I recently had a troubling experience in the Food Court at IU Southeast. A few weeks ago, I ventured in on my lunch break to get a bite to eat.

I weighed my options and decided on a hamburger.

As I was watching the young man prepare my hamburger, I could not help but notice how he used the same pair of gloves to pull out the raw hamburger patty and put it on the grill that he used to touch my hamburger bun, to-go box, lettuce and tomato.

Not only did he touch all the components of my meal with the contaminated gloves he used to touch the raw hamburger meat, he also touched the spatula, the salt and pepper and much of the counter surface.

He then proceeded to use the same gloves and throw a raw chicken breast on the grill for the girl who ordered after me.

I was thoroughly disgusted and politely pointed out to him the contamination he just unknowingly done.

He apologized and re-made my food under more sanitary conditions, although he still proceeded to touch the previously contaminated spatula handle and salt and pepper with new, uncontaminated gloves.

The girl waiting in line next to me told me she was glad I was paying attention because she never would have noticed.

As I left the Food Court, I could not help but think about all the people who had been in there before me and unknowingly ate contaminated hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and hotdogs.

Then I thought about all the people who would have come after me and ingested contaminated food had I not pointed out the heinous contamination he was spreading throughout that kitchen.

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff could have been stricken with food poisoning because of this young man’s unsanitary food preparation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011, 50 million Americans became ill due to food poisoning.

Due to the food poisoning, 128,000 people required hospitalization,  and 3,000 people died as a result.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, E. coli — often nicknamed “cafeteria germ” — is also listed as the most common cause of food poisonings.

Are those in charge of Dining and Conference Services even aware of the gross contamination occurring in their cafeteria?

Are those in charge even aware of proper food handling procedures?

I went to the Dining and Conference Services’ website, and, on a feedback form, I explained exactly what had taken place during my experience in the Food Court that day.

It has been several weeks since I filled out the feedback form, and I am disturbed to say I still have not received a response.

Now that’s what I call customer service.

It is not the young man preparing the food that I am upset with. It is the management and head of Dining and Conference Services that I am upset with.

Shame on them for not instructing their employees on proper food handling and sanitation guidelines.

They are putting the health of the entire student body and employees of this university in jeopardy due to this gross irresponsibility.

It is as if they simply throw these students behind the counter without any kind of formal training, and, in doing so, they are endangering the health and well-being of hundreds of people.

The lack of training is absolutely deplorable.

I will never eat in the Food Court again.

Furthermore, I will encourage everyone I know to do the same.

The fact that those in charge of Dining and Conference Services cannot even give me some sort of response and let me know the error of their ways will be corrected is even more appalling, and they could use a lesson on customer service.

I have worked in the restaurant industry for more than eight years and am very familiar with the proper way to handle raw food items.

Not only has Dining and Conference Services failed me as far as not preparing my food properly, but they have failed me by not responding to my concerns or assuring me it will not happen again.

How can they except to have repeat customers if they continue to behave in this manner?

I realize the Food Court is a little different than the average restaurant, but I still expect the concept of customer service to be present.
My message to Dining and Conference Services is this: get your act together.

To my fellow students: beware and pay attention next time when ordering a burger or sandwich from the Food Court.

It’s very possible they may end up with food poisoning from contaminated.

Who knows, they may end up in the hospital, or, worse, 6 feet under.

By ANNIE MALKA

Profiles Editor

amalka@umail.iu.edu