Last year, a report of a live worm being found in a meal at the catered Ramsay Hall went viral around UCL.
The discovery prompted an outpouring of similar stories: one resident submitted a photo of a rotten orange they had found in Ramsay. Another student commented on our Instagram post, “bro i ate fuckin yoghurt with mould on it at international hall”.
Unsurprisingly, issues with food hygiene are widespread in student living spaces. When I was a fresher, a fellow first-year showed me a picture of a plate of baked beans on toast in a cupboard. His flatmate, whose plate this was, supposedly claimed this was “meal-prepping”.
For many students, university is the first time they must cook self-sufficiently. Subsequently, students often have little experience preparing food safely and little understanding of food safety practices.
One student told The Cheese Grater, “last year, I had to stop a fresher microwaving steak in plastic during week one”. Another claimed that a student in their flat “left raw chicken on top of the rubbish bin”. A third told us that, after a flatmate left rotting food over reading week, “the fridge was full of MAGGOTS”.
However, even those who have already spent time as students are not immune from the kitchen nightmares. One student told us that when they lived in halls “a postgrad student came into the common room and microwaved her food in foil”.
Given the abysmal condition of many UCL halls, students have also struggled with pest infestations in their kitchens. A student commented on Instagram, “justice for the rat i saw leave the kitchen back in first year”, whilst another told The Cheese Grater they had silverfish in their accommodation kitchen.
The FSA has also highlighted that the limited student budgets have perpetuated increased food insecurity in recent years, forcing students to eat products from the fridge well after their expiry dates.
The extortionate cost of living in London indicates that this problem is likely exacerbated at UCL.
Sabbatical candidates often run on platforms promising to increase food affordability. For example, Anam Choudhary, the President of the Students’ Union at UCL, claimed she wanted to “make campus food affordable & inclusive” in her manifesto, arguing that “no student should have to choose between health and cost.”
To combat this rise in infection, Narriman Looch, Head of Foodborne Disease Control at the FSA, advises that students should:
“Keep your shared fridge between 0-5°C, store ready-to-eat food away from raw meat and check use-by dates regularly. Wash shared sponges and cloths frequently and always wash your hands with soap and water before and after touching your phone while cooking to avoid cross-contamination.”
“Cook food properly and according to the packaging instructions. When reheating leftovers, make sure food is steaming hot throughout, rather than warmed, as the high temperature will kill any bacteria that may be present.”
If students do contract foodborne illness, Dr Gauri Godbole, Deputy Director, Gastrointestinal Infections at UKHSA advises students should:
“If you do experience mild food poisoning, make sure you stay hydrated. If symptoms are more severe, such as continuous fever, severe dehydration, or diarrhoea lasting more than 72 hours, seek medical advice. Anyone with diarrhoea or vomiting should avoid preparing food for others until they have recovered and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours.”
You can read further advice about food safety and hygiene for students on the FSA website.
