households are the greatest generator of wasted food in the United States at 43%
followed closely by the hospitality industry, and grocery stores. Although the hospitality industry
trails consumers, leaders in the hospitality sector must investigate methods for reducing wasted
food in the industry.
Locally, food service providers at institutions of higher education have a distinctive
opportunity to serve the campus community in a myriad of ways. Supplying food and drinks to
the campus community is the primary purpose of food services providers on college campuses.
For food service operations that can manage, catering services for on campus events is a large
revenue-generating opportunity. Another opportunity for campus food service providers is to
partner with campus departments to meet the students’ basic needs including food insecurity.
“Food insecurity is a growing public health problem for college students, with a significant
potential for adverse effects on both physical and mental health functioning” according to Payne-
Sturges et al. (2018, p. 349). Given the fact that the country is currently facing the highest rate of
college students going hungry regularly, food insecurity con college campuses is a fast-rising
concern. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the lack of adequate nutrition has an
adverse effect on academic performance. Lee et al. (2017) argued that although a substantial
share of the populace lacks necessary access to food, there is a universal food waste issue.
Gunders (2012) furthered that sentiment by estimating that around 41 percent of all consumable
food is wasted annually in the U.S. Combining and addressing these two growing concerns is an
important avenue to be explored.
Type of Project
The outcome of this project will include a handbook outlining approaches that food
service providers can implement to decrease food waste including a method to redirect food post-
event on higher education campuses. Through reviewing their practices, food service providers
can benefit by cutting waste and reducing costs. In situations when surplus food is unavoidable,
redirecting the excess food to hungry students is another way to reduce waste. Successful
implementation of these strategies includes collaboration and support from the following campus
partners: the Executive Director of University Auxiliary Services, the Director of Dining
Services, the Executive Chef & Residential Dining Manager, and the Catering Manager.
Significance of the Project
Leaders in the hospitality industry must prioritize the implementation of food waste
reduction interventions as well as identify options for safely and responsibly redirecting food to
those who are experiencing food insecurity. To tackle food insecurity on campuses, institutions
of higher education have created basic needs programs that include food, financial, and housing
assistance for students in need. In the CSU specifically, every campus has taken on the
responsibility of assisting students with their basic needs as they work their way through their
academic journey; addressing food waste through redirection in one way to assist in that
endeavor.
In 2012, over 20 million pounds of food goes to waste at colleges annually, averaging
140 pounds of food wasted per college student (Poon, 2015). According to Frank (2022), the top
two priorities that food service providers should target is decreasing the amount of excess food
generated as well as redirecting surplus food. Known as food rescue, edible food can be provided
to individuals before it enters the food waste stream (Frank, 2022). Through the implementation
of this guide, UAS will be able to look critically at its current food waste numbers and processes,
implement interventions, reduce food waste generation, and create a food rescue program. Not
only does reducing food waste benefit the environment, but UAS will also see some cost savings
as well as contribute to food insecure students through the donation of left-over catering food. At
the conclusion of this project, food service providers at other higher education campuses can use
this guide to implement a similar interventions to decrease food waste.
In their analysis, the Champions 12.3 coalition examined over 100 restaurants in 12
countries ranging from independent cafes to nationwide chains to review savings surrounding
kitchen food waste. The most significant finding from the analysis was that seven dollars in
operating costs were saved for every one dollar invested (Champions 12.3, 2019). Any reduction
in food waste will result in monetary savings and this guide will provide cost-saving
interventions to UAS so they can implement and document their food waste reduction. As a
result of 30-35% of all food in America going uneaten each year (Vogliano, 2016), food service
providers must start implementing sustainable and measurable food waste reduction plans.
Chapter Two
Review of Related Literature
The reason for this review is to examine the current literature on wasted food within the
hospitality industry, with a focus on catering practices. Additionally, a review will be conducted
on the literature surrounding food insecurity within institutions of higher education. It is critical
to review relevant literature on the topic as it will inform the process through which university
food services reduce food waste as well as make excess food from events available to students in
need in a safe manner. The first section below includes literature surrounding food waste
quantification analyses globally. The second section below includes literature on the effect food
insecurity has on students in college. The final sections summarize gaps in the literature and a
conclusion.
Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry
University dining programs are a unique sector of the hospitality industry that serves
hundreds to thousands of college and university students, staff, faculty, and community members
daily. Ahmed et al. (2018) focused their research on exploring ways to reduce wasted food in a
mid-sized university campus in the northern United States through experiential learning and
integrating interventions. The research included collecting and quantifying food waste before and
after introducing food waste interventions. This method is similar to other studies and provides a
baseline for the amount of waste before and after various interventions are implemented. The
researchers believe that for higher education institutions to be successful in food waste
management, various “…stakeholders, including students, need to be involved, where each has a
set of directions, goals and objectives” (Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 1077). Any successful endeavor
must have buy-in at all levels otherwise, the participants will not see the importance of carrying
it out. The experiential learning course participants including instructors, research assistants, and
course students involved in this study began building relationships with key campus stakeholders
over six months prior to the beginning of the study to attain strong stakeholder buy-in.
At the beginning of the study, food waste in one dining hall was collected over three
