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University of Central Oklahoma
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TUESDAY November 4, 1997
WON
The Student Voice Since 1903
Uncovered items in Food Court 'not safe,' sources say By Mark A. Schneberger Staff Writer
U
CO students and faculty who purchase pastries or cream pie slices from the Food Court in the University Center may get more than a tasty treat for their dollar—they may be facing a nasty case of food poisoning, said officials from the university's Central Cafeteria and human environmental sciences department. The confections, including cream pies, cakes and brownies, often sit uncovered directly in front of the cash registers, only inches from a steady crowd of passing purchasers. The placement of the pastries expose them to a host of hazards, including physical contact from passersby, such as brushing a coat sleeve through cake toppings. A worst-case scenario could be that the items, such as cream pies which sometimes sit uncovered for hours and regularly drop to room temperature, could be highly contaminated by bacteria and expose consumers to strains which cause food poisoning and illness, said Dr. Valerie Knotts, human environmental sciences associate professor. "It's not safe to keep (food) uncovered because anyone can sneeze and cough as they walk by and leave bacteria on it," she said. "And foods with protein and dairy products in them (such as pies) have to be kept on ice" or they can be host for Salmonella bacteria. Rob Archuleta, manager of the Food Court Express said he was aware that his business's cream pies, layered chocolate cakes and other items sit uncovered. However, he said he felt patrons are in no danger of facing food poisoning, because the items sell too quickly to be contaminated. "Since we moved them (near the cash registers) we've sold three times as many of them. We put them up there as impulse items," Archuleta said. "They sell very fast." He also noted that the items don't sit uncovered all day. Rather, they have lids to protect them. "If you find them uncovered, that's because the lids are being washed," he said.
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At the time Archuleta was interviewed he was unable to produce the lids, which he claimed covered the food items. Employees were also unable to find the lids. Last week staff members from The Vista surveyed the pastry area. Surveyors recorded that a layered, chocolate devils food cake sat open-faced for two hours, as did a chocolate cream pie. Only one piece of both items sold during that time "period. Student consumers also noted they regularly found the items sitting without lids. "I'd never buy those things, I'm afraid of what could have (fallen) onto them, or that flies could have walked around on them," said freshman Melanie Morphis. "It's just too gross to think about eating them." The Food Court is not affiliated with the Central Cafeteria, but is a separate entity comprised of fast-food outlets, including Subway, Taco Bell and Chick-Fil-A. UCO's Central Cafeteria Supervisor, Hazel Banks, said any amount of time that Kevin Connywerdy, a member of the Comanche food is left uncovered is dangerous. tribe from Norman, performs the Fancy Shawl "The only way you can sit anything out in Dance inside the University Center as part of a public area for consumption is if the food is Saturday's Red Earth Festival. UCO hosted the covered with a sneeze guard or some sort of event for the first time. (Staff photo by Bryan Terry) contaminant-free stopper," she said. "But just leaving it there, unprotected is a no-no." Archuleta would not explain why the confections 45 degrees Fahrenheit is another violation. "Any unwrapped food items must be protected at all were not shielded by a "sneeze guard," a plastic structure designed to keep patrons from contaminating times by a sneeze shield or any other mechanical barrier food by coughing on sneezing on it. Sneeze guards are between the food and consumers," he said. "And any cream pies or that kind of stuff need to be used in other areas throughout the Food Court. refrigerated at all times. That's law, and there's no way "Why don't we have a sneeze guard for them? I'm of getting around it." not going to get into that," he said. Despite the hazards, campus health officials said they But not having a guard or regular covering over food items is a direct violation of Federal and Oklahoma State have had no reported cases of food poisoning this year. "We're seeing a lot of upper respiratory problems Health Department standards, said Russ Morrison, senior environmental health specialist for the Oklahoma because of the flu," said Labetta Wallenmeyer, director of the Student Health Center. "But I haven't had any County Health Department. He also warned that allowing cream pies to fall below cases of (food poisoning) problems."
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