McCarthy Center Dining Facility Inspection Report cites 10 violations

By Bella Grimaldi News Editor The Fall 2025 Food Establishment Inspection Report of Sodexo at the McCarthy Center found 10 health code violations. This report was released to The Gatepost by the Framingham Public Health Department on Oct. 30, 2025. The inspection was conducted on Oct. 16, 2025, by Inspectors Cristian Rivera, Brian Oram, Sydney Westerlind, and Sean Hobbs, from the Framingham Public Health Department. Rivera said multiple inspectors conduct the inspection. “We kind of split up, and then a couple managers or chefs might follow another inspector, and then we divide and conquer.” According to Rivera, all of the health and safety inspections conducted at Framingham State are unannounced. The violations cited in the report were: one case of food being improperly separated and protected; two cases of food-contact surfaces not being cleaned and sanitized; one case of improper date marking and disposition; two cases of physical facilities not installed, maintained, and clean; two cases of adequate handwashing sinks not supplied and accessible; one case of proper cooling methods not used; adequate equipment for temperature control; and one case inadequate ventilation and lighting, which are in designated areas being used. According to Rivera, each violation falls into a category depending on the time frame it needs to be resolved. He said the order of violation types is “priority, priority foundation, and core.” Priority is the violation category that allows the shortest amount of time to be corrected. According to the 2013 FDA Food Code, priority violations must be corrected within 72 hours, priority foundation violations must be corrected within 10 days, and core violations must be corrected no later than 90 days after the inspection. Rivera said, “Everything we do is based on the FDA Food Code” and the Massachusetts amendments to the 2013 FDA Food Code, known as the Massachusetts Merged Food Code. Of the 10 violations the report names, two were indicated as repeated violations. The first case of food-contact surfaces not being cleaned and sanitized was cited as a repeated and priority foundation violation in the Showcase section of the Dining Commons. The report said the inspector “observed [the] food contact surface of [a] can opener with debris and soil residue.” According to the report, “this violation must be corrected within 10 days.” The first case of physical facilities not installed, maintained, and clean were cited as a repeated core violation in the Showcase section. According to the report, the inspector “observed ceiling lights above [the] Showcase area in disrepair.” This violation must be corrected within 90 days. Of the other eight violations named, two were indicated as priority violations, two as priority foundation violations, and four as core violations. The first priority violation is food not being separated and protected. The report states that raw animal foods were not separated from ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and indicated this violation concerns an allergen. The report states the inspector “observed raw beef stored above leafy greens.” This violates the code that states, “food shall be protected from cross-contamination by: (1) separating raw animal foods during storage preparation, holding and display from: (a) Raw RTE food including other raw animal food such as fish for sushi or molluscan shellfish or other raw RTE food such as fruits and vegetables, and (b) cooked RTE food.” The second case of food-contact surfaces not being cleaned and sanitized, states that the inspector observed the sanitizer at the Rams Den Grille had too low of a concentration. According to the report, the person in charge (PIC) from Sodexo said the sanitizer dispenser had a clogged filter and should be serviced. The report states both of these violations had to be corrected within 72 hours. The first violation in the priority foundation category was improper date marking and disposition. According to the report, the inspector observed RTE food with the expiration date marked Oct. 15. The food was prepped on campus in the Dining Commons Kitchen. The report states Sodexo employees should “ensure date marking procedures are followed.” The second priority foundation violation stated is proper cooling methods not being used. The report states the inspector “observed multiple items in the cooling process covered during cooling.” This violates the code which states, “When placed in cooling or cold holding equipment, food containers in which food is being cooled shall be: arranged in the equipment to provide maximum heat transfer through the container walls; and loosely covered, or uncovered if protected from overhead contamination during the cooling period to facilitate heat transfer from the surface of the food.” These violations must be corrected within 10 days, according to the report. One of the core violations the report states is physical facilities not installed, maintained, and clean in the Showcase section. The violation states the inspector “observed food debris on the floor of the food preparation area” and this violation was corrected onsite when the PIC had an employee from another station clean up the debris. The code that was violated states facilities should be cleaned as often as necessary when the least amount of food is exposed. Two of the core violations the report states are the cases of adequate handwashing sinks not supplied and accessible. The report states there were sinks in the Dunkin’ Donuts and Showcase areas without handwashing signs displayed. The code that was violated states, “A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands shall be provided at all handwashing lavatories used by food employees and shall be clearly visible to food employees.” The last core violation is inadequate ventilation and lighting, which are in designated areas being used. The report states the inspector “observed []employee beverage on shelf in [the] back food prep area. Ensure employee items are stored in designated area away from food preparation.” The report states these violations must be corrected within 90 days. In the positive notes section of the report, the inspectors states proper food safety practices in the kitchen were excellent. Rivera said, “FSU is really good about correcting these violations.” He added FSU is able to correct any of the violations onsite if possible. “We like to look at something called active managerial control. … So an active managerial control would be if a person in charge reminds their employee to remove wrist jewelry while they’re on-site. That would be something that is a corrective action,” said Rivera. He said the inspection report is sent to the “best email” provided by the managers or chefs who are present for the inspection, and then the report is distributed to the Sodexo employees from the person who receives the report. Rivera said this helps the staff in case there is further training based on what is stated in the report. He said infractions such as the case of food being improperly separated and protected can be resolved through training or by having a chart of the correct storage procedures posted in the freezer or cooler. Rivera said that specific violation “in certain places, could be a common violation depending on storage.” Michael Newmark, general manager of Dining Services, said, "We have an excellent relationship with the Framingham Board of Health, and we appreciate their support, guidance, and oversight as we work together to ensure the highest level of health and food safety standards at all our dining locations on campus." A Sodexo spokesperson, who refused to identify themself, said in an email sent to The Gatepost on Dec. 16, “The safety and well-being of the campus community is the highest priority for Sodexo as the University’s dining operator. We take seriously the trust placed in us by the students, faculty, staff and guests who eat on campus - from how food is prepared to the standards we uphold. We quickly addressed the items identified in a recent inspection, resolving any items with the public health inspector on site, and we are proud to report no violations. The inspector noted an overall great job on the inspection, and no follow-up was required. “Food safety has always been central to how we operate, and inspections regularly reinforce our expectations with our team. Reports are shared with the on-site management team and the University, and we are diligent in upholding the highest expectations for safety and cleanliness,” the spokesperson stated.