The Daily Meal: The Best Colleges for Food in America for 2013

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Another school year is finally upon us, and with it comes the reality that for many, many schools across America, the dining options are nothing short of grim at best. For many students who are reliant on a meal plan, the less said about the meals eaten in campus dining halls the better. But some colleges and universities go above and beyond in their efforts to serve fresh, wholesome meals to the students who are living and studying there. From a college in Vermont that only sources its food from local vendors to one in Massachusetts that hosts a farmers' market that's entirely student-run, we tracked down the best colleges for food in America. (Image Credit: Carleton College)

Click Here to see the 60 Best Colleges for Food in America

Last summer, The Daily Meal conducted an eye-opening study, building on our previous ranking, that examined the most outstanding campus dining at nearly all of the approximately 2,000 four-year colleges across America. We discovered some schools that gave their students top-notch dining experiences, while others failed to pass even the most simple health inspections. However, in the end we found 52 clear winners that refused to accept the stigma that comes with collegiate dining, taking the ordinary campus meal and turning it into an extraordinary dining experience.
For this year's second annual study, we had a few goals in mind when revamping the list: to see if the schools that wowed us last year were still maintaining culinary perfection; to see the improvements some of the average dining programs have made to possibly rise in the ranks; and to see if any colleges that didn't make the cut last year have begun to see the importance their dining services have to students. We connected with passionate and candid dining services directors, managers, and chefs, and learned that more than ever, students on the whole are already passionate and knowledgeable about food when they arrive at campus, and are interested in trying new foods and want to know where it's coming from.

Click Here to see the 25 Best College Bars in America

Here's the methodology we used to come up with the Best Colleges for Food in America for 2013:

• Healthy Food/Local and Sustainable: The meals are made in-house from scratch as well as cooked in small batches, and the school is committed to teaching their students the benefits of buying locally and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

• Accessibility and Service: The number of eateries on campus along with the daily hours, and how well these locations are taken care of.

• Events/Nutritional Education: Events are centered on food, and the dining halls help bring students together in an engaging way. Additionally, if they educated their students about nutrition through these events or on their website, it was a bonus.

• The 'X Factor': Something unique and creative that differentiated the school's dining services from the rest of the pack.

• Student Feedback/ Social Media: While we still valued many of the things we noted from last year -- for example, whether students are interested in trying new cuisines and spices as well as very invested in sustainable and local dining -- there are still many schools that seemed to fall short when we evaluated their dining performances. Therefore, we made student feedback and social media outlets the last category in our assessment this year. It seemed appropriate this time around to incorporate how well-received student requests or complaints are by the dining services, as well as the frequency that these pages are updated to inform their students about new additions or changes.

While we did evaluate the schools for how great the actual food is, the most important aspect to us was the overall dining experience, everything from restaurant-quality food to "going green." As a result, several of the schools that were seen as the leaders on last year's list have been joined by institutions have improved their dining services. While the hierarchy might be changed, all the schools on our list still go above and beyond the call of duty. And while there is a clear hierarchy, we'd be happy to eat at any of the colleges on this list. The truth is that life can be pretty delicious if you're an undergrad.

For example, Occidental College engages their students in yearly events like "Oxy Iron Chef" and holiday theme nights; Bowdoin's dining hall blog and their dining hall food magazine, The Bowdoin Gourmet, are designed to constantly keep students in the loop. Emory University offers their students cooking classes on topics like the best wine and meal pairings and mixology 101, while Kennesaw State harvests their own honey, mushrooms, and herbs from campus gardens. Washington University in St. Louis allows students to customize and order campus food online, and Cornell has had guests like The New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman come to campus and speak about conscious eating.

It seems somewhat difficult to grasp how truly amazing some dining programs are, but with this list, we've tried to highlight how impressive and tasty life can be at one of these schools. If food is your priority, make sure you keep those transfer forms handy after reading our picks for the Best Colleges for Food in America.

