Many students and clubs are not aware that there are stringent regulations regarding food sales and giveaways at any on campus event despite an internal memo that was circulated at the beginning of the semester.

According to an email sent out to club advisors by Coordinator of Student Activities Amory Cariadus, concerns were brought last spring to the Student Activities Office (SAO) and Student Services Office (SSO) regarding food preparation and storage by campus groups. These concerns culminated this fall with an official enforcement of existing rules regarding food on all three San Mateo County college campuses. However, in an interview with The Skyline View last week, Cariadus emphasized that while there are stringent rules that must be follow, there is no actual food ban

“Some concerns were brought to our attention about students on campus improperly handling food, so we decided to investigate and later found it to be true,” Cariadus said.

According to Cariadus, the rules apply to any club food sales as well as giveaways. Due to concerns with food poisoning or potential cross-contamination, no one is allowed to prepare or store any food at home before bringing it on campus to share or sell with other students. This means that an event like a bake sale cannot include any home-baked goods. All foods must be either prepackaged, cooked by a licensed food service provider or be prepared in the school cafeteria kitchen.

These rules are not new as they were always in effect but rarely enforced in the past. Other rules that students or clubs may still be unaware of are: club activity permits are required for any food transactions, food caterers must present a certificate of liability insurance, and groups are responsible for any/all rental costs as well as potential damage when using the cafeteria kitchen.

Cariadus said that when concerns were originally brought to the attention SAO and SSO, representatives from Skyline, Canada and College of San Mateo met to discuss issues like proper refrigeration, correct cooking temperatures and food handling techniques. Other details such as proper food labeling and separation were also addressed in order to avoid any cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses.

An unfortunate conclusion from the meeting was that there were clearly some instances in which individuals had not adhered to the rules and regulations set forth by the San Mateo County Department of Health. Because of these violations, action was taken in the form of a formal crackdown on all campus food sales.

These newly enforced rules have lead to some hardships and complications for Skyline’s clubs. At the recent Dia de la Raza event at Skyline, LASO had food professionally catered but it was financially very costly and the resulting food did not seem well-regarded by students.

LASO President Astrid Berrios said that there were definitely financial issues related to the new food rules but there was a positive aspect as well.

“On the plus side, it’s safer this way as there is less likelihood of food poisoning and most importantly there are no liability issues for the school,” Berrios said.

Cariadus emphasized that the food regulations were in effect long before swine-flu was a concern and the new enforcement was only the result of some students not adhering to the rules.

“We understand the students’ grievances and the hardships this may cause them but we cannot stand idly by while the student body is in potential danger. The price of hiring a caterer is much less than the price of a single student’s health,” Cariadus said.

The current enforcement is by no means permanent as there are still ongoing issues to be addressed. All three campuses are scheduled to meet with the San Mateo County Department of Health in the near future to iron out further details of what will and won’t be allowed in hopes of giving organizations more leeway regarding food sales while still obeying the current rules and regulations.

An example of a current question regarding the food rules is: If a student buys donuts from a reputable retailer, but the package is not sealed, can they still sell them on campus? The general consensus is that they should be allowed but it’s unclear if this is officially permissible.

While the future of club food sales is still up for debate, the lesson that school officials hope all students realize is that food safety and health awareness are important issues at Skyline College.