Oberlin College students are voicing concerns over food safety following the discovery of larvae in broccoli served at Stevenson Dining Hall during Winter Term. The incident was reported by college third-year Olly Sitrick on Jan. 23 during lunch hours, and has prompted questions about food safety protocols and the handling of fresh produce by the College’s food service company, AVI Foodsystems.
Sitrick recounted her experience, explaining that she was about to eat her meal when she noticed a large larva on her broccoli. Upon further inspection, she found additional larvae on the broccoli in her dish. Initially unsure of who to contact, she witnessed another student report the issue to dining hall workers. AVI staff reportedly removed the broccoli from service at that time.
“It’s been freaking me out,” Sitrick said. “I have friends … who have just stopped going to Stevie at all.”
Joe Jacobs, resident director with AVI Foodsystems, confirmed that the dining service was first made aware of the issue Jan. 23 during the lunch period. He stated that all broccoli was removed, the remaining prepared food was checked, and the affected supply was discarded. Jacobs acknowledged the challenge of preventing such incidents entirely due to the nature of fresh produce but emphasized AVI’s rigorous inspection protocols, which include inspecting, washing, and soaking vegetables to remove any pests.
“When it comes to food safety, obviously we take it very seriously,” Jacobs said. “This is not an incident that anybody planned to happen … This is a first for us, so, we wanna make sure it’s a first and a last.”
Following the incident, AVI suspended broccoli from their menu while they reviewed their vendor sourcing and additional safety measures. The company also maintains that they are conducting additional safety audits and communicating with vendors to prevent similar issues.
Despite these assurances, some students remain wary.
“Stevie was the only dining option during Winter Term, so I had no choice but to keep eating there,” Sitrick said. “But now that I have other options, I definitely will not go there for every meal.”
Moving forward, Sitrick called for more transparency and a stronger commitment to food safety from AVI.
“I would love to keep seeing no bugs,” Sitrick said. “In the case that anything like this did happen … it needs to be taken very seriously when it does happen.
