This March, 73,000 cases of Amy’s frozen food products were recalled because they may have been contaminated with listeria.
Thankfully, Colorado College was not in one of the lots where this was a threat.
“Bon Appétit has a division which works closely with manufacturers to monitor, track and send out recall information to Bon Appétit managers so that we are notified of any/all recalls,” said Randy Kruse, General Manager of Bon Appétit at Colorado College.
Upon hearing about this recall through their special division, Bon Appétit, the catering company contracted by Colorado College, immediately checked Amy’s products that they had in their inventory based on the recall information, Product Names, Consumer Unit UPC numbers, Lot Codes, and Product Production Dates. They did not have any items that fell into the recall categories.
“If we had the corresponding recalled Product Names, Consumer Unit UPC numbers, Lot Codes, and Product Production Dates in our inventory, we would have immediately pulled the items from our shelves, placed them in a separate area and labeled them for pick up or discard,” said Kruse.
Colorado College constantly keeps tracks of such recalls and expiration dates to ensure the safety of its students. Beyond keeping in close contact with their providers, Bon Appétit keeps the food on their shelves fresh by getting anywhere from one to three deliveries per week.
Bon Appétit follows a process called “FIFO,” which stands for first in, first out. This process involves rotating their product by putting the newest products behind the same product on the shelf.
“Bon Appétit takes food safety very seriously, and we respond quickly to recalls based on the information provided in product recalls,” said Kruse. “There are 19 items on the recent Amy’s recall list. Students are welcome to stop by our office in Ticknor and speak to Chef John or me for more information about the products included on the recall.”
Although the products at Colorado College are safe, Bon Appétit warns that it is important to remember that if items are purchased somewhere off campus, they may fall within the recall criteria.
“Bon Appétit trains our staff throughout the year about food handling safety with all of our employees, and Chef John Faulkner is our Resident Safety Champion who manages the recalls as they occur and responds with the necessary steps to keep our guests safe,” said Kruse.