UCLA investigates reports of bugs found in food at dining locations
Michael Nazareno said he found an insect in his cheeseburger while biting into it at the Covel Commons dining hall. (Courtesy of Michael Nazareno)
By Andrea Henthorn
Nov. 19, 2014 7:09 a.m.
Five students have said they found bugs in their food at dining locations at UCLA in recent weeks, posting photos of the incidents to the UCLA Class of 2018 Facebook page.
Despite the reports, the UCLA Office of Environmental, Health and Safety found no serious health concerns in the dining halls after investigating the incidents, according to a UCLA statement.
UCLA said in the statement that it conducts regular food inspections and has a rigorous pest-control program, which are intended to ensure that food is properly cleaned. At the time of the investigation, the university also found that dining locations were following all proper procedures, the statement said.
“While foodborne illness outbreaks are not historically tied to agriculture bugs, diners have a right to consume food free of bugs,” the statement read.
Michael Nazareno, a first-year biology student, said he encountered a bug resembling a cockroach or a cricket after biting into his cheeseburger at Covel Commons early in October. He later posted a picture to the UCLA Class of 2018 Facebook page.
In the following weeks, four other students followed suit and posted pictures of various bugs in their food from Bruin Café, De Neve dining hall and Bruin Plate. The university statement verified that one small, green bug was found in a Bruin Café salad, but UCLA could not confirm any of the other incidents, the statement said.
Nazareno said he didn’t eat the rest of the night because he was too shocked. He added that the dining hall refunded his swipe, but he was still disappointed by the incident and has avoided eating at the dining halls ever since. Instead, he chooses to eat mostly at quick-serve restaurants like Rendezvous at Hedrick and Bruin Café.
Nazareno and two of the other four students who reported incidents to the UCLA Facebook page said they told restaurant managers about the reported bugs.
Daniel Juarez, a first-year psychobiology student, said he found a dead spider in his fruit at Bruin Plate on Nov. 6 while eating with students and professors in his General Education cluster.
While sharing a bowl of grapes and pineapple with his classmate, first-year physiological science student Violet Salazar, Juarez said he noticed something in the bowl. He then realized it was a spider, and pushed the bowl away in surprise.
Juarez and Salazar said they reported it to a manager, who Juarez said was apologetic and understanding. He added that the manager told them the spider was likely in the fruit because it was organic and machine-washed.
“I don’t believe it’s anybody’s fault. I believe it’s also the consumer’s responsibility to check their food before eating,” Juarez said.
Lauren Ton, a first-year psychobiology student, said she also discovered a small black-and-red spider in her grapes at Bruin Plate about two weeks ago during brunch.
She added that she thinks the spiders may have found their way into the grapes because the fruit is organic, but she believes the reported spiders at Bruin Plate are not reflective of the overall dining quality.
UCLA officials encourage students who encounter a problem in the dining area to call the Environmental, Health and Safety hotline, inform management or submit comments online or by text message about specific dining locations.
