Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today - 25

protected by the ADA's religious exemption can
face legal action for failing to accommodate the
needs of students living gluten-free.
The overall lack of availability and variety of glutenfree
options means many gluten-free students must
scramble to find food in other ways, whether by
applying for a dorm with a kitchenette or by making
a formal accommodation request to use a hot plate
in their residence hall. On websites like Gluten-Free
Friends, students can even rate their campus's
dining facilities based on their experiences
as someone living gluten-free. In addition to
demonstrating the need for clearer labeling and a
wider range of options, sites like these demonstrate
that consistently offering a variety of safe and
satisfying gluten-free foods could be a reason that a
prospective student chooses to attend your school.
However, offering these options doesn't have to
involve building a new food station or overhauling
your existing menu. Many dining hall staples only
require simple adjustments to be made gluten-free;
for example, in a meatloaf recipe, breadcrumbs
can be replaced with a gluten-free alternative like
potato flakes. A close look at previous menus and
procurement lists can also be helpful in identifying
ingredients and dishes that are already or naturally
gluten-free, allowing you to offer students more
options while minimizing extra labor and expenses
for staff.
Clear labeling is another simple way for campus
dining centers to support students with any kind of
dietary restriction, not just those who are glutenfree.
One option is to include a complete ingredient
list with all food items, or just to highlight the
allergens in a dish. Alternatively, you can establish
a code system with the acronym GF indicating an
item that's gluten-free. No matter which labeling
method you choose, it's important to use the
specific term " gluten-free " when indicating foods
safe for this population, since terms like " glutenfriendly "
or " free from gluten " don't indicate that an
item meets the FDA's standards for gluten-free food
service.
Another way to increase awareness about the
needs of gluten-free students is by solidifying
the relationship between the dining center and
student health services. During enrollment,
first-year students are required to fill out health
intake forms, including questions about dietary
needs and restrictions that can provide useful
information to dining center staff. By establishing a line
of communication with student health, campus dining
centers can gain a better idea of the number of students
who require gluten-free meals and then adjust their
options and quantities accordingly.
Arguably the most important means of supporting
gluten-free students is by implementing comprehensive
training for your university dining staff. In addition to
being familiar with the protocols that prevent crosscontact
between gluten-free and gluten-containing
foods, staff should be equipped to answer questions
from diners about the preparation and safety of items
labeled gluten-free. Training should be ongoing and take
place in multiple modes-including PowerPoints, standup
meetings at the beginning of shifts and informal
checks for understanding-to accommodate multiple
learning styles and ensure the policies remain fresh in
staff members' minds. When staff are equipped not only
to perform safe gluten-free food handling, but also to
verbalize their understanding of these procedures when
asked a question, students living gluten-free feel more
confident that their campus dining experience will be a
positive and safe one.
While most foodservice organizations have specific and
rigorous training around food safety and allergens, the
quality of this training in the university dining sphere
varies based on region and type of school. For this
reason, it may also be useful to partner with a nonprofit
organization such as Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS),
which can offer training materials and ongoing instruction
in addition to officially validating your program as a safe
one for gluten-free diners.
Offering a range of delicious gluten-free foods in your
university dining facility can have many benefits, from
encouraging more students to eat on campus to easing
the transition of gluten-free first-year students to college
life. By implementing clearer labeling, substituting
gluten-free ingredients where possible and facilitating
comprehensive training for your staff, you'll not only
support your current gluten-free guests but also signal to
prospective applicants that your university dining center
is prepared to meet their needs. §
Cynthia Kelly is CEO of the Gluten Intolerance Group
(GIG) and is a dietitian and expert in celiac disease
management. GIG's food safety programs, the GlutenFree
Certification Organization (GFCO) and Gluten-Free
Food Service (GFFS), have been leaders in the gluten-free
community for more than 20 years. For more information,
visit www.gluten.org.
ADDRESSING ALLERGENS AND SPECIAL DIETS
| CAMPUS DINING TODAY
25
http://www.gluten.org
Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today
