In June 2025, UC Procurement and dining leaders gathered at Sysco San Francisco in Fremont, CA, for a two-day Food Product Rationalization and Cutting event. With chefs and procurement professionals from UC campuses—including UCLA and UC Davis Health—the forum brought together remarkable culinary expertise and collaborative spirit to strengthen UC’s systemwide food operations.
The objectives were clear: reduce redundancies, streamline specifications, and identify sustainability opportunities across high-spend categories. The group reviewed nearly 900 meat SKUs ($8M annual spend), 450+ poultry SKUs ($6.3M annual spend), and 59 variations of French fries! Chefs participated in hands-on cuttings, comparing specs for taste, quality, and student needs, while procurement teams examined costs, logistics, and supply chain impact.
Key benefits emerged:
- Spec alignment and volume consolidation: Reducing like-for-like items and driving volume to preferred suppliers.
- Cost savings: Optimized specs showed significant savings potential, including a Simplot French fry survey identifying $51.7K in annual savings.
- Menu consolidation and consistency where practical
- Simplified logistics: streamlined ordering through customized UC order guides.
Chefs provided valuable insights, confirming minimal or no culinary impact from the proposed changes. Vendors also highlighted sustainability and innovation. Cream Co. showcased regenerative meat products, collaborating with UC Davis Health on sustainable patties and breakfast sausage. Real Good Fish partnered with chefs on seafood, alongside a Seafood Watch discussion on sustainable shrimp sourcing. Fable Foods introduced a shiitake-based plant protein, while Sweet Street, a woman-owned business and UC alumna, presented desserts and breakfast items under consideration for a future systemwide contract.
The event marked the first time UC chefs convened in this format—tasting, testing, and sharing insights side by side with procurement colleagues. The outcome? A shared commitment to ongoing collaboration, stronger vendor partnerships, simplified inventories, and measurable cost and sustainability benefits for UC’s food programs systemwide.