weekdays from both the kitchen staff during preparation and the students once their meal was
complete. Interventions included reducing portion size, changing the size of serving utensils, and
outreach campaigns targeted at student diners. The interventions were implemented ten days
after the baseline food waste count. The post-intervention measurements of wasted food occurred
three weeks after applying the interventions. In addition, a five-question survey was offered to
students during the three days of pre-intervention food waste collection. Ahmed et al. (2018) did
not believe that their study was easily replicated and the results were not generalizable. Another
variable that impacts the results of this and similar studies is the variation in menu offerings.
While there are generally staple food items available, there is also a small selection of chef’s
choice meals that could lead to more food waste depending on diner’s preferences. Overall, there
was no meaningful decrease in the quantity of food wasted. The largest impact was on the
experiential learning students who went through the process of collecting food waste. It gave
them first-hand knowledge of the volume of food waste produced in a food service program and
they were able to use that knowledge to better inform their outreach efforts.
In their research on wasted food in catering businesses within the healthcare, corporate,
and hospitality (i.e., hotels and restaurants, etc.) industries, Meier et al. (2021) conducted a pre-
and post-food waste evaluation. The focus of their study was to explore the current state of waste
by the participating catering companies, implementing waste-saving measures, and conducting
post-evaluation to evaluate the amount of food that was saved. The researchers collected data
daily in the following categories: waste from storage by expiration; waste during food
processing; surplus production; and returned plates (Meier et al., 2021). Based on the pre- and
post-data collected, the hospitality sector was the least successful in reducing waste by only 10%,
while the healthcare sector saved 17% and the business sector saved 16% (Meier et al., 2021).
The study also found that the most waste reductions were found on surplus reduction and plate
return. One gap in this study was in accounting for varied menus offered by each caterer during
the pre- and post-observation periods. Certain meals could produce less processing waste than
others and more exotic menus could leave room for consumers to pass on parts of the meal due
to personal preferences.
While not specific to the hospitality sector, the study focused on the quantity of food that
was wasted in a school cafeteria facility. The purpose of the research was to “…identify
interventions that could be scaled up so that school canteens can achieve the larger-scale
reductions in food waste necessary for a sustainable food system” (Malefors et al., 2021, p. 2).
The study focused on a public catering company that services 30 kitchens within a Swedish
municipality providing meals to preschools, schools, and care homes (Malefors et al., 2021). The
researchers collected pre- and post-food waste quantification and implemented the following
four interventions to gauge waste reductions: (a) an information campaign designed to educate
children on plate waste, (b) providing tasting spoons for children to sample food before helping
themselves, (c) a plate waste tracking system that displayed educational messages to children as
well as the amount of waste, and (d) improved guest attendance forecasting to better determine
need in hopes of not overproducing food. The study found that all four of the interventions
implemented had positive results in reducing food waste with the largest waste reducer being the
plate waste tracker which actively showed guests the amount of food they were wasting.
One of the limitations noted for this study is the idea of “buy-in” from the catering
companies and their kitchen staff. Although the management of the catering companies agreed to
participate, it was up to the kitchen staff to follow through and there was some pushback.
According to Malefors et al., “…it is hard to force canteens to use interventions that they don’t
believe in” (2021, p. 8). It was unclear if the kitchen staff followed the protocols fully and that
may have impacted the results.
In their study on food waste generated by a restaurant, Alcorn et al. (2020), found that
employee awareness and participation in food waste reduction practices are essential to realizing
food waste reduction goals. This study focused on reducing food waste in a restaurant on a
university campus in the United States. The researchers conducted a six-week observation,
implemented waste reduction strategies, and then conducted another six-week observation. They
split food waste into two main categories: pre-consumer waste (waste within the kitchen) and
post-consumer waste (waste by the customer). Some of the waste reduction strategies
implemented were employee training on food waste, reducing food batch sizes, making burger
toppings by request, and tabletop tents with food waste education. According to Alcorn et al.,
there was an 11.8% decrease in overall food waste in the pre-consumer category and an increase
in post-consumer waste of 2.5%. The biggest weakness of this research was that it was
conducted at only one restaurant that was located on a university campus. This offered a very
limited sample size and demographic.
Zhao and Manning (2019) conducted a study of university students, staff, and faculty to
examine factors influencing food waste as well as food consumers’ intentions behind food waste.
It was determined that an ideal sample size based on the college size was 258. Their online
survey resulted in 260 respondents with 66% students, 72% female, and 66% between the ages
of 18 and 26. 52% of student respondents reported that meals were always shared with friends
and 19% reported eating alone. For their study, Zhao and Manning categorized food waste as
occurring in three categories: kitchen waste (meal preparation), serving loss (spilled, served
incorrectly, or unserved), and plate waste (food left on a plate by the consumer). The researchers
note that factors influencing food waste include food type and quantity, palatability,
acceptability, knowledge and awareness, price/value, time available to eat, gender, age, and
incorrectly estimating the number of meals needed (Zhao and Manning, 2019). Similar to other
studies, plate size and portion size were among the biggest contributors to food waste by
consumers. In addition to recommending a closer look at serving size, Zhao and Manning
suggest a robust communication plan including a variety of media types with targeted messaging
in the food service area, messaging to students or residents during orientation, and general
messaging throughout the campus. Zhao and Manning developed a conceptual map based on the
study to visualize the causes of food waste, factors that influence waste, and possible solutions as
seen in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1
Food Waste Conceptual Map

