Sponsor Profiles

FOUNDING MEMBER

At Barilla, we believe good food is a joy for the present and a choice for a better future for people and the planet. It starts with sustainable agriculture: as of 2025, over 12,000 farmers are involved in sustainable agriculture projects through working with us. Barilla also sources locally in the countries in which we produce: 90 percent of durum wheat is purchased on the local market. Since 2010, we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent and water consumption by 25 percent per ton of finished product.

Barilla has found a match for our values and goals in the college & university dining segment, and particularly among MCURC members and leaders. The partnerships have led to on-campus activations to educate and inspire teams and students about healthy and sustainable eating and educational programs focused on the Mediterranean diet, to name a few.

For more information about Barilla’s sustainability efforts around the world, please visit https://www.barillagroup.com/en/purpose/. As the leading pasta brand in the U.S., we deliver marketing support, culinary training, and a host of other services beyond what’s in the box. Whether it’s increasing staff or student satisfaction, value-added products to ease labor strain and improve consistency, or menuing nutritious products, Barilla can help. Learn more about our labor-saving and plant-based innovation and initiatives at www.barillaforprofessionals.com.

FOUNDING MEMBER

Google Food fuels over 150,000 people every day. Since the first executive chef joined the company in 1999, food and how it helps build collaboration and innovation have been at the heart of the culture. Google Food today includes over 399 cafes serving over 275,000 meals in over 57 countries every day. The food program is free for employees, but it’s not free for Google. Google invests in this program because it sees how important food is to the company and to the Google culture.

The Food Team puts a tremendous amount of thought into the menus it serves, which includes its approach to culinary, nutrition, responsible procurement, and resource utilization. At the core foundation of its integrated food and beverage approach is the Menus of Change Principles, a modern, thoughtful mindset on menu planning and responsible business. Its unified approach is what guides Google to ensure that it works towards the singular goal of enabling Googlers to experience the joy of food that enables them to be at their best. Over the past few years, in collaboration with the CIA, the Google Food team conducted several pilots to operationalize across the dining program. Key areas of focus include:

  • Globally inspired, balanced, plant-forward menu concepts support users in making delicious, nutritious and sustainable choices

  • Right-size portions (featuring the “Flip”) as well as purposeful plating 

  • Designing operations for the future to “nudge” users toward healthier balanced plant-forward options including (culinary interaction and chef recommendations; plant-forward merchandising for priming, thoughtful menu planning & menu labeling and the placement/size of plates, service design/flow)

Google Food is constantly evolving to create engaging and inspiring food experiences that provide fuel for big, innovative thinking and collaboration among employees. It fuels Googlers around the world to be at their best today, tomorrow, and long into the future.

Meet 50CUT™, the innovative ingredient that's making real meat - even better! Crafted from roasted mushrooms and mushroom roots (mycelium), 50CUT seamlessly blends with ground meat to deliver enhanced flavor, increased nutritional value, and a reduced carbon footprint – all while maintaining the authentic meat experience your customers crave.

Developed by chefs passionate about elevating classic comfort foods, 50CUT is the secret to creating familiar, satisfying meals that are more delicious and better for you. This dedication fuels our simple obsession: making delicious, satisfying meals even better through clean, high-quality ingredients.

Discover the power of 50CUT in our expanding range of products, including award-winning sausages, expertly blended ground beef, gluten-free meatballs, and rich sauces. Exceptional taste meets enhanced nutrition in every bite.

www.50CUT.com

Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is a premier provider for hospitality ecosystems in higher education, renowned for its commitment to the whole student and enhancing student life through exceptional culinary experiences and innovative dining solutions. With a presence in more than 275 colleges and universities, Collegiate Hospitality uses data driven consumer insights to curate experiences to meet the unique needs of each campus, fostering a vibrant community with diverse and inclusive dining offerings. This intentional integration of campus identity, world class hospitality, and professional opportunity provides a foundational path to student success. Connect with Collegiate Hospitality on LinkedIn.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 16 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet.

Compass Group is redefining the food and facility services landscape with innovation and passion through the lens of what's next. Serving premier healthcare systems, respected educational institutions, world-renowned cultural centers, popular sporting and entertainment venues, and Fortune 500 organizations, Compass Group always finds a way to deliver excellence in nearly any vertical. Ranked No. 1 by industry peers on Fortune's 2025 list of World's Most Admired Companies, Compass is also among the Top 50 Companies Changing the World according to Fortune.

Learn more about the Compass experience at https://www.compass-usa.com/our-companies/education/.

Galley Solutions is a Culinary Resource Planning (CRP) platform purpose-built to help foodservice teams design, plan, and execute menus that align with the Menus of Change Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus. By centralizing recipes, menus, nutrition data, inventory, and production planning, Galley empowers operators to make informed, data-driven decisions that improve health outcomes, reduce environmental impact, and increase operational efficiency.

