Why is old food being served?

November 29, 2018

University Relations

This morning, I left the MBS Campus Cache with a very dried out banana bread (which the girl using the togs should've noticed the hardness of it), and do not understand why these items are continuously served to students, staff, and faculty. This is at least the 4-5th time experience this since summer 2018, and the reason I choose to not purchase from UAF dining a majority of the time. It is disheartening to see this is what is commonly served to our students on a usually basis.

I am upset I have to take the time to leave the office to drive back to lower campus to request a refund. I wonder are the employees in the coffee shop locations that provide bakery items and refrigerated wraps/sandwich/yogurts, etc. trained to recognize old food? It is a major inconvenience once a person discovers the purchase of bad food - we are often a distance from the shop and weigh going back and/or tossing it with the annoyance of "this is why I don't buy food from the UAF grab-n-go locations!".

It is quite frustrating. Visually looking at some of the items, it is clearly old and needs to be tossed. Why is this not happening? I have asked the girl working how old the yogurt was since it was watery and odd looking, and the response I received was "it usually gets like that as it sits, but it should still be good.". It appears the individuals staffing the locations are not able to recognize old food, make a decision to toss it or pull them from the shelves for management to document, or take concern to checkout the item- and worse, seem to have no problem selling the food without question.

At this point I am surprised (disappointed) more people are not complaining because there is no way I am the only person receiving old food.  The prices paid at the grab-n-go and coffee shop, I expect fresh food not day-old to week-old items.