A former Faculty Student Association employee is claiming the Krispy Kreme doughnuts available at the Student Union Candy Counter are being sold under unsanitary conditions that resulted in several violations from the Department of Agricultural Markets.
"The doughnut case has never been cleaned and as of [Monday] night, the container they keep the doughnuts in is full of fruit flies," said Jason, who worked at the Candy Counter until resigning last Monday and asked that his last name be withheld.
Jeff Mott, general manager of the FSA, denied there is a fruit fly problem.
"Doughnuts wouldn't draw fruit flies and anything else sold there is pre-packaged,' said Mott.
Jason said the only improvement that has been made so far is that coffee pots are no longer cleaned in the Student Union restrooms.
"A few weeks ago, the people from Putnam's started coming to clean the coffee pots," he said, but added that the coffee pots were not cleaned at all on Monday night. "It's common for things not to even be cleaned."
Krispy Kreme representatives refused to comment on the situation.
According to Jason, the infested section is beneath the area where the doughnuts are on display and is not visible to the public.
Jason said when he and other employees "caught wind" that doughnuts were going to be sold at the counter, he approached his manager, Jennifer DePonceau, about installing a sink and maintaining sanitary conditions while selling baked goods.
"[DePonceau] told me she would talk to her boss about it, and it fell on deaf ears, basically," said Jason. "FSA's response was 'use the bathroom.' They wanted me to wash the coffee pots, the utensils and anything we needed to clean in the public bathrooms."
Jason said that when he confronted DePonceau, she said that she shared his concerns but she "didn't feel it was worth putting her job on the line."
DePonceau, store manager of Campus Tees, is out of the office this week and could not be reached.
On March 20, the Department of Agricultural Markets (DOAM) inspected the candy counter and, according to Jason, issued several citations for violations including exposed garbage, employees not wearing hairnets and gloves, and not having sanitizers and sinks on the premises.
FSA Director Mitch Green emphasized that the inspector came in at FSA's request. "We approached the (New York) Board of Health," said Green. "This was a request on our part."
Green said the board referred him to the DOAM, which sent an inspector who advised FSA and noted some violations but did not issue any summonses.
Mott said the DOAM issued two violations: one for the employees not using hairnets and the other for not having a sink on the premises.
Jason said the inspector came after he called Krispy Kreme headquarters approximately five weeks ago to inform them of the conditions under which the doughnuts were being sold. The move was a precautionary measure to make sure his name could not be used in a future lawsuit if someone were to get sick from the doughnuts.
"[I did it] for myself because I knew the doughnuts weren't being kept in a sanitary place. There is no reason to be serving food like that," Jason said. "I was blown away. It's blatant disregard for students' health."
According to Green, the DOAM said they would "prefer [the candy counter] to have a sink on premises rather than using the hand-washing sinks around the corner [in the restrooms]."
Green said employees were already using gloves and Mott said sinks are being ordered this week and will be installed by next week.
"The day the state came down . I took that form (noting the violations) and put it on the counter because FSA didn't want the students to know and I felt that students should know the conditions doughnuts were in," said Jason.
The form was taken down by the next day, which Jason attributes to FSA believing the students do not need to be informed of the situation.
"We don't feel it's appropriate to have posted," said Green. "If the department thought it was a serious violation they would have taken serious action to close us."
Jason said the day he posted the inspector's report was the last day of the SA elections and that he brought the issue to SA President Christian Oliver's attention. He said Oliver was upset by the news and promised to look into the situation.
"I have brought it to the attention of [then] FSA president [George Pape]," said Oliver. "He said he was going to bring it to FSA's attention. Evidently they have some issues to deal with."
Oliver said the situation is ironic because FSA "rides us pretty hard" and is very strict in enforcing sanitary regulations during SA bake sales and other such activities involving food.
"I spoke with Mitch (Green) about it and he assured me that any conditions placed upon FSA would be fully complied with as soon as possible," Pape said.
Despite the fact that the violations were not made public, many students seemed aware of rumors about the condition of the doughnuts being sold on campus.
"I wouldn't eat them because it's not baked on premises," said sophomore media studies major Derek Heck. "They are probably yesterday's doughnuts from the store on Niagara [Falls Boulevard]."
Mott denied the claim. "The doughnuts are being delivered fresh daily and whatever is not sold is discarded."