Our work with college and university dining programs, healthcare foodservice, and community-based organizations demonstrates how technology can support menu transparency, dietitian-led nutrition analysis, and climate-conscious menu planning. By tracking allergens and nutrients at the ingredient level, integrating vendor-sourced product data, and generating nutrition labels with QR code access, Galley helps foodservice teams engage diners with clear, accurate information while supporting plant-forward, nutrient-rich menu innovation.

Galley’s commitment to the Menus of Change vision extends to waste reduction and cost control—two critical pillars of sustainable operations. Our real-time costing and production planning tools help teams right-size batches, avoid overproduction, and protect margins, ensuring that sustainability goals align with operational realities. Through collaboration with MCURC members, we aim to continue innovating practical solutions that make healthier, more sustainable dining both achievable and scalable.

In April 2021, illycaffè earned B-Corp certification for meeting the highest standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and responsibility. Ethics and sustainability are part of illycaffe’s DNA since its founding in 1933. These values are applied to the company’s entire supply chain, which is built on a system of direct relations with suppliers based on four pillars: selecting and working directly with the best Arabica growers; transferring knowledge and expertise to the growers, training them at illycaffè’s University of Coffee (UdC); and through direct, hands-on work in coffee fields with specialized agronomists to achieve sustained, high-quality production while also respecting the environment. We continue to make a difference and lead by action, which including our goal to neutralize our direct emissions by 2033.

Learn more about illy caffè’s sustainability efforts at https://www.illy.com/en-us/sustainability.

Impossible Foods is on a mission to positively impact people and the planet by making delicious, nutritious meat from plants with a fraction of the environmental footprint of meat from animals. Impossible Foods products are served in more than 45,000 food service locations across the U.S. because of how delicious they taste, how popular they are with guests and how easily they incorporate into menus

The International Fresh Produce Association is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain, and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to create a vibrant future for all, and to do so with our members’ prosperity in mind. For more information about our work in a variety of areas including proprietary consumer insights, nutrition policy, and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.freshproduce.com.

 

At Leanpath, we strive to create a sustainable future for all by making food waste prevention and measurement everyday practice in the world’s kitchens. Through a customized suite of automated measurement products, advanced data analytics, AI-driven behavior change functionality, culinary-based coaching from experienced chefs, and enterprise reporting capability, Leanpath helps foodservice operations cut their food waste in half in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. Operating in more than 4,000 sites across 50 countries, we have prevented the occurrence of more than 150 million pounds of food waste to date.

As MCURC members know well, the global food system must be transformed if we are to successfully feed a population of 10 billion by 2050 within planetary boundaries – and cutting food waste is an essential part of that transformation. Leanpath has long been a supporter of MCURC and the Menus of Change principles via our Leanpath 12.3 Initiative, through which we engage in research-focused partnerships involving donations of our hardware, data, and expertise to mission-aligned non-profit organizations seeking to advance food waste prevention work. As a certified B-Corporation, we are continually focused on educating stakeholders on the scope and scale of the food waste challenge and the urgent need to accelerate prevention efforts grounded in measurement-driven behavior change, and we work closely with frontline foodservice teams to create a culture of food waste prevention.

Learn more about our work to drive food waste reduction in foodservice operations at multiple colleges and universities and other sectors at www.leanpath.com.

Lentils.org is actively working to increase the awareness and consumption of delicious and nutritious lentils in North America. High in protein and fiber, lentils are an economical and sustainable source of plant-based protein. Lentils, as well as other pulses, use less fertilizer and improve soil health by fixing nitrogen back into the soil during the growing process. Lentils and other pulses also have a low carbon footprint, are resilient in the face of climate change, and require relatively low water inputs. Lentils.org is proud to work on behalf of growers who are committed to sustainable agricultural practices and respecting the environment.

With a specific focus on the foodservice industry and working with the innovative thought leaders in the college and university (C&U) space, Lentils.org looks forward to working with you to advance menu innovation using lentils as your go-to source of plant protein on your menus. Lentils are an affordable tool to carry global flavors when promoting healthy menu tactics like “The Blend”, “The Protein Flip”, and building creative “Power Bowls.”

For more information on Lentils, please visit www.lentils.org/foodservice/

The U.S. Tart Cherry Industry represents growers and processors dedicated to advancing the role of Montmorency tart cherries in health-forward, sustainable food systems. Nearly all Montmorency tart cherries are grown on family farms in the U.S., making them a uniquely American fruit with a bold red color, distinct sweet-tart flavor, and growing scientific interest in their functional nutrition benefits.

Our commitment to the Menus of Change principles is rooted in supporting plant-forward culinary innovation and menus rich in fruits. Tart cherries are available in a range of minimally processed formats—dried, frozen, canned, juice, and concentrate—that align with strategies to reduce food waste and enhance seasonal menu planning. As an MCURC sponsor, we collaborate with researchers, culinary teams, and foodservice leaders to explore how tart cherries can enrich menus that are nutrient-dense, globally inspired, and rooted in nutrition. Current research explores the potential of tart cherries in areas such as inflammation, sleep, and exercise recovery, supporting broader conversations around food as medicine.

