August 19, 2015

WSU DINING SERVICES EARNS CERTIFICATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND NUTRITION

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PULLMAN, WASH. – Washington State University Dining Services is proud to announce the recent two-star SPE Certification in recognition of our nutritious and environmentally sustainable food program.

SPE Certified is a third-party certification program that evaluates a food service operation’s commitments to sustainability and nutrition and scores the operation’s dining facilities on a scale of one to three stars. SPE Certified’s team of culinary nutritionists worked closely with the dining team from Washington State as they answered over 350 questions about their operational priorities, product sourcing, menu offering, preparation techniques, communication practices, and environmental stewardship programs. With SPE’s seal of approval, students and parents have the reassurance of the university’s commitment to health and sustainability.

Northside, Southside, and Hillside dining facilities have each earned two-star certification. To achieve this, Dining Services demonstrated the use of nutrient dense ingredients, healthier fats in cooking, whole grains, and legume flours. In addition, Dining Services exhibited a commitment to sustainability through the use of post-consumer materials, cage-free eggs, hormone free dairy, antibiotic free proteins, and future certification by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Dining Services submitted 175 recipes for SPE to review and the 156 of those dishes that met SPE’s criteria will be featured as part of the SPE dish of the day.

Launched in May 2012, SPE, which stands for Sanitas Per Escam in Latin (or “Health Through Food”), aims to provide a universal, trusted standard for healthy and sustainable dining outside of the home. The SPE seal helps restaurants and foodservice providers communicate commitments to sustainability and personal health to their customers and the public. SPE Certified has worked with over 40 food service operators to create healthier, more sustainable food, and specifically collaborated with universities such as University of Massachusetts at Amherst and University of California at Davis.

Look for SPE certified menu items, marked with their signature logo, in each of the dining centers.
 

About SPE Certified:
SPE Certified is a unique, third-party certification, which recognizes a foodservice establishment's commitment to nutrition, sustainability and importantly, its customers' well-being. SPE stands for Sanitas Per Escam (Latin for “Health Through Food”), and its mission is to provide a universal, trusted standard for healthy and delicious dining outside of the home. SPE Certified’s guidelines combine cutting-edge research with international health standards, validated and updated continuously by world-renowned nutrition experts. SPE Certified works with food service operators to develop seasonal, great-tasting dishes that focus on sourcing, thoughtful preparation, and an artful approach to combining nutrient-dense ingredients. Buildings have LEED; household products have the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval; food has SPE Certified.

To learn more about Dining Services’ two-star certification, visit www.dining.wsu.edu.

Contact:
Gary Coyle, Director, Dining Services, (509) 335-7039, gcoyle@wsu.edu

Sarah Larson, Associate Director, Dining Services, (509) 335-5035, sarah.larson@wsu.edu

Corey King, Associate Director, Dining Services, (509) 335-3561, corey.king@wsu.edu

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