Geneseo students are being served unacceptable food on campus

Photo courtesy of Photo Editor Faith Zatlukal

Geneseo students are finding all kinds of critters in their food. Food products need to be handled with more care for students who regularly utilize dining halls.

Have you noticed the dining hall food is lacking? Perhaps you have heard of a fly or two entering the food? I have heard multiple cases of students finding all sorts of bugs on their plates—whether it be a fly, a caterpillar, or even a spider. When I noticed raw chicken, I thought that was bad enough, but having insects make their way into the food is completely unjustifiable. Of course, the students do not expect gourmet meals, but there are certain standards we rely on for our health and safety. Overcooked pasta or even a hair is unappetizing, but moldy bread, raw chicken, and insects? I don't know about you, but I am losing my appetite altogether. How can I function as a college student when I am too grossed out to eat any food provided and pay for? 

SUNY Geneseo’s dining hall system needs to ask themselves some serious questions. How is the food being stored? How is it being prepared? Why is no one seeing these problems before they are given out to the students? I have been wondering these same questions myself, and I am starting to eat less at the dining hall as a result. This is a serious issue that demands attention by the college. Students like me are paying up to thousands of dollars a semester on meal plans but at the cost of being unable to consume the food without fear of getting sick. 

We should not be worried about the quality of food and the state in which it is being prepared. This is not an isolated event—it has been a recurring issue for the last few semesters as well. The topic of dining hall food health hazards was raised at the Student Senate meeting last month following a YikYak post showing a maggot found in broccoli at the Letchworth Dining Hall; the current status for this issue in the Student Senate proposals document is labeled as “in progress.” The Inter-Residence Affairs director, Sophia Benanti, also brought up the issue at a Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) meeting. The board decided to do more checks and will give an update at the next meeting. 

How long does a vegetable sit in storage for a maggot to appear? Furthermore, are the vegetables not being washed to reduce residue from any chemicals or bugs that have made their way there? Is the food not being visually examined by whoever is preparing it? What sort of quality is the college feeding us? If lower-quality produce is being purchased, it is the dining hall’s responsibility to ensure it is used quickly while it is at its freshest. 

Routinely checking the temperature of the refrigeration to store foods for extended periods, routinely spraying produce with water to remove excess dirt, chemicals, and potential insects, and using meat thermometers to make sure the meat is cooked through—these changes will decrease the rate at which these issues appear. The Geneseo population hopes this is resolved quickly and effectively, as it greatly impacts students’ lives.