The previously reviewed food waste quantification studies all use similar methods for
collecting and quantifying food waste. Malefors et al. (2019) sought to streamline and
standardize the process of collecting, categorizing, quantifying, and reporting food waste in the
hospitality sector. After reviewing numerous other studies, the researchers noted that there was
no common set of definitions of food waste, categorizing food waste states, appropriate length of
waste collection, processes for sorting food waste, consistently weighing food waste, data
transcription, or reporting structure (Malefors et al., 2019). These differences in previous
research studies made it difficult to draw comparisons. Based on their research, Malefors et al.
drafted a standardized process for collecting and quantifying food waste and were able to recruit
760 kitchens in restaurants, canteens, hotels, hospitals, schools, preschools, and elderly care units
in Sweden, Finland, and Germany to participate in food waste collection through their process.
Based on their results, it was determined that 20% of the food served was wasted (Malefors et
al., 2019) with canteens (24%) and restaurants (26%) reporting the highest percentage of waste
overall. While the authors noted that there will always be room for deviations, creating a
standard for food waste quantification was a great first step in being able to consistently and
reliably determine food waste at various stages in the process.
In their study on food that goes to waste in the hospitality industry, Pirani and Arafat
(2015) examined 45 hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias that operated for profit in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). The researchers chose a variety of properties that ranged in the type of
ownership (i.e., government-owned, privately owned, UAE owned, or internationally owned),
size (i.e., under 400 rooms or over 400 rooms), and rating (three-to-five-star rating), etc. Food
waste quantification included two methods: daily observation at a public canteen on a university
campus for two years and the other included material flow analysis conducted at various events
(i.e., conference buffets, wedding buffets, plated service, a la carte buffet, passed a la carte,
breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal services, etc.) held at the hotels. Material flow analysis is
described as a “…systematic assessment of the flows and stocks of materials within a system
defined in space and time” (Pirani & Arafat, 2015, p. 131) and was used to measure food wasted
during the food service process.
The researchers noted several factors that contributed to food waste at catered events at
the subject properties: 1) type of service: buffet service generated a great deal more than plated
service; 2) type of food served: a small, but wide ranging menu offers more options for the
masses as opposed to specific food items that may not appeal to all; 3) number of guests:
inaccurate forecasting of guests is inherently connected to the amount of food prepared for an
event; 4) season: religious holidays in this region contributed to reducing food waste as did the
availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables; and 5) food service organization: the
organization and presentation of food (i.e., smaller serving dishes and heavier/less healthy items
at the back, etc.), serving utensils (i.e., smaller spoons, tongs, and ladles to encourage smaller
portions), and size and locations of plates impact the amount of food taken from a buffet style
service (i.e., offering two plate sizes and placing larger plates on a shelf below the buffet and
smaller ones on top) (Pirani & Arafat, 2015).
During their research, Pirani and Arafat (2015) found that there is an initiative in the
UAE that allows non-profit organizations to collect leftover food from large events and provides
meals to those who are in need. At the time of publication, the group had been in service for 10
years and had provided over 175,000 meals in the year 2012 alone. The group was especially
proud of their food safety practices when selecting and packaging the leftover food and
mentioned that in their 10 years of operation, none of the recipients had reported getting sick
from the food (Pirani & Arafat, 2015).
In an interesting perspective on the food waste challenge, Ko and Lu (2021) examined
the effectiveness of college hospitality coursework aimed at preparing students for addressing the
need to reduce the extent to which food is wasted in the hospitality industry. Ko and Lu believed
it was important to train students in hospitality programs specifically in food waste and other
sustainable practices. Their research included a questionnaire that was sent to 500 students in
senior standing with a return rate of 97.6% or 488 respondents (Ko and Lu, 2021). The
questionnaire gathered data focused on three categories including self-perceived program
training, surplus food professional skill, as well as socio-demographic information. Their study
found that although the students generally had positive attitudes towards food waste and the need
to decrease it, the results also showed that the students thought their coursework did not
adequately teach them effective strategies for planning for, managing, and reducing food waste
in meaningful ways (Ko and Lu, 2021). The researchers also asserted that “food waste
prevention has become an essential topic for higher education institutions globally…” and that
the “…objective of hospitality management programs in higher education is to prepare
professionals for employment; with the industry heading toward sustainability, the curriculum
should also consider sustainability concepts and practices” (Ko and Lu, 2021).
College Students facing Food Insecurity
In their study on the likelihood of students in college experiencing food insecurity and
continuing to face the insecurity into adulthood, Leung et al. (2021) described food insecurity as
a lack of consistent access to healthy food. This definition is commonly accepted and the
researchers agreed that food insecurity is a serious health and well-being issue for college
students. During their five-year study, the researchers conducted interviews with a sample of
1,508 students who enrolled in at least one year of college between 1999 and 2003. As a result of
the study, Leung et al. observed that almost 15% of students in the sample faced food insecurity
at least once while in college. Further, it was found that food-insecure students typically had
lower incomes, were more probable to be non-White, were more probable to be first-generation
college students, and were more probable to have received public assistance during their
childhood (Leung et al., 2021). Based on their sample, 45% of those same students also
experienced food insecurity in their post-college adulthood. One of the limitations of this study is
that the college student of the early 2000s differs vastly from the college student of today or even
this decade. While food insecurity has been a concern for many, many years, the specific focus
on college students and how food insecurity impacts them is something that has come to light
more recently.
An effect of food insecurity is hunger which is a physiological state leading to distress
due to lack of nourishment; further, hunger can have a adverse impact on focus and in turn,
academic performance (Martinez et al., 2020). In their research on college students experiencing
food insecurity, Martinez et al. (2020) found that having access to enough nutritious food is
essential to the educational performance and achievement of college students. The study focused
on students attending all 10 campuses within the University of California system. 67,645
students were randomly selected to participate in a survey administered with questions relating to
mental health, food access, grade point average, and demographic information (Martinez et al.,
2020). Based on the results, the researchers found there was both a direct and indirect connection
between a student’s academic performance (GPA) and their experience with food insecurity
through mental health (Martinez et al., 2020). Of the students surveyed, 19% of students who
reported experiencing food insecurity had a 2.0 average GPA as opposed to 9% of students who
did not report experiencing food insecurity, and 22-83% of students experiencing food insecurity
also reported having poor mental health indicators compared to 11-80% of their counterparts
(Martinez et al., 2020). One of the largest strengths of this particular research is the large sample
size of randomly selected students from across the State of California.
Leading up to the research by Leung et al. (2021) and Martinez et al. (2020), Meza et al.
(2018) conducted a study at the University of California, Berkeley in the spring of 2017. The
study included a short demographic survey and semi-structured interviews of 25 undergraduate
students. Their research found that 88% of the respondents received financial support, but only
four students had a dining plan through the campus and only three students received
supplemental food support through CalFresh (Meza et al., 2018). Further, 22 out of 25 students
reported high or very high food insecurity as well as feeling social and academic effects from
food insecurity (Meza et al., 2018). Meza et al. acknowledged that their study was limited by the
small sample size and lack of recruitment outside of the campus food pantry resulting in a
possibility of skewed results.
Like previous research, Zein et al. (2019) reported that “…food insecurity can lead to
sub-optimal health and lower academic achievement…” (p. 2) which is counterintuitive to the
perceived importance of pursuing a college degree. This study, conducted in the 2015-2016
academic year included 855 students from eight universities in the mid-West and East coast of
the United States. This multi-modal study included the USDA Adult Food Security Survey
Module, anthropometric measurements, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Cohen’s Perceived
Stress Scale, the Easting Attitudes Test-26, student demographic information, and a study-
specific survey created by the researchers to gather data on a variety of issues that the authors
thought could be linked to food insecurity (Zein et al., 2019). Results found that overall, 19% of
the sample identified as food insecure and included indicators of greater perceived stress,
disrupted eating patterns, and inferior quality of sleep as opposed to their food-secure
counterparts (Zein et al., 2019). An interesting qualitative note from the study was the perception
and preference for the location of a food pantry on campus. Zein et al. found that approximately
35 percent of respondents preferred for a food pantry to be in a central location but also one that
afforded privacy and anonymity. This preference indicates that social pressures impact students’
willingness to access resources they need.
Gaps in the Literature
Many of the studies outlined in the Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry section above
conducted relatively small-scale studies at one or up to a couple of locations. As a result, the
studies are generally not easily replicated on a large scale. Many of the studies included
collecting and quantifying food waste at different stages (i.e., food procurement stage, food
preparation stage, food serving stage, and consumer waste stage, etc.). Given the subject of
collection, most studies included manual collection and quantification and there is ample room
for human error during the process. This means that the data before and after the interventions
could be compromised. Additionally, the studies reviewed categorized the stages of the food
waste (i.e., kitchen waste, pre-consumer, and post-consumer, etc.) and the types of food waste
(i.e., wet, dry, edible, and non-edible, etc.) collected during various studies differently depending
on the study. These variances in terms made it difficult to compare the studies in a meaningful
way. Eriksson et al. (2018) believe that the identification of food waste quantities is a necessary
step in the process of reducing food waste on a large scale.

