Re-lax. The rumor that campus dining hall food contains laxatives to block potential food poisoning cases is only that – a rumor.B

“A lot of people get sick to their stomachs after eating in the campus cafeterias. Rumor has it there are laxatives in the food,” said junior Samuel Gabin.

“This rumor has been circulating college campuses for generations,” said sophomore Laura Stude.

All dining services at the University of Denver are managed by Sodexho, the leading food and facilities management services company in North America. According to Tony DiRaddo, general manager of DU Campus Dining, food safety is a key commitment made by Sodexho to the campus community, and laxatives, medicines used to promote bowel movements, have never been used.

“Campus Dining provides high quality food prepared in a safe manner at all residential and retail dining facilities across campus,” said DiRaddo.

According to DiRaddo, top resources assure that DU Campus Dining adheres to this commitment. The Quality Assurance Department requires that food vendors are continually inspected by a third-party auditing firm.

The audits ensure that manufacturing facilities are able to produce safe products, that products are manufactured according to regulatory requirements and specifications, and effective control measures are in place to guarantee consistent performance.

The foundation of the food safety program is the inspection HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) program. This program conserves the safety of food product from delivery to the time they are served.

The HAACP program monitors and controls the temperatures of foods during cooking and serving, trains employees in proper food handling techniques and conducts food safety self inspections every 30 days.

Sodexho also must obtain and uphold a ServeSafe certificate. ServeSafe is a training and certification program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association.

This program, which is recognized as the industry standard, is required for all Campus Dining managers. Classes and certification are required every three years, exceeding many health department standards.

Adherence to the food safety guidelines are audited annually by a national third-party inspection firm (NSF).

The NSF audit for the previous two years has awarded DU Campus Dining scores of over 103 percent. Audits conducted in retail outlets by the Denver County Health Department were over 98 percent.

The laxatives rumor is a widespread urban legend, so if you’re hungry don’t be afraid to take a bite of campus food. It’s all in your head, not your stomach.

For more information, visit www.sodexhousa.com or contact DiRaddo at 303.871.4620.