A food inspection of Campion Dining Hall by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health on March 27 reported seven violations that require corrective action and further inspections.

Violations include the food slicer not washed, rinsed and sanitized at least every four hours with an accumulation of food residue on it, mold on the base of the soda and milk nozzles and food stored above the 41 degree temperature requirement.

Mark Giardini, food service director of higher education at Aramark, a global facilities, uniforms and food services corporation that also provides services to hospitals, K-12 schools, higher education institutions and prisons across the U.S., said SJU Dining is working diligently to correct the violations.

“SJU has a stringent food safety program in place where staff are trained regularly to ensure we keep our students and staff safe,” Giardini said. “We want the students to know that while we have zero tolerance for the violations cited, a health inspection is a snapshot in time and is not necessarily reflective of our day-to-day operations.”

The report also noted “mice droppings” were observed under the shelves of the linens and equipments rooms. A Department of Public Health inspection conducted just over two years on April 21, 2017 also reported visible physical evidence of rodent activity and “fresh mice feces” in multiple areas of the dining hall and food being held at 45-50 degrees.

“We have an immediate action plan in place to correct all issues quickly and to ensure these issues do not occur again,” Giardini said. “Dining services coordinates pest control through the company that provides the greater campus pest management program. We are currently coordinating additional pest treatments through this group. Beyond this measure, in all dining locations, additional resources are being leveraged to include a second independent pest control evaluation and treatment.”

An inspection at a dining hall includes checking the temperatures of the food and equipment, searching for signs of pest activity and reviewing the behavior of the staff, according to Giardini.

Theresa Crossan, adjunct professor of food chemistry, said that in order to avoid foodborne illnesses, food needs to be cleaned, raw separated from cooked, cooked to proper temperatures and chilled at the proper temperatures

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health inspection reported pepperoni was being stored at 48.2 degrees and beef was being held at 52.5 degrees.

“Food should be stored in a refrigerator with a temperature lower than 40 degrees,” Crossan said. “This lower temperature slows bacterial growth on or in the food product. The food safety danger zone is a temperature of 40-140 degrees. These temperatures are where harmful bacteria can multiply.”

Crossan also said mold can cause allergic reactions, from mild irritation of the eyes and nose to more dramatic reactions in people who suffer from allergies.

“Mold looks for a moist, oxygenated area to grow on,” Crossan said. “Mold can be a strong allergen whether you breathe it in or ingest. It can trigger respiratory issues, especially in someone with asthma.”

Tim McGuriman, associate vice president of Administrative Services, said additional resources are being leveraged to include independent pest control evaluations through Ecolab.

“Evaluations through this service and requirements for additional services outside of the standard monthly treatments for pest elimination will continue to be coordinated through dining services,” McGuriman said. “Dining services has provided action plans behind all incidents including revising the master cleaning schedule and increasing daily inspections of critical control points.”

McGuriman also said his office regularly reviews the performance of its food vendor through feedback from customer surveys done through Aramark, informally from students and from University Student Senate representatives.

James Garrow, director of communications for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said individuals who have concerns about the cleanliness of a facility are encouraged to contact the city’s Office of Food Protection.

“Whenever anyone eats at any facility inspected by the health department, including university dining halls, they should keep an eye out for things that don’t feel or look right or clean,” Garrow said.

University Student Senate (USS) members became aware of the violations on April 23 and reached out to Giardini for a comment. They then drafted a statement, which was released on April 24, according to USS President Adam Mullin ’20.

“Students needed to know that the dining hall was acting with their best interests in mind,” Mullin said. “Food safety, then, was the top priority. Second, we emphasized the need to be direct and communicative with students.”

Mullin said he and USS Vice President Julia McQuade ’20 will be meeting with the Aramark district manager for higher education in Philadelphia and Aramark global food safety and risk control partner on May 3 to discuss how the food provider plans to move forward in addressing the violations. Mullin and McQuade said they set up a meeting with Giardini for next week.

“The Senate will make sure that the key takeaways from the meetings are communicated outward,” Mullin said. “We as a Senate will push to ensure that there is a routine process to discuss results when inspections occur for the coming years. Right now, we will be in contact with Mr. Giardini to know when the follow-up inspection from the March 27 report has occurred.”

Alysa Bainbridge ’21 contributed to this article.