Conclusion
The existing literature has provided great insight into the current state of food waste
across the world. Clearly, food waste is a global crisis that needs to be faced (Mui et al. (2021).
The hospitality industry makes up a substantial portion of the food wasted gloablly and should
lead the charge in implementing strategies for food waste reduction. The works reviewed
provided great ideas regarding interventions that food service providers can implement quickly
and easily to encourage food waste reduction. For example, Massow and McAdams (2015) noted
that portion size and plate composition had a great impact on consumer plate waste and Porpino
et al. (2015) confirmed this argument in their laboratory study on smaller serving sizes.
According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (2017), over 75% of all wasted food
could be avoided at some point in the production, preparation, and consumption process;
specifically targeting the 66% average of food wasted due to spoilage and preparation and 34%
wasted by consumer leftovers. Aside from consumer food waste, Wu et al. (2021) and
Charlebois et al. (2015) shared that communication between management and employees can
lead to food waste through over-ordering food, mishandling food, letting food spoil, and spilling
food, etc. Well-thought-out interventions and comprehensive personnel training are two
important aspects of executing a thorough plan for reducing food waste in any kitchen.
In terms of food insecurity, the studies reviewed concurred that access to adequate food,
specifically in college, is an ongoing crisis that needs to be addressed in college and beyond. One
such way that food service providers can assist with food insecurity is by diverting and
reclaiming food before it is considered waste. According to OoNorasak et al (2022), recovering
food is an “…environmentally and economically sustainable solution to food security” (p. 224).
This process is also known as gleaning and is a great way for food pantries to obtain edible food
for those facing food insecurity and the associated side effects.
Chapter Three
Scope of the Project
Project Type
As mentioned previously, University Auxiliary Services (UAS) provides the campus
community with varying levels of food service including a full-service buffet-style restaurant; a
pizza and salad restaurant; one cafe with a small menu of fried food, soups, and sandwiches; a
coffee shop with a limited number of pastries and to-go sandwiches and salads; as well as a full-
service catering department. This project, based on research, will provide a guide with specific
strategies for UAS to reduce food waste at their dining locations and catering provisions. The guide
will also include ways to recycle food waste through an on-campus composting group and offering
leftovers to students.
Goals & Objectives
The main goal of this guide, Strategies for Reducing Food Waste in Food Services, is to
present strategies for decreasing food waste within a university food service program. Based on
the previously reviewed literature, there is a strong need to implements strategies for decreasing
the quantity of wasted food in general, but specifically by the hospitality industry. This guide will
provide an opportunity for UAS to examine their current practices surrounding food waste to see
where interventions can be implemented as well as provide ways to recycle leftover food either
through donation or composting.
Objectives
• Submit proposal in December 2022
• Draft guide during the spring 2023 semester
• Revise and finalize guide no later than June 2023