-Dana Kaufman, The Daily Meal

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10. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.  Yale’s dining program couldn’t be more impressive if it tried. With menu items ranging from roasted pork chops to potato pancakes, beer-battered fish and chips, and vegan ravioli, you’d be hard-pressed to find a student leaving the dining hall unsatisfied. And why shouldn’t they be? They offer so many dining events, like a student culinary competition and a Spring Fling catered meal, not to mention an entire dining series called "Reality Bites" that offers the students programs on mixology, the best wine and meal pairings, and formal dining etiquette. And the best part is that new information is being constantly updated through their mobile app, website, and their dining newsletter, the D.I.S.H. While that’s all fun, Yale has very serious values when it comes to sustainability. Through STEP, their nutrition education program, students can take part in the Local 2 Yale and Erase the Waste programs. It seems like the Bulldogs are on top of their game! Photo Credit: Yale Click Here to see the 60 Best Colleges for Food in America. Yale’s dining program couldn’t be more impressive if it tried. With menu items ranging from roasted pork chops to potato pancakes, beer-battered fish and chips, and vegan ravioli, you’d be hard-pressed to find a student leaving the dining hall unsatisfied. And why shouldn’t they be? They offer so many dining events, like a student culinary competition and a Spring Fling catered meal, not to mention an entire dining series called "Reality Bites" that offers the students programs on mixology, the best wine and meal pairings, and formal dining etiquette. And the best part is that new information is being constantly updated through their mobile app, website, and their dining newsletter, the D.I.S.H. While that’s all fun, Yale has very serious values when it comes to sustainability. Through STEP, their nutrition education program, students can take part in the Local 2 Yale and Erase the Waste programs. It seems like the Bulldogs are on top of their game!

Photo Credit: Yale

Click Here to see the 60 Best Colleges for Food in America.

10. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.Yale’s dining program couldn’t be more impressive if it tried. With menu items ranging from roasted pork chops to potato pancakes, beer-battered fish and chips, and vegan ravioli, you’d be hard-pressed to find a student leaving the dining hall unsatisfied. And why shouldn’t they be? They offer so many dining events, like a student culinary competition and a Spring Fling catered meal, not to mention an entire dining series called "Reality Bites" that offers the students programs on mixology, the best wine and meal pairings, and formal dining etiquette. And the best part is that new information is being constantly updated through their mobile app, website, and their dining newsletter, the D.I.S.H. While that’s all fun, Yale has very serious values when it comes to sustainability. Through STEP, their nutrition education program, students can take part in the Local 2 Yale and Erase the Waste programs. It seems like the Bulldogs are on top of their game! Photo Credit: Yale Click Here to see the 60 Best Colleges for Food in America.

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Thrillist: These Are the 33 Best BBQ Joints in America

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Pizza was invented in Italy and perfected in America. Hamburgers were invented in America but given a really German-sounding name. Indeed, it's quite possible that no culinary tradition (except for the Hot Pocket) is more thoroughly American than barbecue, with its different variants creating intense arguments and even more intense blood pressure issues across this great land.

These are the 33 finest examples of the smoked meat arts from across the country. While we don't necessarily expect you to agree with all of them (that'd be borderline un-American) we do expect you to get quite hungry. So hungry, in fact, that you'll make it your mission to try all of them and keep track on this handy checklist. On with the picks!

Fat Matt's Rib Shack, Atlanta, GA
What you're getting: Ribs & Chicken Combo
There's a good chance you'll be waiting for a table at this Atlanta meat-stitution, but there's also a good chance there'll be live blues music playing to help you pass the time until you can sit down and dig into some fall-off-the-bone ribs and moist BBQ chicken, all of which marries nicely with their well-balanced sauce. If you're craving carbs, try the ribs in sandwich form. They still have the bones in 'em (unlike a McRib), but they're easily extracted to leave you in sandwich heaven.

Franklin BBQ, Austin, TX
What you're getting: Brisket
There's a reason why people wait for three hours for a slice of Aaron Franklin's meat. Lauded as the best BBQ in the nation by everyone from Texas Monthly to Bon Appetit, the Franklin Moist is like the platonic ideal of brisket: the caramelized candy fat, crispy salt and pepper-rubbed bark, and meltingly tender meat smoke-kissed by hours of post-oak form a perfect union of brain-stopping deliciousness.

John Mueller, Austin, TX
What you're getting: Brisket and a beef rib
The grandson of BBQ legend Louie Mueller (more on him later), JM delivers the goods with his brisket, his sausage, and his turkey, but it's the beef ribs that you'd better not miss, with their fatty juiciness enhanced by a black pepper-loaded crust. If you find yourself in a long line, don't worry, he's known to occasionally dole out free beers to help patrons pass the time.

Skylight Inn, Ayden, NC
What you're getting: BBQ Sandwich with slaw
You don't have a lot of options at Skylight Inn, presided over by the Jones family, which has been steeped in the whole hog, vinegar-kissed Eastern North Carolina BBQ tradition since the early 19th century. The good news is you don't need choices. Get a chopped pork sandwich topped with their fresh, crunchy coleslaw, or if you're watching carbs (really?), nab the tray with a pile of succulent meat, slaw, and a thin piece of cracklin' cornbread. Whoops. Sorry, carb guy.

