The Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry staff has just come to show how much of an importance keeping students well-nourished does not matter when they decide to keep expired labels out for grabs.

The goal is to provide food for students who can’t afford to purchase groceries or a meal. Yet, the free groceries being provided to students goes against this proposal when the food has been expired for two or more years.

Students like myself depend on the pantry when we are in a cry for help and in some occasions, I don’t think on checking the label twice. However, I noticed as I was opening my fruit cup for a study snack, I was no longer in the year of 2016.

This goes to show that the staff cares very little about your health, even if when they say they do. In my opinion, it seems as if everyone on board of the pantry tries to exemplify this great deed they are doing for students when in return they could care less if what you’re eating is even edible. It may sound ignorant if a student complains about receiving free food but why even have free food if it’ll end up giving you food poisoning than keeping you nourished?

It’s a great feeling that there are fresh vegetables provided to students, but does that mean it shouldn’t be a reason to check if everything else in the pantry is consumable. If that’s the case, why even have the pantry at all. What is the point of encouraging students to feed themselves if the food is something that shouldn’t even be eaten?

While the responsibility lies with students to double check the expiration labels, Chico State should make a significant movement to ensure what we’re eating is up-to-date. The fact that staff has taken on the commitment and responsibility to feed hungry wildcat students should also mean their checking to make sure they won’t be sending us to the health center.

Students don’t have a say in what comes in and out of the pantry because we learn to appreciate the fact there are people willing to donate food to feed us. However, this shouldn’t be the reason to leave expired food out for students to take home.

Karen Limones can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.