WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST AT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL?
Part of an ongoing series on ingredients served at U.S. Colleges and Universities
Information updated January 2024
The ongoing Ingredient Inspector reviews of dining at colleges + universities have received a significant amount of attention. We have received numerous requests for reviews of dining at different U.S. learning institutions. This request to review Franklin & Marshall College came from the parents of a prospective student.
Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Franklin & Marshall College is a small liberal arts college with on-campus dining.
Source for Franklin & Marshall ingredients: Franklin & Marshall Dining Services ingredient listing 1/24
The Breakfast Burrito-Southwest contains 10 ingredients banned at Whole Foods including High Fructose Corn Syrup, multiple forms of Sodium and two inclusions of MSG — a.k.a. Monosodium Glutamate — a known potential carcinogen. (Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 1/24)
In addition to High Fructose Corn Syrup and MSG x2, this food to start the rigorous academic day also includes Soybean Oil, Polysorbate 60, Phosphoric Acid and Propylene Glycol Alginate.
These ingredients are designated as Not In Kitchen™ since we would never use them at home to make a Southwest Breakfast Burrito or, well, anything.
Seen below, the Breakfast Burrito Classic at Franklin & Marshall College contains 8 ingredients banned at Whole Foods, all of which are Chemical Preservatives. This Breakfast item also includes Palm and Soybean Oils plus additional commercial ingredients we would never have in our home kitchens such as Citric and Fumaric Acids.
Three ingredients in the following Vegan Baked Strawberry Oatmeal are cited as “Unacceptable in food” by Whole Foods who bans items with these ingredients from being sold in their stores >> Artificial Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA and Potassium Sorbate.
Calcium Disodium EDTA is Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid.
Note how all of the banned ingredients exist within ConAgra’s Smart Balance Spread. More transparency for the Coconut Milk would be great since this milk often contains multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen.
Seen below, many of the Breakfast Sides at Franklin & Marshall College also contain ingredients banned at Whole Foods including High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Nitrite, Calcium Disodium EDTA and MSG.
BREAD: Many of the breads served at F&M contain added Sweetener(s):
Here is a closer look at what’s inside the Pita Bread:
BEYOND BREAKFAST: All of the soups available for lunch at Franklin & Marshall College are banned at Whole Foods for containing multiple Flavor Enhancers and Chemical Preservatives.
With increased consumer awareness of the potentially harmful effects of MSG, many food manufacturers have switched to alternative options for man-made Flavor Enhancers which consumers do not easily recognize. Note below how each soup contains both Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate >> these generally appear as a pair because they work in tandem to enhance the flavor of the item. These two ingredients are banned at Whole Foods and are used extensively in commercial foodservice and in products such as flavored Nacho Chips.
The Vegan Five Bean Chili is made with canned beans and other preserved items which contain Chemical Preservatives >> why not start with dry whole beans which would be less expensive and healthier >> dry beans can be safely stored for long periods of time and replenished when needed.
Unfortunately, reviews of even the country’s most elite schools reveal food choices for the faculty and students which cannot possibly be the best brain fuel for their shared mission to form young minds to standards of excellence and extraordinary achievement.
See what’s on the menu at some other leading U.S. Colleges + Universities:
Discover food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories >> manufactured food + beverages whose ingredients are closest to those we would use at home to make the item. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.
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