Concerns Over Food Quality at USC Cafeterias
Students at the University of Southern California (USC) are raising alarms about their campus dining experience, claiming that their meals might come with unwelcome surprises.
In a series of unsettling posts on social media, students have shared images and videos depicting strange, unappetizing additions found in food served at two popular dining halls: Everybody’s Kitchen and USC Village Dining Hall.
The videos have been confirmed as authentic by the university’s student news organization, Annenberg Media. One disturbing clip shows what look like maggots crawling over plates in Everybody’s Kitchen, from early September, while another, taken on November 22 at USC Village, displays green bugs mixed in a salad.
There are reports of a student who, while eating broccoli, spotted what appeared to be a bug and, understandably startled, exclaimed, “Oh my god!” This prompted her to avoid the dining hall for two weeks, according to her friend, Ilana Jacobson.
Other posts tagged with notes like “Trigger Warning: Bug” depict flies on lunch meats and moldy bread, as reported by Annenberg Media.
USC’s assistant vice chancellor for hospitality, Dirk de Jong, expressed surprise at the students’ claims, stating, “We have a strong track record of safely delivering 30,000 to 40,000 meals per day on campus and consistently receive an ‘A’ rating from the Department of Public Health.” He assured that the university is investigating the situation and taking steps to enhance their food safety protocols.
Looking back, a September 2021 inspection revealed a minor violation concerning the presence of insects or pests. Per public health guidelines, such findings can be categorized as minor violations.
With some students expressing determination never to eat at these dining halls again, one freshman, Eli Kashfian, commented, “If I heard there were maggots, I’d still do it. I think it’s totally despicable,” demonstrating the growing sentiment among students regarding food safety.
