Students expressed their concerns with food quality, employee treatment and dining prices to Emory administrators and Sodexo representatives at the Food Advisory Committee at Emory’s (FACE) meeting last night.

With about 35 students from various University divisions and 11 administrative members present, the conversation remained tense and became heated a few times, including a student who began crying while describing her experiences with food poisoning after eating at the Dobbs University Center (DUC).

Students took turns describing their personal experiences as well as sharing rumors and other dining-related stories they had heard from friends. In turn, Sodexo Resident District Manager Joe Mitchell fielded questions, explained policies and current changes throughout the meeting.

“As somebody who comes from a working-class family from Cleveland, Ohio, I’m not looking for gourmet food; ... [But] at a school that proclaims excellence, it’s upsetting to hear these stories,” Student Government Association (SGA) President Alex Kappus said at the meeting, referring to the food complaints from students that he has compiled for three weeks.

On Nov. 6, Kappus sent a list of more than 20 food quality complaints to Campus Life and Emory Dining officials. Kappus said he is continuing to add to the list, and will pursue changes to food quality at Emory.

A wide variety of grievances related to food quality were presented at the two-hour meeting, including uncreative vegetarian options at Sub Connection at the Rollins School of Public Health, discrepancies between the quality of kosher and halal food options on campus and juice oranges being served at the DUC. Many concerns were of specific incidents of students finding hair in their food or mold on sandwich breads, and some were more particular, such as the oranges at the DUC not being orange enough in color.

Mitchell explained that it is often difficult to track down the source responsible for the quality of a certain ingredient or dish, referring to the multiple layers involved in food preparation. The necessary procedures are in place, he said, such as requiring employees to wear hairnets, cooks tasting food before it is served, and conducting hazard analyses of how food was handled during travel. But some products come in damaged from manufacturers or the producers, he said.

“I’m as disappointed as anybody who purchased the sandwich with the mold,” Mitchell said, adding that Sodexo and Emory Dining have made strides in the past few years with quality control and customer service.

Many students presented cases that dated as far back as July. Such concerns can’t be addressed if they are not presented right away, said Mitchell and other administrators, especially if they are timely issues like finding hair or moldy bread.

Mitchell urged students to be proactive in voicing their concerns. While photographs or other evidence isn’t really necessary, he said, students should approach a floor manager, an Emory Dining and Sodexo representative, a cook or any other worker about their complaints within two hours of the incident.

He added that action is taken right away once concerns are raised, highlighting changes that are already in place as of last night to reflect student suggestions from Wednesday’s focus group on food at Clairmont campus.

Mitchell also listed changes taking place at the DUC that were based on student suggestions, such as enforcing the rule that every station stay open until the DUC officially closes at 8 p.m. and staffing more employees at the salad bar and fruit stations so that students aren’t forced to choose between “iceberg” or browned lettuce. More pre-prepared food will be available in anticipation of the lunch crowd, and there will be order forms for the sandwich line, he added.

Sodexo Director of Operations Chris Munkel said that after receiving complaints of the quality of entree items at the DUC, he has been tasting four to six entree items a day. For the past month that he has been tasting entrees, he said that “98 percent of the time, the food is quite good.”

Executive Chef Michael Lyle served students buffet-style at last night’s meeting, including vegan penne with marinara, polenta with tomatillo verde sauce and lemon-caper chicken with garlic alfredo. Munkel pointed out at the beginning of the meeting that all the food served at the meeting was prepared at different stations in the DUC.

Students also raised concerns about employee treatment. College senior Nathan Liu, who worked as a card swiper at the DUC this summer, said he met many disgruntled workers.

Mitchell responded that Sodexo ensures that its staff receives wages set by the University human resources, vacation pay and sick leave, and has access to health care and education, among other provisions. He pointed out the challenges to measuring employee satisfaction, and that employee response may very well depend on how many hours or what kind of shift they had just worked.

“On any given day I’d be willing to bet that after they finish their eight-hour shift washing dishes in a dishroom, and ask if they enjoyed their job, they would say no,” Mitchell said.

But Sodexo loses less than 30 percent of employees to other employers in a 12-month period, Mitchell said, and added that although Sodexo is working to lessen the employee turnover rate, they are “cautiously pleased” that the rate is only 30 percent.

Students repeatedly referred to expectations that the food should reflect the price of meal plans. According to Marissa Esser, second-year student at Rollins and president of the Rollins Student Government Association, a survey among of Rollins students found that the cost at Sub Connection is too expensive for the quality of food.

Associate Director of University Food Service Kenny Hemmer said that each University division decides what type of food service they want, and pointed out that the Division of Campus Life only has control over the Depot, DUC and Cox and that contractors decide which restaurant would fit each division’s preferences. Emory Dining acts as a liaison between the University and Sodexo. All dining employees are hired by Sodexo, although Emory has an informal process of hiring the managers that work directly with Emory, Hemmer said in an interview with the Wheel.

SGA Attorney General Philip May presented his compilation of catering complaints from various student groups. He also raised Muslim Student Association’s concern that the kosher and halal foods are satisfactory for Jewish students, but not for Muslim students. Mitchell responded that he can direct MSA members to the halal wholesalers with whom Sodexo can work.

Mitchell said in an interview with the Wheel that the FACE meeting resulted in an honest exchange.

“Would I love to walk in here and have everyone break into an applause? Certainly,” Mitchell said, but added that if anyone who had one dining option for nine months in a row is bound to have complaints.

“The most important customer I have on this campus is the person buying the dining plate. They are my No. 1 customer and my No. 1 guest,” Mitchell said. He compared members of the Emory community to customers at a restaurant, adding that just as a patron at a restaurant complains to the manager if the food isn’t satisfactory, students should speak out about their concerns immediately.

— Contact Michelle Ye Hee Lee.