• Meet with UAS to review guide in June 2023
• Assist UAS with designing interventions that are achievable and easily implemented in
July 2023
• Implement interventions no later than mid-August 2023 aligning with the return of students
for the fall 2023 semester
Informing Resources
The resources below will be referenced in the research and drafting of this guide.
• Organization Documents
o University Glen Corporation Policy on Food Service Inventory
o University Glen Corporation Policy on Food Service Transfers
• Journals | industry-specific journal
o Journal of Foodservice
o Journal of Foodservice Business Research
o Journal of Foodservice Management & Education
o Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research
• Publications | industry-specific magazines and other publications
o Bon Appetit Management Company
o Catering Foodservice, & Events
o FoodService Director
o Nation’s Restaurant News
o Restaurant Hospitality
• Associations & Councils | industry-specific organizations
o Foodservice Systems Management Education Council

o International Council of Hotel, Restaurant, & Intuitional Education
o National Association of College & University Food Service
• Other Resources
o Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996
o Food & Drug Administration | Food Loss & Waste
o Food Recovery Network
o United States Department of Agriculture | Food Loss & Waste
• Similar Plans
o Food Waste Action Guide | Foodservice
o Food Waste Reduction Made Easy | Center for EcoTecnhology
o Getting Started: A Quick Step by Step Guide to Protect Your Profits and Our Planet
by Reducing Wasted Food | Waste & Resources Action Programme
o Guide for Businesses to Reduce Food Waste | Oregon Metro
o Guide to Food Waste Reduction | Bristol Food Network
o Handbook for Reducing Food Waste: for health care, schools, and care services |
Livsmedelsverket
o Toolkit: Reducing the Food Wastage Footprint | Food & Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations
o Tools for Preventing and Diverting Wasted Food | United States Environmental
Protection Agency
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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 3
The Problem ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
The Organization....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Plan Goals.................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Plan Timelines ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Pre-consumer | Back-of-House .................................................................................................................................. 6
Food Purchasing & Procurement ........................................................................................................................... 6
Tracking Food Waste ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Storage and Inventory .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Food Preparation....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Serving.......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Events & Catering ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Consumer | Front-of-House ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Layout and Presentation .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Tasting Spoons ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Portion Sizes ............................................................................................................................................................... 8
Serving Utensils .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Dishes........................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Trayless Dining........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Education ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Food Recovery ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Donation ................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Composting .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
Action Items for Implementation............................................................................................................................. 12
Marketing Collateral ................................................................................................................................................... 14
2
Introduction
The Problem
Food waste is a global crisis that continues to grow each year. In America, roughly 40 percent of food is
wasted annually, the equivalent of about $115 billion per year. Further, food makes up 15% of solid waste
generated in the U.S. and 75% of all wasted food is sent to a landfill. Food that ends up in local landfills
rots and produces a greenhouse gas (methane) that increases heat trapped in the atmosphere at a rate
that is 25 times more potent than CO2. Greenhouse gases are a danger to our environment as they trap
heat on the earth’s surface thereby contributing to global warming.
Aside from the environmental impact of wasted food entering landfills, there is a major financial impact
as well. Every bit of food that goes to waste had to have been purchased at some point. This means that
food waste correlates to money and resources going into the trash. In a time of rising costs, it is
imperative that all resources, specifically food, be allocated effectively. The more food that can be
redirected, the more beneficial to the organization so that less money is being wasted in overhead
operating costs.
According to the Bon Appetit Management Company,
over 20 million pounds of food is wasted on college
and university campuses annually. Given the unique
setting that food service providers on college
campuses operate in, it is imperative that they lead
the way in implementing ways in which to reduce
food waste. While the responsibility does not fall
on the food services providers alone, they must
lead by example and incorporate creative ways to
minimize waste while educating the communities
they serve about the many impacts of food waste
locally, nationally, and globally.
The Organization
California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI)
is the newest of 23 campuses within the California
State University’s (CSU) public, four-year system and was established in 2002. As of fall 2022, CSUCI
had a student population of 5,643 students including 173 graduate and post-baccalaureate students.
There were approximately 21% of students who lived on campus. Most of the students resided in Ventura
County where CSUCI is located and from Los Angeles County to the immediate east. CSUCI offered
27 areas of focus, 27 areas of concentration, 13 graduate and credential programs. A point of pride for
CSUCI is its student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Additionally, CSUCI is designated as a Hispanic Serving
Institution with a 56.8% Latino/Hispanic student population and educated roughly 61.2% first-generation
college students in the fall of 2022.
CSUCI, now in its 20th year, has continued to grow and evolve over the past two decades. Now that it
has established policies and procedures for operation, the University has been able to focus on new goals
and initiatives, including a focus on increasing sustainability on campus. Through a sustainability taskforce
with campuswide representation, CSUCI can evaluate current practices, make recommendations, and
3
implement changes to increase sustainability. One such area of focus for the sustainability taskforce is
food waste. In alignment with a new piece of legislation in California requiring food waste be placed in
green trash bins as opposed to general trach cans, the University has placed food waste collection bins
in key area throughout campus including in the food service areas. By doing this, food waste is collected
separately from trash and is disposed of in an eco-friendlier way rather than going in the landfill.
At CSUCI there is only one food service provider,
University Auxiliary Services (UAS), that serves residential
students, commuter students, employees, and a small
community of private residence housing about 2000
residents located on campus. UAS operates several locations
with varying levels of food service including one full-service
buffet-style dining hall; a pizza and salad fast-casual
restaurant; one cafe with a small menu of made-to-order fast
food, soups, and sandwiches; a coffee shop with a small
selection of pastries and pre-made sandwiches and salads; a
small convenience store; as well as a full-service catering
operation.
UAS is housed within the Division of Business & Financial
Affairs and reports to the Executive Director of Budget,
Finance, and Operational Services. Within UAS there is an
Executive Director of Operations, Director of Dining
Services, Executive Chef, and Catering Manager. UAS is a
non-profit 501(c)3 and has an established Board of
Directors.
Reducing food waste through sustainable practices such as
food recovery as well as redirecting necessary waste to composting are two ways in which UAS can
support the sustainability goals of the campus. By diverting food away from the landfill, it reduces the
carbon footprint of the operation.
Plan Goals
There is a strong need to decrease the quantity of food that is wasted in general, but specifically by the
hospitality industry. This guide will provide an opportunity for UAS to examine their current practices
surrounding food waste to see where interventions can be implemented as well as provide ways to
recycle leftover food through redirection or composting.
The objective of this guide is to provide strategies for reducing food waste within the full-service buffet-
style restaurant and the full-service catering operation within UAS. Both previously mentioned
operations are buffet-style dining and have the potential to impact consumer behavior in a different way
than more traditional sit-down and fast-casual dining options where meals are made-to-order.
Additionally, the kitchen-related interventions outlined below can be applied across all operations to
reduce food waste before it reaches the consumer.
4
Objectives
• By June 2023, Director of Dining Services will identify trainings for kitchen staff to attend prior
to December 2023.
• By June 2023, Director of Dining Services will implement food waste collection strategies in
kitchen.
o By July 2023, Director of Dining Services will collaborate with appropriate campus
departments to start composting process with kitchen food waste.
• By June 2023, kitchen staff will review current food storage and reorganize as needed.
• By July 2023, Executive Director will collaborate with campus IT department to build notification
system for leftover food at events.
o By August 2023, test and launch notification system.
• By August 2023, Executive Director will design and launch education program in dining hall for
all consumers to include physical and digital collateral.
• By August 2023, Director of Dining Services will remove carrying trays from the dining room.
• By August 2023, the Director Executive Director will make contact with appropriate campus
departments and student clubs to plan for events.
• By December 2023, Executive Director will collaborate with campus IT department to develop
food waste tracking program.
o By February 2024, test and launch program.
Plan Timelines
• Meet with UAS to review guide in June 2023

