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Eat At Your Own Risk: College Cafeterias
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| pyro264jb |
http://cbsnewyork.com/investigates/..._264145210.html
A CBS 2 Special Report
Sep 20, 2004 11:00 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS) College students are back in class and often rely on school cafeterias for their daily meals. How clean are college eateries in our area? CBS 2's Kirstin Cole finds out.
Even math majors at Queens College in Flushing may find the health inspection reports for one of their popular campus commissaries, the Panda House, a little hard to comprehend.
In August inspectors found five critical health code violations. Everything from dead roaches and mice to a waste pipe leaking near the meat slicer and stored pots and pans.
"That's disgusting," says Queens College junior Shanitia McCarroll.
On a re-inspection earlier this month these violations were corrected but another was found: three pounds of chicken were held at unsafe temperatures.
Despite the violation, the co-ed eatery passed its re-inspection and in a statement the school said they "take matters of health, sanitation and safety very seriously" and put various controls into effect to ensure the highest standards.
But Shanitia McCarroll says something doesn't add up. "I pay my tuition just like everybody else at other schools, so they should keep the facilities clean."
But in a CBS 2 News exclusive Eat At Your Own Risk investigation we found cafeterias at CUNYs, SUNYs and Ivy League institutions in our area failing to make the grade, racking up violation after violation, sometimes flunking their health inspections, putting students' health, experts say, in jeopardy.
"We think of college kids as young, vital and healthy but they do tend to burn the candle at both ends so if they eat food that is suspect or damaged it can be just as serious as if they were very young or old," explains food safety expert Brian Buckley.
With the swipe of a meal card, it's all you can eat at this NYU dining hall in the Village.
"We were on a meal plan so it was free," says student Kim Eby.
That's because parents shell out almost $16,000 for room and board at NYU but, Eby says "we only eat there when we have to." Because students, like Eby, say it doesn't seem so clean.
And a look at the cafeteria's most recent health inspection report might confirm that.
There were five health code violations in May. Everything from discolored and pitted cutting boards to no soap available in the food handlers bathroom and 24 mice droppings on the floor and shelves of the food storage areas.
"Rodents can carry and transmit diseases," Buckley says.
Despite the violations, this NYU eatery passed its inspection and in a statement the school said "All five of the violations have been addressed: two were later dismissed, two were remedied immediately in front of inspectors, and the other was remedied during the summer."
At Hunter College on the Upper East Side, mouse droppings, live flies, dirty wash cloths, more than two pounds of ham held at unsafe temperatures and a half gallon of expired milk were thrown out on the spot. It's not an undergrad's science project but the results of a July health inspection report for the college's main cafeteria.
"Nobody eats in the cafeteria. Nobody," claims student Shane Czik.
Students say the cafeteria needs a serious course in food safety 101. And it seems the health department agrees.
In a letter, the city warned Hunter's repeated inspection failures "are more likely to expose their patrons to an increased risk of food-borne illness..." and threatened to close the eatery down in May.
"That is a little hypocritical, if a student doesn't pass the student can ultimately be expelled," Buckley commented.
And despite the violations, Hunter passed its July inspection. In a statement the school said "As soon as we were made aware of the violations that were cited, we took immediate action to remedy the situation."
Ivy League students at Columbia University in Morningside Heights receive a top notch education but the violations found at their popular student cafe, Ferris Booth Commons, may be considered bush-league.
In April, inspectors found three critical health code violations. Pizza, shrimp salad, milk, chicken salad, rice, and smoked salmon, were all time or temperature abused, much of which was ordered thrown out by inspectors.
"They will only do that if imminent danger exists," Buckley says.
Despite the violations, Columbia passed the inspection and in a statement the school said "When the inspectors point out an area where we can improve our food service procedures...we work diligently and immediately to do so."
But Columbia senior Rachel Arons took a more philosophical approach. "Don't you think it's irresponsible to serve food that could get your students sick?"
But not all area schools majored in unsanitary conditions.
Those cafeterias with no violations on their most recent health inspection reports included Cooper dining hall at Rutgers University, Treat Street Too at Nassau Community College, the student center at SUNY Old Westbury, Julliard's cafeteria and the Main Commisary at Fordham University.
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College Cafeterias With At Least One Health Code Violation In The Last Year:
Freeman Hall, Montclair State University
Panzes Gym Juice Bar, Montclair State University
College Hall Café, Montclair State University
Brower Commons Faculty Dining, Rutgers University
Brower Commons, Rutgers University
Neilson Dining Hall, Rutgers University
Gourmet Dining, Seton Hall University
Frankie Kitchen, Cooper Union
Cafeteria, Medgar Evers College
Cafeteria, City College
Cafeteria, Pace University
Millenium Grill, Fordham University
Fourth Floor Café, Marymount College
Nyu Hall Cafeteria, Nyu
Carleton Lounge, Columbia University
John Jay Dining Hall, John Jay College Of Criminal Justice
Cafeteria, John Jay College Of Criminal Justice
Griffis Faculty Club, Weill Medical College Of Cornell University
Chartwells, New School
Wein Food Court, Columbia University
Cafeteria, Baruch College
Cafeteria, Brooklyn College
Cafeteria, York College
Center Campus Cafeteria, College Of Staten Island
The Stand, State University At Old Westbury
Campus Center, Suny Old Westbury
Arnold Winnick Student Center At Long Island University
Cafeteria At University Center, Adelphi University
Student Center Cafeteria, Hofstra University
Cyber Café, Hofstra University
Bits And Bytes, Hofstra University
Cv Starr Café, Hofstra University
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Cafeterias With No Critical Violations On Most Recent Health Inspection Report:
Cooper Dining Hall, Rutgers University
Treat Street Too, Nassau Community College
Treat Street, Nassau Community College
Top Flight Foods, Nassau Community College
Kate And Willy’s, Hofstra University
University Club, Hofstra University
Dutch Treats, Hofstar University
Deli, Hofstra University
Breslin Hall, Hofstra Univerity
Café On The Green, Hofstra University
Sbarro’s, Hofstra University
Rathskeller, Hofstra University
Burlaps, Hofstra University
Arena I, Hofstra University
Arena Concession, Hofstra University
Rathsekeller Bar, Adelphi University
Sbarro’s, Adelphi University
Roslyn Village Gourmet, Cw Post
Pell Hall Snack Bar, Cw Post
Java City, Cw Post
Hillwood Commons, Cw Post
Pratt Concession, Cw Post
Etc, Etc, Suny Old Westbury
Student Center, Suny Old Westbury
Cafeteria, Julliard
Cafeteria, Fordham University
NYU Kosher Deli, Nyu
Faculty House, Columbia University
Dodge Coffee Bar, Columbia University
Blue Java, Columbia University
Sani’s Underground Café, Columbia Univeristy
Cafeteria, Yeshiva University
College Cafeteria, John Jay |
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| pyro264jb |
| The weirdest thing. I was eating at school today, when I finished my nasty wrap I thought to myself does this school have allot of health code violations in the cafeterias? Tonight I watched this investigative report on my college’s food establishments. |
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| trancinchink |
| lol! nyu food has definitely started getting worse.... food just seems very... old. |
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| LinX |
| lol,,, my school should be on that list.. the food sucks so bad. |
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