Campus Dining Today - NACUFS 2023 - 28

MOST INNOVATIVE WELLNESS
& NUTRITION PROGRAM
GOLD:
Duke University
" ASK ME " ALLERGEN AWARENESS
Duke Dining's " Ask Me " Allergen Awareness Program
originated as staff recognized an increase in the number
of students on campus with food allergies. The program
supports awareness about the rise of food allergies and
creates an environment where students can feel comfort
when inquiring about potential exposure to allergens at
Duke Dining locations.
Planning for the program began in the fall of 2021 with
comprehensive training of selected team members
using the AllerTrain Allergen Training Program. These
team members were carefully selected from each
dining location to be the responsible, point-of-contact
representative for the program. " Ask Me " representatives
are identified by purple hats with the teal " Ask Me "
program logo (national food allergy awareness colors).
Once the team was fully trained, the " Ask Me " Program
was implemented at 13 Duke Dining locations beginning
spring semester 2022. The " Ask Me " program was
introduced using social media, digital/print signage, Duke
Dining administration, and collaborative opportunities
with nutrition services, student groups, and campus
departments. The success of the initial implementation
drove the expansion of the program to all 33 Duke Dining
locations beginning fall semester 2022. At this time a
more robust allergen training tool, FAreCheck, was
implemented.
When a guest has a question/concern about recipe
ingredients/preparation or service at any Duke Dining
location, they identify the " Ask Me " representative in
the purple hat and work with them at point of service.
Additionally, each location is equipped with a purple
binder that contains every ingredient in each menu item,
which is updated as soon as a change is made, based
on substitutions and/or product availability. " Ask Me "
representatives will always refer to the ingredient
information in the purple binders when approached
with allergen or dietary related questions. All Duke
Dining locations are provided with a purple allergen
kit for safe meal preparation. Kits are cleaned and
sanitized between uses, as are the spaces where meals
are prepared. " Safely Prepared for You " stickers are
used to label and identify these meals.
2023 Award Winners
GOLD
Duke University
SILVER
Washington University in St. Louis
BRONZE
University of Maryland
28
CAMPUS DINING TODAY | NUTrITION AWArDS
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