• Assist UAS with designing interventions that are achievable and easily implemented in July 2023
• Implement interventions no later than mid-August 2023 aligning with the return of students for
the fall 2023 semester
• Assess food waste reduction measures quarterly for first year to adjust as needed
• Assess annually for additional improvements
5
Pre-consumer | Back-of-House
Food Purchasing & Procurement
Strategic menu planning and design is instrumental in reducing
Chef-Driven Food Waste Reduction
food waste in the kitchen. Planning menus in advance and
curating dishes that allow for ingredient cross-utilization is a Empower chefs to be innovative in
great tool because purchasing in bulk ahead of time can help meal planning to create meals using
reduce costs. Purchasing ahead of time is ideal because it food trimmings and surplus.
reduces the risk that the supplier is out of stock and the need Examples:
to make last minute ingredient substitutions that may be more
• Turkey salad made with turkey
costly. trimmings from meat slicer
Positive working relationships with suppliers is key to • Oatmeal muffins/bread/bars
negotiating deals based on supply needs. Having a good made with leftover oatmeal
rapport with vendors may lead to an inside-track so to speak • Salad croutons with stale bread
regarding the best time to purchase certain ingredients or • Soup with vegetable
potential sales that might become available. Suppliers may also leftovers/trimmings
be able to provide varying pack sizes and quantities to best suit
the needs. There are vendors that focus and commit to food waste reductions through their food
processing procedures. Partnering with those vendors is another way that food service providers can
contribute to the reduction of food waste.
Another great vendor-partner is local farms so produce can be sourced locally. They are also more likely
to work with kitchens to provide smaller, but more regular orders to keep the supply fresh. Further,
sourcing imperfect produce is a great and easy to reduce food waste. So called imperfect produce does
not find its way to grocery stores and more often than not, ends up in the trash. This imperfect produce
is perfect for use in dishes as its not used in its whole form, so the look of it does not matter as much.
Analyzing inventory and purchase history is an important step to understanding where there are gaps
and room for improvement regarding food waste in the kitchen. Knowing what food is on hand will
prevent purchasing more needlessly as well as save money. Reviewing past menus and consumption
trends will assist with identifying dishes that were well received and those that were not.
Tracking Food Waste
Tracking the volume of wasted food, both in the kitchen and by the consumer, is an important step to
identifying where the biggest waste is coming from. There are several companies that offer food recovery
tracking systems and they can be implemented relatively easily. Having this data can aid in reducing the
amount of surplus food being generated, reducing the amount of food that is ordered to match what is
being consumed, as well as advocating for dedicated resources for food recovery.
Storage and Inventory
Food must be properly handled and stored prior to being used. This stage of the process has the potential
to create a lot of waste and it is important that kitchen staff take proper care in handling the food so it
is not damaged or spoiled. Food storage strategies include:
• First-in, first-out storage to use the oldest food first to avoid spoiling
6
• Clear and easy to identify labeling system to indicate foods that should be prioritized and used
first
• Appropriately labeling prepared food with use or freeze by dates
• Frequent physical inventory to know what foods are on hand and available for use
• Ensure regular maintenance of refrigerators and freezers to keep appropriate temperature and
avoid spoiling
Food Preparation
In addition to food storage, food preparation is the best place to decrease wasted food before it gets to
the consumer. Kitchen staff who are appropriately trained have the ability to control the volume of food
that is wasted as well as what items go to compost if necessary. Below are some tactics for the kitchen:
• Ensure kitchen staff have clean and maintained tools for efficient food preparation.
• Invest in training kitchen staff on knife skills so food is not wasted during trimming and cutting.
• Training on “root-to-stalk” or “nose-to-tail” cooking to use all available parts of any given food.
This method reduces food scraps and maximizes available resources.
• Train kitchen staff on repurposing food items into future dishes instead of wasting (i.e., overripe
bananas, bruised fruit, and stale bread, etc.).
• Find creative garnishes that can be eaten or composted (or eliminate altogether).
Serving
Altering serving methods is key to reducing food waste from within the kitchen. One such way is cooking
in smaller bathes. Making less food initially leads to better quality dishes because cooking smaller batches
is easier to do than larger ones. Dishes that can be prepared in smaller batched ahead of time and then
cooked or heated is ideal because it can be served as needed. Additionally, preparing smaller batches of
food limits overproduction.
Proper food serving procedures must be followed to ensure that all food prepared is presented/served.
If food is contaminated between preparing and serving, then that creates major waste both in food but
also in financial resources.
Events & Catering
Preparing food for events requires a fine balance of
forecasting the correct amount of people and providing
enough food while not overproducing. Headcounts are
key to this balance and it is important to get updated
headcounts several times leading up to an event
including the day of the event. Getting the most
accurate number possible will lead to preparing the
right amount of food. Additionally, curating a menu that
is the right balance of “common” and specialty/eclectic
food is another strategy for reducing food waste.
Menus that cater to specific tastes may lead to more
waste as fewer consumers may be willing to try/finish
the food.
7
Consumer | Front-of-House
Layout and Presentation
The layout of food serving stations is just as important to any event as the venue. Food can
be presented in any manner of ways and can also be done in such a way to encourage taking
less food. The approaches below may be beneficial:
• Creating food stations with minimal lines and/or bottlenecks is ideal because
consumers may feel less compelled to start their meal with large servings. Meaning
easy access to food creates less urgency or hinderance.
• Spread food out on tables to give the appearance of a lot of food and/or variety of
food without actually filling the table with food.
• Use wide but shallow serving trays to give appearance of more food.
• Avoid refilling serving dishes too soon to encourage consumers to take what is left.
Tasting Spoons
Studies have shown that providing tasting spoons reduces food waste by the consumer
because they can try a taste of the food before committing to a whole serving. So much food
is wasted due to personal preference on behalf of the consumer and offering tasting spoons
offers a way for them to confirm if they will like it before taking a larger portion.
Portion Sizes
For pre-portioned items, starting with smaller portions will reduce waste. A large amount of
catering business is in buffet form. This means food is made en masse and without a lot of
variety. Selecting foods to please the masses is not easy but having small “trial” sized portions
is a start to reducing the amount people take.
Serving Utensils
Utilizing smaller serving utensils leads to smaller portions of food with each scoop or grab. As
a result, consumers must think about the amount they want and take more action to get that
amount. Similar to above, smaller scoops will allow consumers to try things without taking
large portions and wasting it if they don’t like the food or are too full to finish.
Dishes
Exploring the sizes of dining dishes is one way to potentially reduce food waste in self-serve
settings. Larger plates and bowls typically encourage the consumer to fill them even though
the consumer may not be that hungry or want such a large portion. Providing smaller dishes
will encourage consumers to be more conscious of the amount of food they put on the plate
and force them to go back for a second trip if they want more food.
Trayless Dining
Avoid providing trays for consumers to use to carry dishes. If they have to carry individual
plates, they will be less likely to overfill on the first round.
8
Education
Education about food waste is an important part of any waste reduction strategy. The more consumers
know about the problem, the more likely they are to take steps to contribute to the solution. That starts
with educating people on the quantity of wasted food commercially and residentially, the effects of food
waste on the environment, as well as ways they can get involved in reducing food waste. Education is
important for both those involved in the food procurement and preparation processes as well as
consumers. Topics for educational materials may include:
• Facts and figures regarding the amount of food wasted, with a focus on local statistic so
consumers feel a connection to the problem
• Impacts of food waste on the environment
• Financial effects of food waste
Strategies for educating back of house staff:
• On-going and consistent training

