By Kayla Landers, October 21, 2025
After eating Centerpointe food for a couple of days, a student posted on Reddit they had experienced significant stomach pain and noted other individuals they knew had gone through something similar.
The post received attention from seven other individuals who agreed with the poster, all claiming different food items at Centerpointe had all made them sick too, leading to a couple throwing up after eating. Others gave tips about what food to stay away from because it has had a history of making individuals feel sick after eating it.
“I mean, I’ve heard people on Facebook talk about how they think it’s bad, but I really like the food there,” said music pedagogy student Sofie Ortega.
In a Facebook group called CPP Bronco Parents and Families, a mother stated her daughter had acquired food poisoning twice so far this semester, but Cal Poly Pomona’s Director of Dining Services David Corral gave a different account.
“To date, there have been no confirmed reports indicating that a foodborne illness originated from dining at Centerpointe,” Corral said.
The American food supply is considered one of the safest in the world. Corral added the existing programs at CPP to prevent foodborne illness integrate routine inspections, employee food safety certification and preventative controls consistent with the California Retail Food Code and other requirements created by the Cal State University system.
“CPP Enterprises and the University place the highest priority on food quality, sanitation, and the health and well-being of the campus community,” Corral said. “Continuous monitoring, training, and internal review processes are central to maintaining that commitment.”
However, this does not mean that individuals cannot be affected on a daily basis. Approximately 48 million people in the United States are affected by foodborne illnesses each year, which translates to about 1 in 6 Americans, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This led to 128,000 hospitalizations and approximately 3,000 deaths.
“Centerpointe Dining operates under a comprehensive food safety management program designed and overseen by a State Registered Environmental Health Specialist in partnership with the Office of Environmental Health & Safety,” Corral said.
The Office of Environmental Health & Safety, and more specifically, the Food Safety Program, is an entity run by CPP. Corral stated as a state-owned institution, the CSU system is responsible for ensuring its facilities operate in compliance with health and safety regulations at the federal, state, and local levels.
“As far as I remember, the kitchen did follow general protocols and cleanliness in the environment, but it should be considered that sometimes it would be understaffed, therefore requiring riskier substitutions,” said a student who worked at Centerpointe from 2022 to 2023.
For example, the former student employee noted there were times when they had to take on the role of chef, even though they weren’t trained in that position, and handle everything themselves without any help.
“Sometimes I did remember food going bad back then, and it wasn’t frequent that we did required routine checks, or at the very least enforced those checks,” said the student employee.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals clean their hands before and after eating, scrubbing for 20 seconds to ensure all germs have been removed. If an individual is at a location where they can’t wash their hands, using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol will also work.
If it’s suspected that an individual has contracted a foodborne illness, there are multiple solutions that could help ease the sickness. WebMD emphasized staying hydrated and drinking special hydration formulas like Pedialyte. It’s also a good idea to rest and eat bland foods to reduce the risk of making oneself feel worse.
If symptoms persist for more than 24 hours or if an individual cannot keep down fluids, it’s important to seek medical attention.
Feature image courtesy of Steven Everett
