Our University provides inclusive and sustainable catering services across its campuses in order to meet the diverse dietary needs of students, academic and administrative staff, and visitors, while also supporting more environmentally sustainable food consumption. Catering services are coordinated by the Department of Health, Culture and Sports, and meals are prepared under the supervision of food engineers, dietitians, and professional cooks. Meals are served at dining facilities located both on the Kanuni Campus and at the University’s other campuses. The University’s publicly available Safe and Sustainable Food Management Policy formally adopts the principles of food safety, healthy nutrition, sustainability, and inclusiveness in all catering and nutrition services provided across KTÜ campuses
Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/beslenmehizmetleri
This policy explicitly includes vegetarian and vegan diets. Under the “Special Diet and Inclusiveness Programme,” the policy provides for the development of menus for individuals with specific dietary requirements, including people with coeliac disease, diabetes, vegetarians, and vegans. The policy also promotes increasing the proportion of local and organic products in menus, including plant-based protein sources alongside animal proteins, taking seasonal product diversity into account, and prioritising sustainable food sources.
Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/beslenmehizmetleri; https://surdurulebilirlik.ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/surdurulebilirlik_77xnV.pdf
This approach was translated into practical implementation in 2025. On 11 December 2025, the KTÜ Department of Health, Culture and Sports publicly announced that menu diversity had been increased and that a dual-menu system had been introduced to enable people with diabetes, vegetarians, and other dietary groups to make healthier food choices. By offering alternative meal options alongside the standard menu, the University expanded access to campus catering services for individuals with different dietary preferences and needs.
Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/haber/yemek-cesitleri-artirildi; https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/yemeklistesi
The 2025 evaluations of the KTÜ Department of Health, Culture and Sports also demonstrate that this practice was implemented in concrete terms. In response to feedback from students and staff, changes were made to meal plans, and two different options began to be offered for both the main course and the fourth menu item at the Nejmi Kırkbir Student Dining Hall and the Academic and Administrative Staff Dining Hall. The implementation was evaluated through satisfaction surveys and was continued due to the high level of user satisfaction.
Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/sks_kwzp2.pdf
The University also uses feedback mechanisms to further develop sustainable and inclusive catering services in line with user needs. On 17 December 2025, the KTÜ Department of Health, Culture and Sports launched a publicly accessible “Vegetarian Nutrition Survey.” This initiative enables the University to collect data on the needs of campus users who follow vegetarian diets and to improve future catering services accordingly.
Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/formveanketler; https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/form/vejetaryen-beslenme-anketi
The University’s approach to sustainable food extends beyond menu diversity to the supply chain. The University’s Ethical Sourcing and Sustainable Procurement Policy promotes the adoption of ethical, environmentally responsible, and socially responsible practices in catering services, procurement from local and sustainable sources, and the promotion of healthy and sustainable eating across campus dining facilities. Together with the provision of plant-based and special-diet options, this approach strengthens the environmental and social sustainability dimensions of the University’s catering services
Evidence: https://ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/surdurulebilirlik_xijuq.pdf
In conclusion, in 2025, our University implemented both institutional policies and practical measures to provide more sustainable and inclusive food options for campus users. The University’s policy explicitly covers vegetarian and vegan diets and supports the use of plant-based protein sources, local and seasonal food, sustainable procurement, and special-diet options. The introduction of the dual-menu system for vegetarians and other dietary groups in 2025, together with the separate monitoring of vegetarian dietary needs through a dedicated survey, provides concrete evidence of the practical implementation of this policy.
