By Emily Costantino, Staff Writer
Images are circulating throughout the student community showing what appears to be bugs in the food from the Degenstein Campus Center.
A series of pictures were posted to Instagram on December 7, December 16 and January 31. Each image depicted a cafeteria meal with either a worm or a fly. Kevin Hamilton, the general manager of Susquehanna Dining Services, confirmed that there was a broccoli worm and a fruit fly found within meals from Degenstein in December. He was unaware of any other incidents.
Although students are left wondering how this could happen and what is being done about these problems, Hamilton was able to provide an in-depth description of how these issues occur. In regard to broccoli and lettuce, dining services normally purchase these products already washed and trimmed. Therefore, it is possible for small worms to burrow into the vegetables, and remain hidden until they are cooked and served. This is most likely what happened in December. Following those incidents, the dining services began purchasing a different type of broccoli, which they now soak in a specific water solution in order to remove 99.9 percent of pests.
“Understandably a bug found in a plate of food is unappetizing and unappealing,” Hamilton said. “Safety and food safety are paramount to our daily operations, where we have rigorous standards to ensure the food served is safe from the time it enters the building to the time it is served.”
Shannon McGoey, the Student Government Association (SGA) liaison for dining services, was able to describe what students should do if they find problems with their food.
“The best way to address the concern is to remember the day, time, location and station of the incident,” McGoey said..
After a student reports the incident to either Hamilton or McGoey, dining services will be made aware of the situation and begin an investigation. In addition to providing information, McGoey wanted the student population to know that she can be used as a resource.
“My role in SGA is to be the bridge between the students and the university for dining services,” she said. “Oftentimes students might feel that the university is unreachable or won’t listen to their concerns, so I help with that.”