• Quick reference posters
Strategies for educating consumers*:
• Signage
• Digital displays
• Table displays
*Signage and displays at events will need to be tailored so it does not detract from the overall event and
may not be appropriate at all (i.e., table displays regarding food waste would not be appropriate at most
weddings).
9
Food Recovery
Donation
Food recovery is the process of redirecting edible
surplus food in a safe manner that would be discarded
otherwise. Food recovery organizations have certain
protections under pieces of legislation as long as the
recovered food is donated to a hunger-fighting
nonprofit organization. Participating in an official food
recovery network is a great way to decrease food
waste while also providing edible food to those
suffering from the basic need of food insecurity.
The first major legislation that is specific to food
recovery is the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food
Donation Act that was authorized in 1996. According
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this law:
• Protects contributors from liability when food

is provided to a nonprofit organization
• Protects contributors from civil and criminal prosecution should the food that was provided in
good faith cause harm to the recipient
• Standardizes contributor liability across all 50 states
This means that as a nonprofit, CSUCI can donate edible food from its food service providers that would
otherwise be wasted to food insecure students through the Basic Needs program on campus and receive
all the protections of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act.
Once such way that catering services on university campuses can redirect otherwise wasted food is to
partner with the campus’ basic needs program to donate the food. Many catered events on campuses
have leftover food and since it has already been prepared, heated, and served outside of the
kitchen/dining facility, it cannot go back and must be thrown away. An alternative to this wastefulness is
to create a notification system so students can collect the food before it is wasted.
Outline of Steps to Implement Food Donation to Students
1. Develop internal policies for when notification is warranted
a. If there is less than XX amount of food, then notification may not be warranted
b. If food has been “served” for XX amount of time, it may no longer be safe to redirect
c. Outreach to the department responsible for university events to coordinate messaging to
clients as well as extended access to the venue (i.e., when catering is requested for events,
the venue is automatically reserved for an additional hour)
d. Develop discrete signage for service tables to share with guests that leftover food will be
made available to students instead of wasted
e. Draft text message notification so it is consistent (i.e., “Food available in XX until XX”
2. Train catering staff to determine if food is still viable, as well as on policies and technology to
send notifications before clearing catering service
10
3. Invest in a notification system for students to “opt-in” to receiving notifications (text message
notification would be ideal)
a. There are several companies that offer this type of text message notification service; an
alternative is to collaborate with an in-house technology department to build a platform
or branch off an existing one program
4. Launch a targeted marketing campaign to enroll students in the notification system
a. Work with the campus basic needs to enroll existing food pantry users
5. Track donated food
Composting
Composting is a process that converts organic material into a nutrient-rich soil additive. This natural
process is an option for redirecting food waste from the landfill while also creating a byproduct that can
be reused in gardens or fields. The two most common methods of composting include combining food
scraps with other natural components (i.e., leaves, twigs, and plant stalks), water, and air to breakdown
the food scraps. This is usually done in a bin of some sort and once ready, can be spread onto the ground
in gardens or fields. The second method is composting with worms which speeds up the composting
process.
Benefits of using compost include:
• Adds natural nutrients to promote healthier plant growth

