Customer Story · Campus Dining
Pomona College Reduces Food Waste and Achieves More Than 500% ROI with the Metafoodx AI Scanner
In just nine months, the college lessened overproduction by 54% and lowered plate costs by 8% — while serving 1,800 students and strengthening its sustainability leadership.
The Challenge
Before implementing Metafoodx, Pomona College struggled with limited visibility into kitchen production and consumption. Traditional tools like spreadsheets and legacy systems were time-consuming and ineffective for staff, leaving the team without the item-level data needed to plan production accurately.
The Solution
Metafoodx provided a chef-friendly, real-time solution with preventative food waste tools, automatic production and temperature logs, and enhanced forecasting — all with easy adoption and no training required.
The Results
Within weeks, Pomona saw a 40% reduction in overproduction at a single station. By January 2025, the platform was scaled across all dining halls, reducing overproduction by 54% and empowering staff to focus on the student dining experience. Food waste reduction is now measurable, actionable, and impactful.
"In just the first month, we've already made great progress in reducing overproduction, and we're excited to build on this momentum as we work toward our sustainability goals with Metafoodx."
Hear it from the team
"Pomona's results demonstrate how AI can help higher education institutions achieve both financial and environmental wins. We're proud to be part of their journey toward smarter, more sustainable dining."
Download the full case study
See the complete breakdown of Pomona College's journey with Metafoodx — implementation, onboarding, and the data behind their results.