Our Food Standards

Bon Appétit at Goucher College prides itself on offering fresh, innovative and nutritious cuisine to the campus community. The following is just a sample of our menu specifications and standards.

• Menus are written based on seasonality and availability of regional fresh product. Whenever possible, these are produced locally using sustainable and organic practices.
• Turkey breast and chicken are produced without the routine use of antibiotics as a feed additive.
• Hamburgers are made with fresh ground beef from cows raised on vegetarian feed and never given antibiotics or hormones. We use only solid muscle meat and fat. No neck or trim is allowed.
• Other meats are raised without antibiotics as a first preference.
• Turkey and beef are roasted in-house daily for deli meat.
• Milk and yogurt is from cows not treated with artificial Bovine Growth Hormone.
• Shell eggs are produced cage-free and are Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care.
• Vegetarian options are plentiful at every meal.
• Healthy menu items are a mainstream offering throughout our cafés.
• Salsas, pizza, marinara and other sauces are made from scratch.
• Stocks are made from scratch the day before use to ensure the removal of fats.
• All seafood purchases, wild and farmed, follow the sustainability guidelines of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. Seafood should be purchased fresh when available locally or frozen at the source to ensure quality, and never air-freighted.
• Olive and canola oils are used for everyday salad dressings. Specialty oils for other purposes (i.e. walnut oil or chili oil). Peanut oil is never used in the preparation of our food.
• Trans fats are not used in our kitchens.
• All salad dressings are made from scratch. Nonfat and low-calorie dressings may be purchased as necessary.
• Vegetables are prepared in batches at the last possible minute and served in the smallest possible batches.
• MSG is never used in the preparation of our food.
• Mashed potatoes are made from fresh potatoes.
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice is used for cooking and sauces.
• Cookies and muffins are baked fresh daily. Breads are baked fresh daily where possible.

FARM TO FORK

Farm to Fork is a local produce growers program introduced in Fall 2003. This new venture took root in our commitment to freshness and quality. In our mission to provide the freshest in seasonal produce from local farmers, Bon Appétit at Goucher College is partnering with Maryland farmers who grow organically certified fruits and vegetables. Our goal is to be able to provide high quality fresh vegetables and fruits to you while contributing to the local business economy.

FOOD SAFETY

Bon Appétit Management Company takes food safety and sanitation very seriously.

We are proud that each food service manager has earned the National Restaurant Association’s ServSave certification. This program is recognized and accepted by more federal, state and local jurisdictions than any other food-safety training program.