Our goal is to empower chefs and operators with an ingredient that offers both flavor and function. We believe tart cherries can play a unique role in designing craveable, health-conscious dishes that reflect the future of dining on college campuses and beyond.

https://www.choosecherries.com/

The National Peanut Board represents over 7,000 peanut farming families in the United States, dedicated to improving their economic conditions through groundbreaking research and compelling promotion. Peanuts are a naturally sustainable crop, as every part—from roots to shells—is utilized throughout the planting, growing, and production process. Their ability to fix nitrogen enriches the soil, reducing the need for additional fertilizers. Additionally, peanuts are efficient in water usage, requiring only 3.2 gallons of water per ounce, making them one of the most water-conserving crops compared to other nuts.

Peanut farmers, many of whom are multigenerational, focus on preserving the land for future generations by incorporating modern conservation practices. They employ techniques such as low- or no-tillage, GPS guidance for planting, and precision irrigation control. These efforts are tracked and improved through the Peanut Trust Protocol program from the American Peanut Council, ensuring a continuous commitment to sustainability.

Beyond the farm, peanut byproducts contribute to environmental sustainability. Peanut vines can be used as animal feed, while peanut shells serve as biofuel, absorbents, or soil additives, reducing waste and supporting renewable energy sources. Peanuts exemplify how agriculture can be both productive and environmentally responsible. To learn more about sustainable peanut farming directly from our farmers, watch The Crop of Now video.

For more information about nutrition, allergy management and ways to add peanuts to your menus, visit NationalPeanutBoard.org.

Nestlé Professional Solutions is a leader and trusted partner in Out-of-Home, serving customers with passion by providing expertise and efficient, innovative food and beverage solutions that help them win (www.nestleprofessional.com).

As part of the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé S.A., our work is guided by our desire to contribute to nutritious and sustainable diets, to help protect, renew, and restore natural resources, to help strengthen communities, and to operate responsibly. Through the Nestlé Professional Solutions product portfolio of food and beverage solutions, we partner with foodservice operators who share our values and ambitions to continue to delight out-of-home consumers, including college and university students, while we continue to innovate to meet expectations that our products be good for people and good for the planet. For more information on Nestlé’s global sustainability ambitions, including our commitment to Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2050, please visit https://www.nestle.com/sustainability.

We are proud to support the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative as part of advancing our mission of sustainability. Colleges and universities and the students they serve are at the forefront of forming the future of food, and we’re proud to be a partner in shaping that future. 

Oatly is the world’s original and largest oatmilk company. Our mission is to make it easy for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process. According to the United Nations, the global food system is responsible for about a third of global emissions, with about 50% of those emissions coming from the livestock and animal agriculture industries. Knowing this, the greatest impact we can have as a company is to convert dairy users into Oatly consumers, empowering the plant-based revolution.

Food is delicious, it’s personal and it’s something tangible that people make choices about every single day. Our great-tasting products – everything from oatmilks to frozen desserts, non-dairy cream cheese and more – use a proprietary process that delivers the same creamy taste, frothy feel, and functionality as cow’s dairy. What’s the secret? Oats, of course! They’re a wondercrop and can grow around the world, require less land and fewer resources to cultivate than livestock, and are great for soil health. With oats as our core ingredient, we’re able to produce dairy alternatives that emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than cow’s milk.

Learn more about our products, sustainability initiatives, regenerative agriculture projects and more at oatly.com

The J.R. Simplot Company is a global food and agribusiness leader with a long-standing commitment to sustainability, innovation, and nourishing communities. Our vertically integrated operations—from seed development and farming to food processing and culinary collaboration—enable us to influence the food system holistically and responsibly.

Simplot’s approach to healthy, sustainable menus is grounded in several core principles:

Advancing Plant-Forward Solutions: We invest in the development of plant-based and blended menu options that support dietary diversity, reduce environmental impact, and meet evolving consumer preferences for health and sustainability.

Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Our regenerative farming initiatives, precision agriculture technologies, and closed-loop systems are designed to improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our supply chain.

Culinary and Behavioral Research: Through collaboration with chefs, dietitians, and foodservice operators, we explore how menu design and food presentation can drive consumer choices toward more nutritious and environmentally responsible options.

Education and Thought Leadership: Simplot supports academic partnerships, student engagement, and research initiatives that examine the intersection of food, health, sustainability, and behavior change. We believe that knowledge-sharing and cross-sector collaboration are essential to transforming the food landscape.

Our mission is to help shape a future where foodservice menus contribute positively to human health and environmental stewardship. By integrating science, culinary creativity, and strategic insight, Simplot is proud to be a catalyst for change in the pursuit of a more sustainable and nourishing food system.

When we gather around the table, we gain energy, make connections, and share ideas. At UPSIDE Foods, we’re on a mission to change the way meat is produced—so there's always enough to go around. Our cultivated meat is made with an FDA-approved process that starts with cells from a heritage breed chicken. Our meat is better for people, animals, and the future.

Visit us at UPSIDE Foods to learn more.