FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Durham, NC – [Thursday, July 31, 2025]
As one of the nation’s leading collegiate dining programs, Duke Dining continues to set the standard for wellness-forward food service by eliminating artificial dyes and additives from menu offerings across campus dining venues.
This effort, known as the True Blue initiative, reflects Duke Dining’s mission to prioritize student health, support whole food nutrition, and lead with integrity in campus dining operations by providing meals that are free from synthetic food dyes and unnecessary chemical additives, and made with real, recognizable ingredients.
Specific ingredients being removed include:
- Artificial colorants: FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, Orange B
- Sweeteners/ sugar substitutes: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sucralose, Aspartame, Erythritol, Xylitol, Saccharin, Acesulfame, Sorbitol, Maltitol, Mannitol, Isomalt, Lactitol, and Allulose
These additives are commonly found in some processed foods and may be used to enhance color, sweetness, or shelf life. Duke Student Health emphasizes that its Nutrition Services “educates, supports, and facilitates a student’s ability to develop lifelong healthy eating habits” which generally align with consuming whole, minimally processed foods.
“We’re proud to lead with integrity and purpose,” said Robert Coffey, Executive Director of Duke Dining. “Removing artificial dyes and additives is a natural extension of Duke Dining’s student-centered, wellness-driven approach.”
The updated ingredient standards have been implemented collaboratively with Duke Dining’s culinary teams, vendors, and campus partners. Menu transparency continues to be available via the NetNutrition online platform, which enables students to confirm the nutritional content of their food choices and make informed decisions.
Scott Morse, owner of Brenz Pizza Co. and operator of on-campus locations Il Forno and Sazón said, “As the owner of five restaurants in the area, including three located on campus, we’ve always made it a priority to use the highest quality ingredients. Our families and team members eat with us, too, so taking care of people has always been at the heart of what we do. The transition was pretty smooth for us since we make nearly all of our food in-house and source as many ingredients locally, as possible. Along the way, we also noticed that many of our team members had already made similar lifestyle changes and were becoming more aware of the health concerns around additives, dyes, and high fructose corn syrup.”
To date, Duke Dining has achieved 60% of this transition, with a full implementation planned by the start of Spring Semester, January 2026.
This latest initiative is another bold step taken by Duke Dining in its commitment to student wellness and culinary transparency, building upon earlier successes, including the launch of It’s Thyme, the first stand-alone FARECheck Gold–recognized dining venue in the country free of the top 9 allergens and gluten, and the award-winning “Ask Me” allergen-awareness campaign.