Having a sensitive stomach or food allergies comes with a lot of costs including but not limited to: not being able to eat the cookies your friend makes, not being able to safely eat out most places and not being able to enjoy many foods without some sort of suffering later on. One of the most noticeable costs though is how much allergen friendly and sensitive stomach friendly foods cost as compared to their regular counterparts. This phenomenon is widespread and can be attributed to the amount of time put into formulating products that are as close to the original but easier on stomachs, as well as the cost of ensuring no potential allergen contamination in facilities and training on allergens for staff. But the price gouging on stomach-friendly foods on Brandeis’campus is astronomical and feels as though students who do not choose to have these allergies or ailments are paying an unnecessary price in order to stay healthy while at school.
We understand that Brandeis has to charge a higher price, it costs money to buy these groceries in the first place. But these profit margins are insane! For example, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in the C-Store runs at $7.49. That same pint can be bought at Hannaford for $4.29. That’s a $3.20 profit margin per pint. These rates stay the same for non-dairy ice cream, which is burdensome for all students, but especially students allergic to or sensitive to dairy. Students with allergies don’t have the option to purchase cheaper options while at the C-store, and they have to deal with the increased price of non-dairy products to begin with. That cost on top of the school’s price gouging is practically criminal.
New on the shelves are quarts of ice cream made with coconut milk. The quart is listed as only $7.69, a steal given that the pints are over eight dollars. Of course, it was too good to be true. The quart rings up at $9.99. This is truly an appalling number for some ice cream, especially after being listed as over two dollars cheaper. But breaking it down, this is still a better deal than the other non-dairy pints, coming out to less than five dollars a pint. For the C-Store this is practically a value price!
Another truly unbelievable price jump are the gluten free pretzels. A bag of these pretzels, having 14.1 ounces, costs more than $10. This same exact bag can be found at multiple retailers—including Walmart and Amazon—for less than five dollars. It is over double the cost to purchase a bag of gluten free pretzels on campus than off campus.
One of the biggest issues this presents for students is the lack of increase in points on the student meal plan. Inflation happens every year in the greater United States economy, but points have been the same for years. While inflation either has not occurred or not been noticeable enough in previous years, this year is outrageous. Last semester, students could purchase a bagel with butter at Einstein’s for $2.09. This semester that exact same order costs $2.69, 60 cents more. While that will not cause an effect for a one-time purchase, eating this as a daily, or even weekly, breakfast takes a toll on the allocated points.
This is once again more problematic with students with allergies or food sensitivities as the dining hall doesn’t always provide completely safe foods for many students. Some people are then made to choose between an overpriced meal from the c-store that they can be sure won’t hurt their stomach, or a “free”ish meal swipe that may have consequences later on.
Yes, convenience is factored into the cost. When living on campus, it’s much easier to walk to the C-Store than all the way to a grocery store. But at what point does the convenience cost become predatory pricing—especially in the case of stomach-friendly foods?
We also have to mention the fact that many allergen and sensitive stomach friendly foods at the C-Store are just downright gross. Some of the best tasting items in the C-Store have been removed, leaving even fewer pleasing options available. The Nova Crisp cassava chips were Emma’s favorite snack available on campus. They were crunchy, like a softer, puffier rice cake—similar to a Cheeto puff versus a regular Cheeto. In their place, now, are sesame snacks. They are extremely hard chips, making them difficult and painful to chew. Students with dietary restrictions are suffering enough, please don’t take away any more of our safe foods.