BrisketTown/ Delaney Barbecue, Brooklyn, NY
What you're getting: Brisket, duh
First there was BrisketLab, a traveling series that popped up around NY to serve Daniel Delaney's ultra-simple, salt & pepper-seasoned, Post Oak-smoked brisket, and it was delicious. Then there was the formal home of BrisketTown, and it was also delicious, and you didn't have to do weird things to find it. Aside from some (brisket-based, of course) tacos here and there, Delaney is all brisket, all the time. Such singular focus will either drive a man mad, or lead him to create delicious smoked meat that lands him on 33 Best lists. Winston Churchill said that.

There's so much more delicious BBQ to eat with your eyes, and they're all in the full story on Thrillist.com!

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Mary Bottari: Outsourcing America: Sodexo Siphons Cash From Kids and Soldiers while Dishing Up Subprime Food

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By Rebekah Wilce and Mary Bottari

Since the 2008 financial crisis, cash strapped states have accelerated the outsourcing of America in hopes of delivering the same services more cheaply. "Desperate government is our best customer," said one executive specializing in infrastructure purchases.

But in many instances, this explosion in outsourcing of government services to private for-profit firms has generated higher prices, poorer service, and scandal.

Today, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) launched a new web resource OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org where we will profile the privatizers and profiteers selling out our democracy. For our first profile of America's big 12 outsourcing firms, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) focuses on Sodexo, a multinational company based in France that provides food services to schools, college campuses, the U.S. military, and other government entities across the United States. With about $8.8 billion in annual revenues from operations in North America, Sodexo is a primary driver of the privatization and outsourcing of food services in America. But Sodexo has taken the low road to profitability.

Sodexo "Rebate" Scheme Ensures Race to the Bottom in Suppliers

In 2010, Sodexo was caught fomenting a race to the bottom in food service, by choosing food suppliers based not on quality but based on which supplier could give them the highest cash rebate for the contract. This iced out small local famers and other quality food suppliers in favor of big agriculture and big business that could best engage in the kickback scheme.

After an attorney general investigation, Sodexo paid an eye-popping $20 million in 2010 to settle claims that it overcharged 21 New York school districts and the State University of New York (SUNY) system for food and facilities services from 2004 to 2009. New York's case led to a "major investigation" by at least three other state attorneys general, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Inspector General began a nationwide audit in October 2011 for alleged systematic taxpayer fraud by multiple firms.

The scandal prompted Congressional hearings, and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) declared, "Everyday the government provides meals to our soldiers at home and overseas, veterans, government employees and to our children through the national school lunch program. . . . Recent reports of fraud and other abuses in food service contracts have snowballed. . . . The message of these reports and investigations is clear, we are not doing enough to make sure that the government is not being cheated."

Horsemeat Found in England, Listeria Found in the U.S.

Sodexo's unethical business practices ensure that low quality foods are the norm.

Most famously, Sodexo was implicated in the British horsemeat scandal earlier this year, when the company found horse DNA in some of its products and withdrew all frozen beef products from its catering operations at 2,300 British schools, care facilities, military bases, prisons, office canteens, and sporting venues.

In 2007, when Sodexo was contracted to provide food services to all Marine Corps mess halls in the United States, the USDA recalled 3,000 pounds of chicken that may have been contaminated with Listeria bacteria. Some of that chicken had been shipped to Camp Pendleton and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. In 2011, Sodexo lost part of its $1.2 billion contract, no longer catering Marine mess halls on both the West and East coasts.

For these and other reasons, numerous school districts and other institutions -- including eleven universities -- have cancelled some or all contracts with Sodexo, and many are happy with the change.

Public Schools Reject Sodexo, Embrace "Good Food" Instead

Public school district food service directors are often the unsung heroes of districts' successful efforts to kick Sodexo out of the schools and return food service to local control. They work to rebuild the district's food services in the wake of the multinational. Rick Hughes, a former Sodexo employee, now runs the Colorado Springs School District's food services in-house after the district ended its contract with Sodexo. He has been called the "good food guru," and he revamped Colorado Springs' meals program post-Sodexo by setting a high bar for what constituted good food, including whole grains and fresh produce; and no growth hormones, antibiotics, artificial preservatives, added sugars, trans fats, or dyes.

