Dietary Restrictions and Food Allergies

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Our Commitment to You

We are committed to accommodating customers with food allergies and other dietary concerns. Our staff can best serve those who contact us, therefore, customers should notify dining services of any dietary needs. If you have a dietary restriction, please submit the Dietary Restriction Disclosure Form.

We take your dietary needs very seriously and our goal is to provide you with everything necessary to effectively manage those needs while dining on campus.

 

Nutrition Consults

Students and staff are encouraged to meet with Chartwells' on-campus registered dietitian to discuss any nutrition-related questions or concerns. More information about scheduling an appointment can be found on the Shaw Wellness Institute webpage.

Dining Options

Pure Eats: Allergen-Friendly Station

Pure Eats is an allergen-friendly station in Frank Dining Hall featuring menu items made without the top nine allergens:

  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Milk
  • Wheat
  • Soy
  • Sesame
     

These menu items are also gluten-free.

Pure Eats lunches and dinners are prepared with allergy-friendly ingredients, such as vegetables, herbs, rice, quinoa, and meat. In addition to hot entrees, Pure Eats is stocked with a selection of avoiding gluten breads, rolls, and bakery items that can be toasted in Pure Eats designated toaster.

To minimize contamination, Pure Eats utilizes its own equipment, designated with the color purple, including cutting boards, knives, and cookware.*

Vegan and Vegetarian Station   

Part of Pure Eats is also your go-to station in Frank Dining Hall for vegan and vegetarian options. Be sure to stop by and check out the legume and grain-based dishes! Dairy-free milk options are also available.

Vegan and vegetarian options are also available in many dining locations on campus. Look for the vegan and vegetarian symbols on menus and in the Dine On Campus mobile app to easily identify those menu items.

Please ask a staff member if you need help finding these, or any other options that do not contain your allergen.

Managing Your Food Allergy or Dietary Restriction

For those with food allergies, advocating for your needs is essential to a confident and safe transition into college life. Communicating your needs helps us work together to provide reasonable arrangements and a positive dining experience. We ask for your partnership in the following ways:

  • Notify dining services, disability services, and student health services of your food allergy and medication information.
  • You may make special requests from dining staff, such as asking a server to change gloves, to use fresh utensils and cookware, or to make ingredient substitutions. We are happy to accommodate these requests, so please don’t hesitate to ask!
  • Please be patient. Our staff is trained in cross-contact prevention procedures, which may require extra time when preparing your menu item. Please be aware that this extra time and effort is necessary to keep you safe.
  • Schedule a meeting with the registered dietitian, who can help you make informed choices, tour dining facilities with you, and introduce you to our staff.
  • Be proficient in your food allergies and make informed choices:
  • Always review ingredient information on the app or by asking a manager for ingredient and preparation information in the dining facility. Please note that staff are not permitted to advise you on the safety of a menu item, though they may provide ingredient, preparation, and packing labels for you by request so that you may make an informed choice.
  • If you are not aware of the ingredients in a menu item, choose another item that does not contain your allergen.
  • Know which foods commonly contain your allergen and avoid them. For example, be aware that some brands of condiments may contain soy; Caesar Salad Dressing and Worcestershire Sauce may contain fish, and many Thai dishes traditionally contain peanuts.
  • Recognize that the brands you purchase may differ from the brands purchased by dining services. Research each menu item you intend to consume, and when in doubt, don’t eat it.
  • If you are prescribed an epi-pen or other medication for your food allergy, always carry it with you. Be prepared to self-administer your medication and establish an emergency reaction plan with your physician.
  • Do not rely on allergen information provided by other guests. It is best to obtain this information directly from Dining Services.
  • If an established accommodation isn’t working out for you at any point, notify dining staff right away so we may work together to resolve the issue.
    • Students who experience reactions that are not life-threatening, such as inadvertently consuming lactose, should report this incident immediately by contacting the Resident District Manager or by speaking to the manager on duty. You may be asked questions so we can fully investigate the incident. Please note the time of day, order, food or beverage consumed, server’s name on their identification badge, and any other relevant details.
  • Notify the Registered Dietitian, Student Health Services, Disability Services and any other departments assisting with your dietary restriction, of any changes, such as new food allergies, new or different symptoms, changes in medications, and any changes to your diet.
  • Please read and understand the Nutrition Information Disclaimer below. While dining services make every effort to prevent cross-contact with allergens, we cannot guarantee a risk-free environment.

Adverse Reactions

In the event of an adverse reaction:

  • Follow the emergency reaction plan established with your physician, which may include administering epinephrine or taking an antihistamine. Dining Services staff are not permitted to administer any medication.
  • Ask a manager to call campus safety at 315-228-7911 (Campus Safety will, in turn, contact emergency medical responders via Madison County 911 as well as deploy officers trained in responding to anaphylactic shock).
  • Do not stand; this will help to avoid head injury in the event of falling or fainting.
  • Stay at the dining location and wait for emergency responders. Do not return to your residence hall.
  • Even if you believe your reaction has resolved and you are no longer experiencing symptoms, you must seek medical attention and should not resume normal activities until cleared by a physician.
  • After you have been cleared by a physician, contact Dining Services to report the incident.

*Nutrition Information Disclaimer

Be aware that we handle and prepare egg, milk, wheat, shellfish, fish, soy, peanut and tree nut products, and other potential allergens in the food production areas of our facility. We attempt to provide nutrition and ingredient information that is as complete as possible. Products may change without our knowledge and menu items are prepared in close proximity to other ingredients that may result in cross-contact with ingredients not listed, including allergens. Guests with food allergies or specific dietary concerns should speak with a manager for individualized assistance.