Maggots, other bugs and mold reported at USC dining halls

Video and photographic evidence in USC dining halls — Everybody’s Kitchen and the USC Village Dining Hall — revealed food containing insects on multiple occasions over the past three months.

Annenberg Media has independently confirmed that all footage was recorded by USC students.

In early September, a student at the dining hall recorded a video of a live maggot moving around in their meal at EVK. Another student recorded a green bug, resembling a stink bug, crawling on their salad in the USC Village Dining Hall on Nov. 22.

A third student photographed her friend’s dish at EVK, which had a worm-like bug on a piece of broccoli, on Oct. 22.

“She had eaten a couple of pieces, and went, ‘Oh my God,’ and then we all looked in, and there was a worm,” said Ilana Jacobson, a freshman majoring in biological sciences. “Then she freaked out, and she didn’t eat there for two weeks.”

Jacobson said her friend group reported the incident to the kitchen but never heard back. Annenberg Media has reviewed the photo.

One student posted a photo of a fly on lunch meat at EVK in a TikTok video with the caption “trigger warning: bugs.” The TikTok also showed mold on slices of bread in the dining hall.

According to the California Retail Food Code, Statute §113980 states that all food “shall be protected from dirt, vermin, unnecessary handling, droplet contamination, overhead leakage, or other environmental sources of contamination.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also says restaurants serving food with “insects, including beetles, moths, larvae, fruit flies, ants, and gnats” will receive a minor violation.

Statute §114259.1 states that “numerous live flies, fly eggs, fly larvae, and/or pupae in food preparation areas, that [have] resulted in the contamination of food, equipment, packaging, and/or utensils” warrants a permanent suspension.

Since 2021, the only official inspection report filed in response to a complaint occurred at the USC Village Dining Hall on April 10 of this year. The complaint alleged that a staff member failed to change their gloves between sweeping and cooking scrambled eggs. The staff denied the allegations during the inspection, and the Department of Public Health did not seek further or corrective action.

In the dining hall’s most recent routine inspection, conducted on Sept. 3, the main kitchen received a score of 95 — an “A” grade. Five points were deducted for poor retail practices regarding the storage and use of utensils, thermometers, ventilation and lighting, and plumbing, but no further action was required, according to the DPH inspector.

EVK’s last health inspection was conducted Oct. 8. The dining hall received an “A” grade as well, with a score of 96. The dining hall received four good retail practice violations, including one for improperly maintained floors, walls and ceilings.

Parkside Restaurant and Grill earned the same grade as USC Village Dining Hall on Oct. 8. Some of the violations Parkside received concerned the cleanliness of “non-food contact surfaces” and hair restraints.

Since their first inspections in 2021, all USC dining halls have consistently received a score of 94 or above.

Jacobson, a resident of New North Residential College, said that even after finding the bug, she continues to dine at EVK.

“I kind of just always assumed there was gonna be something in the food, and I just went with it,” said Jacobson. “I check my food more, I would say. I look at it a lot more closely now, but it’s the easiest food to get on campus.”

For freshmen, USC requires a minimum purchase of the Cardinal Plan at $4,014 per semester, featuring unlimited dining hall swipes and limited credit at Tutor Campus Center. Freshmen have the option of purchasing an upgraded plan, such as the Trojan Plan at $4,605 per semester, as an alternative.

“I would never eat [at EVK] again if I heard there were maggots,” said Eli Kashfian, a freshman majoring in law, history and culture. “I think that’s absolutely vile.”

Ruby Le, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering, did not witness on-campus food contamination, but said she typically stays away from the dining halls because she dislikes the available options and has heard stories of the cuisine upsetting people’s stomachs.

“It kind of sucks, because my parents are paying for the unlimited food plan and I don’t really use it much, so it’s almost like I’m wasting their money,” said Le. “There are a lot of food places nearby, but it’s expensive.”

Students with the Trojan Plan, like Kashfian, can use dining points at other campus establishments like Seeds and Trojan Grounds Illy instead of eating at the dining hall.

“I think food accessibility is a major issue here,” said Noah Rad, a freshman studying international relations. “The immediate surroundings are all kinds of fast food, so I think it’s kind of difficult to try different stuff; there aren’t too many options ... We’re just freshmen, and we’re already kind of running out of food choices.”

USC referred Annenberg Media to a statement from the assistant vice president of USC Hospitality, Dirk De Jong.

“We appreciated the information from the students. We have a refined process now to ensure all produce is repeatedly washed and rinsed,” De Jong said.

After being informed of the TikTok and Village Dining Hall reports, De Jong sent another statement.

“We take food safety seriously and immediately contacted our supplier after learning of the issues,” De Jong said. “We will continue to ensure our numerous safeguards and standards are being met, including frequent daily inspections, to ensure food safety and quality.”

Additional reporting by Sophia Kang.

Editor’s Note: The TikTok video showing evidence of bugs and mold on the food at Everybody’s Kitchen was made private after this article’s publication.