Gema Soto, who is now Food Service Director of the Ashland School District in Oregon after the district ended its contract with Sodexo in 2010, told CMD that the change has been "absolutely positive -- for the kids, for the parents, and definitely for the staff." Sodexo's "large cookie cutter approach" wasn't appropriate, she said, for a little community like Ashland. The kitchen staff now "feel empowered, the district has a measure of control, . . . and parents feel like they have more of a voice." In contrast to when Sodexo ran the program, now "there's someone on site that they can go to with concerns and ideas, as opposed to a management company where you have to go through layers of control, and everyone's getting their orders from on high. Our flexibility has really worked out."

And healthy foods may bring more benefits to kids than previously known, according to new research that links outsourced food with poor performance.

Private Food Service Management Associated with Higher Costs, Lower Test Scores, and More

Privatization of food and other services in school districts and other public institutions has been linked to a whole host of problems. A 2008 study by Roland Zullo of the University of Michigan found "no substantive decrease in the cost of student lunches and a modest increase in the cost of breakfasts with private food management."

Alarmingly, Zullo's study also found that children at Michigan schools with outsourced food service had lower test scores than those whose food was prepared and provided by public employees. Why? An exploration of Centers for Disease Control data led the researchers to suggest that "the cause for the lower test scores is greater availability of high fat and high sugar foods under private food service management."

Zullo told CMD, "When you have privatized food service in schools, they tend to serve more sweetened drinks, and also more high fat and high salt foods. Schools are under financial pressure, and these private firms step up and say they can make the lunchroom into a moneymaker."

But the model under which they do that, when given free reign, he says, is to create virtually a fast food environment, "like a mall food court." The companies, he said, want to sell meals that they think children will want to buy, and they know that high fat, salty foods and sugary drinks are addictive to at least some students. And that kind of food is cheap and inexpensive.

Other Controversies regarding Outsourcing to Sodexo

Sodexo has been mired in other controversies as well. In 1994, Sodexo acquired a significant stock investment in private prison company Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which is infamous for insufficient and inexperienced staff, security, facilities and medical care from efforts to save money and increase profits. CCA's poor management has resulted in frequent violence between inmates and a high record of escapes. By 2000, Sodexo was the largest investor in the company. In March 2000, the Prison Moratorium Project organized universities across the country to expose Sodexo's connection to the CCA. In the campaign, "Not With Our Money," students pressured schools to cut contracts with Sodexo if it did not divest from CCA's operations. After losing contracts with six universities, Sodexo announced in 2001 that it would sell all investments in CCA, but at the same time it increased ownership of private prisons in the UK and Australia.

And Sodexo paid $80 million in April of 2005 to settle a lawsuit brought by the company's thousands of black employees, who claimed that they were "routinely barred from promotions and segregated within the company." Critics also accuse Sodexo of cost savings on the backs of workers and a pattern of interfering with worker rights in many states, including the right to organize.

Sodexo Profits Rise

But through it all, Sodexo continues to rake in the big bucks, much of it from American taxpayers. In the last five years, Sodexo's profits have risen despite the financial crisis, and even as many public school districts -- and other public institutions with which the company contracts -- have seen their funding cut drastically.

The company made $1.036 billion in profits in 2008, and $1.292 billion in profits in 2012. Of its $24 billion in revenues internationally in 2012, 37 percent was from North American operations. Factoring in the fair market value of the stock options he was granted, Sodexo Group's CEO in France, Michel Landel, was paid a total of nearly $4.2 million in 2012.

As children return to school this fall, parents and school districts face a choice: whether to outsource school lunches to for-profit multinational firms like Sodexo with a track record of running up costs and running down quality or to maintain local control of food service and make sure that school boards and school officials sharpen their focus on providing what Rick Hughes calls "good food" as much as possible.

Note: Today, the Center for Media and Democracy, publishers of ALEC Exposed, launched the first article of our in-depth investigation of outsourcing and privatization, available on a new web resource OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org. The investigation will include profiles of a "dirty dozen" list of corporate profiteers and regular reporting on the "Fine Print Follies," bad contract language that costs taxpayers big bucks. Follow the whole series of reports @PRwatch and #OutsourcingAmerica.

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T.H.E.M.-MULTIVAC Unveil Snapsil Easy-Open Portion Pack Venture to North America

    WHITEHOUSE, NJ, July 24, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Snapsil easy-open portion packs during a joint presentation to attendees of the recent Global Pouch Forum on June 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Developed by Australian-based Snapsil Corporation, the Snapsil semi-rigid container features a patented audible "snap-opening" function that allows consumers to open the package with one hand. Snapsil has developed a range of creative dispensing designs, enabling simple and controlled product release for a variety of unit-dose and single-serve consumer products.