• Aids soil in resisting climate changes
• Aids soil in retaining moisture thereby conserving water
• Attracts natural organisms and reduces the need to use pesticides and fertilizers
• Improves health and structure of soil in gardens or fields
• Reduces soil erosion
• Reduces waste going to the landfill
11
Action Items for Implementation
Menu preparation
• Work with Executive Chef to thoughtfully plan menus that use many of the same ingredients to
be able to buy in bulk
• Work with Executive Chef to identify leftover prepared items that can be reused in new dishes
• Work with Executive chef to identify pre-portioned meals that can be reduced in size (i.e.,
personal pizzas in 6 inch instead of 8 inch)
Kitchen
• Work with kitchen staff to evaluate food storage system to ensure efficiency
o If not already existing, implement consistent labeling/dating system to easily identify foods
expiring soonest
o If not already existing, organize food storage with foods expiring soonest at the front
o Ensure food storage containers are clean and not contributing to early spoil
• Develop and require routine, hands-on training for kitchen staff in the following:
o Identify difference between unusable and imperfect produce
o How to minimally trim meat and produce
o Root-to-stock and nose-to-tail cooking methods to ensure the most amount of resource
is used (i.e., least amount wasted)
Serving
• Eliminate trays in the dining room

• Invest in smaller dishes
• Invest in smaller serving utensils
Education
• Marketing campaign
o Develop various marketing collateral including posters, napkin dispenser displays, event
buffet table sings, digital signage, social media posts (see examples below)
o Develop a timeline for refreshing posters, napkins holder displays, and digital signage (i.e.,
monthly, quarterly or semesterly)
o Develop a timeline for social media posts
o Work with campus Communication & Public Relations team to share social media posts
to main campus accounts
o As part of social media campaign, film short videos:
 Feature low ingredient meals that college students can make in bulk (i.e., soups or
pastas that can be prepped, portioned, and frozen)
 Feature ways to use imperfect produce in meals (i.e., deformed tomatoes in pasta
sauce)
 Feature ways to use leftover food in meals (i.e., cooked vegetables in soup)
• Events
o Outreach to campus departments to collaborate on events
12
 Earth Day/Week (April): partner with campus sustainability taskforce and
environmental-based student clubs to educate others about the harmful effects of
food waste
 National Nutrition Week (September): partner with campus wellness program to
provide quick and easy healthy meals that can be made by college students while
also promoting reduction in food waste
 Hunger & Homelessness Week (November): partner with the campus Basic
Needs program to raise awareness for hunger and homelessness as well as
promote food recovery
 Partner with student clubs and organizations for plan cooking demonstrations,
farmer’s markets, and tabling events promoting food waste reduction and food
recovery
• Food Recovery
o Work with campus IT department to create a notification system to alert students of
leftover food after on campus events.
 Develop procedures for identifying viable food and sending notification
o Collaborate with campus departments and/or student clubs to create an effective
compost site on campus.
 Redirect all food waste from food service locations to the composting site
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Marketing Collateral
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REDUCING FOOD WASTE 1

Reducing Food Waste in a University Food Service Program

Applied Research Project

Department of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism

College of Education and Allied Studies

California State University, East Bay

of the Requirements for the Degree

M.S. in Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism

© Courtney A. Ellis 2023

Keywords: food waste, food insecurity, catering, sustainability

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 4

Chapter One .................................................................................................................................... 5

Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................................ 6

Type of Project ........................................................................................................................ 7

Significance of the Project ...................................................................................................... 7

Review of Related Literature ...................................................................................................... 9

Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry .................................................................................. 9

College Students facing Food Insecurity .............................................................................. 16

Gaps in the Literature............................................................................................................ 19

Scope of the Project .................................................................................................................. 22

Project Type .......................................................................................................................... 22

Goals & Objectives ............................................................................................................... 22

Informing Resources ............................................................................................................. 23

Figure 1: Food Waste Conceptual Map………………………………………………………….13

CSUCI is its student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Additionally, CSUCI is designated as a Hispanic

61.2% first-generation college students in the fall of 2022.

Statement of the Problem

food in the industry.

Locally, food service providers at institutions of higher education have a distinctive

revenue-generating opportunity. Another opportunity for campus food service providers is to

important avenue to be explored.

Significance of the Project

this guide to implement a similar interventions to decrease food waste.

Review of Related Literature

Food Waste in the Hospitality Industry

by the participating catering companies, implementing waste-saving measures, and conducting

may have impacted the results.

limited sample size and demographic.

seen in Figure 1 below.

Food Waste Conceptual Map

transcription, or reporting structure (Malefors et al., 2019). These differences in previous

reliably determine food waste at various stages in the process.

ownership (i.e., government-owned, privately owned, UAE owned, or internationally owned),

during the food service process.

smaller ones on top) (Pirani & Arafat, 2015).

from the food (Pirani & Arafat, 2015).

In an interesting perspective on the food waste challenge, Ko and Lu (2021) examined

questionnaire gathered data focused on three categories including self-perceived program

the “…objective of hospitality management programs in higher education is to prepare

College Students facing Food Insecurity

An effect of food insecurity is hunger which is a physiological state leading to distress

size of randomly selected students from across the State of California.

study included a short demographic survey and semi-structured interviews of 25 undergraduate

possibility of skewed results.

willingness to access resources they need.

Gaps in the Literature

conducted relatively small-scale studies at one or up to a couple of locations. As a result, the

step in the process of reducing food waste on a large scale.

reclaiming food before it is considered waste. According to OoNorasak et al (2022), recovering

Scope of the Project

As mentioned previously, University Auxiliary Services (UAS) provides the campus

Goals & Objectives