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Columbia University faced backlash after a campus dining menu appeared to advertise “October 7th Blush Sauce” on the third anniversary of the deadly Hamas terror attacks on Wednesday.
The menu was publicized by Israeli newspaper Haaretz correspondent Simone Saidmehr, who shared an image of the menu which placed “October 7th” next to “Blush Sauce.” Many comments took the image as a reference to the approximately 1,200 victims of the terror attacks.
However, in a comment to Fox News Digital, Vicki Dunn, assistant vice president of Columbia Dining, insisted that the menu printing was an “unfortunate mistake” and was corrected shortly after it was discovered.
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Columbia University insisted the menu that said “October 7th Blush Sauce” was a “mistake.” (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
“This was an unfortunate mistake and was not intended as a reference to the events of October 7,” Dunn said. “The blush sauce was scheduled to be served, and when that information was copied into the menu template, the date was accidentally left in. Our staff took the signs down as soon as the mistake was identified. We are sorry for the confusion and concern this caused.”
She added, “Moving forward, Columbia Dining will also have a team member review all menus before they are posted.”
Columbia University released a similar statement on X in response to Saidmehr’s original post.
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Columbia University was the site of several anti-Israel protests and encampments after the Oct. 7 attack three years ago. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“This was a mistake, not a reference to the events of October 7. The date was accidentally left in when the day’s meal information was copied into the menu template. The signs were removed as soon as the error was caught, and we’re sorry for the concern and confusion this caused,” Columbia’s X post said.
Columbia University was one of several college campuses that faced protest encampments and riots in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks three years ago. As a result, the university faced multiple federal civil rights investigations based on claims that it failed to protect Jewish students.
By July 2025, the Trump administration secured a $221 million settlement from Columbia University for alleged discriminatory practices as well as to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty.
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Columbia University paid a $221 million settlement in 2025 after being accused of failing to protect its Jewish students. (Sam Nahins)
However, the New York university continued to be the site of anti-Israel activism. Several anti-Israel demonstrators from The Columbia Intifada also descended on Columbia University Wednesday afternoon. Columbia University has previously told Fox News Digital that the Columbia Intifada is not officially associated with the Ivy League school.
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Fox News’ Preston Mizell and Asra Q. Nomani contributed to this report.