Snapsil portion packs will be produced on the MULTIVAC thermoforming packaging machines. The snap-opening function is integrated in the lower web of the thermoformed pack. There is no requirement for any type of perforation of the film in the opening area of the portion pack; this provides unrestricted barrier properties for package contents. MUTIVAC has already performed extensive testing on the package at itsWolfertschwenden, Germany-based Test Application Centre, identifying a number of tooling and package refinements and enhancements during the process.

With MULTIVAC as the machinery provider, interested marketers will benefit from the company's established and extensive engineering, sales and service network. And, customers who already utilize MULTIVAC thermoforming packaging machines can introduce the Snapsil package with the addition of new tooling.

"MULTIVAC is very pleased to be involved as partners in the launch with T.H.E.M and Snapsil Corporation," commented Campbell. "Each of the participants has demonstrated an ability to make this a major success."

T.H.E.M. will support the Snapsil partnership with product evaluation, testing and contract packaging services. The first Snapsil production lines will be commercially operational at T.H.E.M.'s FDA-registered contract packaging and development facility in Marlton, NJ later this year. Structured with multiple interchangeable packaging suites, T.H.E.M.'s facility has the flexibility to accommodate new package introductions like Snapsil with initial trial, test market, as well as higher volume commercial production runs.

The Snapsil pouch will make its commercial thermoformed debut in a single-serve offering of tomato sauce in August with three brands scheduled for launch during the second half of 2013. With a comprehensive array of configurations, the package is suitable for a number of branded food, personal care, healthcare and household products. Snapsil has also been tested by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and has been awarded the "Ease of Use" quality seal.

In recent focus group testing, consumer feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants expressing genuine appreciation for the audible "snap" sound that indicates the product is being opened for the first time, delivering a reassuring indicator of freshness. Focus group members also praised the ease-of-use and inherently fun, and interactive nature of the package.

Upon announcing the T.H.E.M.-MULTIVAC partnership to introduce Snapsil in North America, a number of consumer packaged goods marketers have already expressed significant interest. "We are very pleased with the initial reaction to our involvement with Snapsil in conjunction with MULTIVAC," Kozarsky commented. "All parties involved obviously recognize the great potential for this package, and are committed to providing the necessary resources to successfully introduce it in North America."

"This is a truly exciting and versatile package, with broad market application for single-serve and portion-specific products," Kozarsky added. "Energy drinks, hotel amenities, salad dressings, and of course a variety of beverage products and enhancers are just a few of the possibilities for Snapsil."

T.H.E.M has had its share of successful package introductions, developed and delivered in partnership with other packaging suppliers. Working in conjunction with Sanko Machinery Corporation, the company successfully launched flexible stick packaging in North America. More recently, T.H.E.M. partnered with Zip-Pak to introduce the Zipbox resealable carton, with the first commercial application Plantation Raw Sugar/US Sugar being launched in 2012. Additional Zipbox products are set for rollout later this year with major brand owners.

About T.H.E.M:
Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing (T.H.E.M.) was founded in 1973 as one of the first providers of innovative packaging solutions in North America. The company is best known for commercializing Sanko Stick Packaging in the United States. Working in conjunction with select packaging and equipment manufacturers, T.H.E.M. offers a comprehensive array of packaging solutions designed to take brands from initial concept to full-scale national or global production. T.H.E.M. has a fully operational, on-site R&D center located at its Marlton, New Jersey headquarters, with pilot production, scale-up, and full-scale contract packaging capabilities.

For more information on T.H.E.M.'s flexible packaging machinery and contract manufacturing services, please visit: www.them.net

About MULTIVAC:
MULTIVAC is one of the world's leading suppliers of packaging solutions: the company is a global market leader in thermoforming packaging machines and it manufactures a comprehensive range of tray sealers, vacuum chamber machines, chamber conveyor machines, labellers, quality control systems, automation solutions and even ready-to-use lines. The MULTIVAC group has approximately 3,700 employees worldwide, with about 1,400 based at the headquarters in Wolfertschwenden, Germany. With more than 65 daughter companies, the group is represented on all continents. Over 900 consultants and service technicians around the world place their knowledge and experience at the disposal of their customers and ensure that all installed MULTIVAC machines remain fully operational.

For more press information, please contact:
Ed Delia, President
Delia Associates
T: 908.534.9044
E: edelia@delianet.com

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