Georgetown College’s Student–Run Newspaper
April 5, 2017
Sodexo recieves an “F” rating on food quality By BAILEE BOGGESS Opinion Editor
Sodexo, a food service company, is one of the leaders in the industry for providing schools and universities across United States and the world. Over 850 colleges in 80 countries depend on Sodexo to feed their students. Even though the company serves many schools in the U.S., they are a Parisian corporation (chargerbulletin.com). Recently, the company received an “F” rating from the online organization “Is It Bad for You” that determines the legitimacy and safety of different products. Their evaluative team is comprised of several doctors and nutritional experts. Dr. Becky Maes, a former gastroenterologist, approved the rating, article and report. An “F” rating for the company is defined as “things that fail to bring anything benefi-
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Volume CXXXVII Issue 9
cial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long–term side effects are usually very serious” (isitbadforyou.com). The basis for this rating stems from many areas deemed as problematic by the team. According to the website, there have been nine or more boycotts of the company due to low pay and “unethical treatment” towards workers and a “lack of local food options.” Reports have been given about improper meats being served, such as one in 2013 in the U.K. where horse DNA was found in the meat. This led to all the frozen beef products in the country to be removed
from cafeterias (bbc.com). Side effects that were listed on the report were stomach discomfort (short term), obesity, hypertension and heart disease (long–term). The following concerning ingredients were listed: fat, high sodium and other unknown processing chemicals (isitbadforyou. com).
The team also found it extremely hard to find a list of the nutritional facts or ingredients on the multitude of foods offered, which led to the decision of giving the company an “F” rating. Sodexo is refuting the rating and the accusations
being made towards them. The CEO of Universities North America East, Jim Jenkins, CEO of Universities of North America West and CEO Sodexo Canada, Barry Telford, stated, “[Sodexo client site] proudly stands behind the quality of the products we serve and welcome any, and all, to visit, meet our culinary team, see our ingredients and observe our preparation and food–handling practices” (chargerbulletin.com). Georgetown College uses Sodexo as their food service provider for students on campus. However, despite the company’s popularity among universities, it has always seemed to be a cause of concern for students at GC. The University of New Haven that published the article that caught wind on Facebook late last week was very similar to Georgetown when it came to student opinions on Sodexo. Student concerns included the lack of vegetarian options and the overall lack of nutritional meals that are offered in their cafeteria (chargerbulletin.
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“...things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health.”
com). Georgetown students have voiced their concerns about the same issues. Nicole Miracle, a senior, said, “I can’t remember the last time I ate in the Caf because I tend to be a picky eater. There have been several instances where I have gotten bagels that have had mold on them. I mostly stick with cereal because that’s really the only safe option.” Caroline Pinson, a sophomore, said, “There is a huge lack of red meat, which is unfair to students with medical conditions such as an iron deficiency, especially if they are advised to eat red meat by their doctor.” Haley Faye Snyder, also a sophomore, commented by saying, “I am not surprised by Sodexo’s F rating; they do not provide healthy options for students. Speaking as someone who has dietary restrictions, Sodexo does not work with me. They agreed to provide ‘some options occasionally,’ but even those options made me sick because of contamination...If I was scoring Sodexo, I would give then an F too. When asked their opinion on the matter, the Georgetown Cafeteria was not aware of the article and reported they had no comment.
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