She just wanted a sweet treat. Instead, she found mold.
Freshman Marley Fuhrman purchased doughnut holes from the Grab and Go in the East Academic Building, officially called Simply To Go, on April 3, only to discover them covered in a layer of fuzzy green mold.
Fuhrman, a dance major, frequents the Grab and Go as it tends to be the only place open to get a quick snack before late night rehearsals. When she bought the doughnut holes, a sticker covered the lid, making her unable to see the doughnut holes before purchasing.
“I noticed they were moldy as soon as I took the lid off the container,” Fuhrman said. “It was kind of hard to miss considering one of the doughnut holes was completely covered in fuzzy green mold and it had branched onto others in the vicinity. I was honestly pretty disappointed when I saw the mold.”
Luckily, she did not eat any of the doughnut holes before noticing. According to Fuhrman, she has never previously had an issue with items purchased from the Grab and Go.
“I’m honestly not sure if I fully trust or feel completely safe with the food on campus after this, besides the fact that I shouldn’t have to worry about buying food on campus that has mold on it,” Fuhrman said.
Matt Sullentrop, general manager of Webster Dining Services by Sodexo, said that they removed all of the items on the rack and replaced them with new ones after receiving the report.
All items at the Grab and Go have expiration dates printed or marked on the item individually. Fuhrman said she did not check the container for an expiration date at the time of purchase.
“We determined that, even with our normal procedures, the fact that the bakery stand sits in front of a window and the sunlight likely played a part in the mold incident,” Sullentrop said. “So, we swapped it with another stand with items that will not be similarly affected.”
This is not the first food safety concern on campus. Last spring, a student was served raw chicken at Marletto’s — the university’s main dining hall. The incident created concern among the student body about food quality and safety. In that instance, Sullentrop said that additional training was being given to Marletto’s staff.
Any incidents involving dining services should be reported to Sullentrop. His email is [email protected].
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