Columbia menu labelled sauce "October 7th" on attack anniversary; university cites error
A Columbia University dining hall menu listed "October 7th" beside "Blush Sauce" on the third anniversary of the Hamas attack, prompting online backlash. The university said the date was left in by error and apologised.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Columbia University drew online criticism after a menu at the pasta station in John Jay Dining Hall on Wednesday, 7 October, the third anniversary of the Hamas attacks, listed an "October 7 Blush Sauce". New York PostR “The sauce was offered on the daily menu at the pasta station in John Jay Dining Hall Wednesday” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “which placed "October 7th" next to "Blush Sauce."” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1The New York Post reported that the other sauces on offer, marinara, turkey bolognese and garlic oil, were not labelled with the date. New York PostR “None of the other sauces were specifically labeled as “October 7” sauces.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2A photo of the menu was shared on social media by Simone Saidmehr, a Haaretz correspondent, and went viral. Fox NewsR “The menu was publicized by Israeli newspaper Haaretz correspondent Simone Saidmehr” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR “quickly went viral” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 2Some commenters read it as a reference to the blood of the roughly 1,200 victims; some called for whoever produced the menu to be fired and for the university to be "defunded". Fox NewsR “Many comments took the image as a reference to the approximately 1,200 victims of the terror attacks.” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR “called for the person responsible for producing the menu to be fired and demanded that the Ivy League institution be “defunded.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2Columbia said on X that it was "a mistake, not a reference to the events of October 7", explaining that the date was accidentally left in when the day's meal information was copied into the menu template, and that the signs were removed once the error was caught. New York PostR ““This was a mistake, not a reference to the events of October 7,” Columbia said in a statement on X.” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “The date was accidentally left in when the day’s meal information was copied into the menu template.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Vicki Dunn, assistant vice president of Columbia Dining, told Fox News Digital the same thing and said that going forward a team member will review all menus before they are posted. Fox NewsR “Moving forward, Columbia Dining will also have a team member review all menus before they are posted.” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Some online critics were not persuaded; one said it was insulting to expect people to believe the date was left beside only one sauce by accident. New York PostR “But the apology didn’t convince the critics online.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2The same day, anti-Israel demonstrators gathered at Columbia. The Post said more than 70 people joined a rally organised by Students for Justice in Palestine, a group suspended since 2023. Fox News named the group The Columbia Intifada, which the university has said is not officially associated with it. New York PostR “more than 70 anti-Israel supporters protested against the Jewish state’s response to the attacks” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “Columbia University has previously told Fox News Digital that the Columbia Intifada is not officially associated with the Ivy League school.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Fox News noted the context of earlier federal civil rights investigations into Columbia over its treatment of Jewish students, and a $221 million settlement with the Trump administration by July 2025. Fox NewsR “By July 2025, the Trump administration secured a $221 million settlement from Columbia University” Read at Fox News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets frame the story as a backlash against Columbia, leading with the controversy and setting it against campus anti-Israel activism; both report the university's explanation of a copy-paste error.
- Emphasis
- Social-media outrage, the university's apology and explanation, same-day protests; Fox adds the earlier settlement and investigations, the Post adds Mayor Mamdani's statement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet independently verifies the template-error explanation or reports a reaction from Columbia's Jewish student groups or other university figures.
- Charged language
- “furious backlash”“ill-named condiment”“Hamas terrorist attacks”“anti-Israel”
- For example
-
“sparking furious backlash from critics who said it glorified the massacre.” — New York Post
“Columbia University faced backlash after a campus dining menu appeared to advertise” — Fox News
What every side reports
- The menu listed 'October 7th' next to 'Blush Sauce' on 7 October, the third anniversary of the Hamas attacks.
- Haaretz correspondent's post of the menu went viral.
- Columbia said the date was accidentally left in from a template and apologised.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether the labelling was accidental
- Right
- Both outlets report Columbia's template-error explanation; the Post also quotes online critics who found it implausible that only one sauce carried the date by accident.
Columbia University organisation
Says the date was an accidental leftover from the menu template, not a reference to the attacks; removed the signs, apologised, and will have menus reviewed before posting.
“Moving forward, Columbia Dining will also have a team member review all menus before they are posted.” — Fox News
“we’re sorry for the concern and confusion this caused.” — New York Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
-
Columbia University offered ‘October 7 Blush Sauce’ on massacre anniversary
Critical Leads with critics' outrage that the sauce glorified the massacre, quotes sceptical reactions to the apology, and links it to protests and Mayor Mamdani's statement.
-
Columbia University faces backlash over serving 'October 7th blush sauce' on campus menu
Mixed Reports the backlash but gives the dining official's explanation and planned menu review prominently, and adds background on Columbia's antisemitism settlement.
- 8 Oct 15:53 First New York PostR Columbia University offered ‘October 7 Blush Sauce’ on massacre anniversary
- 9 Oct 00:13 +8h 20m Fox NewsR Columbia University faces backlash over serving 'October 7th blush sauce' on campus menu
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.