More than 300 students put food that may appear in dining halls and retail spaces next year to the test.
On Wednesday, “Taste of Penn Dining” hosted eighteen vendors offering samples for students in Bodek Lounge.
At the event, Students were encouraged to vote for their favorite products as part of a new “Student Choice” program that will start in the fall, Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger said.
Students voted “yes” or “no” for each product, and those who voted on more than 10 products were eligible for a raffle, Lea-Kruger added.
The winning food and beauty products will appear in dining halls, McClelland and the UnCommon Market next fall, labeled with “student choice” placards.
“We predetermine so much of what we serve students,” Conference Services general manager Pam Lampitt said. “We wanted to ask people what they want and try to be accommodating of that.”
Students voted on different types of french fries, including sweet potato and wedge fries. They also tested Kiss My Face health and beauty products, Jack and Jill ice cream and Against the Grain gluten-free pizza and dairy-free rolls, among other offerings.
Many local vendors, such as Flint Hill Farms from Coopersburg, Pa., displayed their products, Lampitt said. Students sampled mozzarella cheese while watching a video of the cows where it came from.
The Bon Appetit Management Company was interest in student responses to healthier and organic food options such as whole-grain and vitamin-fortified pastas, Lampitt said.
“I like the healthy options, and I like having a say in what I eat,” Wharton sophomore Crystal Lu said.
College sophomore Olivia Lenz said having a voice in what the cafeteria serves has made her more satisfied with her meal plan, and more likely to sign up for one next year.
“More student choice in dining options is definitely a plus,” Wharton junior Hind Hassan said, adding that dining hall food has improved since Bon Appetit replaced Aramark in 2009.
In response to student feedback, Bon Appetit will expand dining options in the Quadrangle and tweak the meal plan system in time for next year, Lea-Kruger had said in a previous interview.
The results from today’s event will be announced before the end of the semester, Bon Appetit marketing manager Tatiana Losk said.
“I think I’ll vote for the [Applegate Farms] sausages and some of the baked goods,” Engineering freshman Allison Pearce said.
“The [Springfield Creamery] organic yogurt was very popular,” Lea-Kruger added.
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