Community Choice Award
We asked YOU to nominate the schools you think go above and beyond for their students with food allergies. Now it is time to vote!
2024 Nominations
We pulled a quote from each of our top submissions to help you choose which school is going above and beyond.
Duke
"Prior to application to Duke: met with the University nutritionist, dining director and disabilities director; had subsequent video meetings and later on-site including with the freshman dining hall chef; overviewed food preparation, meal options and housing accommodations and what the school offered, as well as the handling of special events that involved catering or off-site meals. The outreach and cooperation led to my son applying early decision because of Duke’s commitment to students with food allergies. My son now eats at the main dining facility which is an open “food court” with private culinary business owners that offer foods from around the globe. Two of the restaurants (Italian and Mexican) have no nuts or seeds in their meal or food supply chain, making them available to eat at any time. Now, beginning this semester, a new restaurant has opened that prepared and serves food protected from the Top Nine allergens. This is a major plus for hundreds of students, faculty staff and visitors that have food allergies and food preferences."
Emerson College
"The [Student Accessibility Services Office] is super helpful and very thorough, and every department has been a delight to work with, including housing, wellness, and dining. SAS department guided us through the entire process and served as our lead contact until everything was settled. My son texted me a photo of his first meal and he was so excited. In addition, Dawn and the team rotate the stations based upon student feedback from a weekly chalkboard suggestion wall! Emerson is 11 stars out of 10 for food-allergy friendliness!"
George Mason University
"George Mason University's dining program prioritizes inclusivity, expanding options for dietary restrictions to enhance the overall dining experience. In 2023, Mason Dining introduced The Difference Baker, the first Menutrinfo certified bakery on a university campus, to its allergen-safe programming. This third-party verification and validation of allergy-free claims plays a pivotal role in fostering trust. All products from The Difference Baker are free from seven of the top nine allergens including Wheat/Gluten, Peanut, Tree nuts, Soy, Fish, Sesame, and Crustacean. Dairy-free and egg-free alternatives are also available to individuals. The Difference Baker also offers beloved classics on the lunch and dinner menu, such as pasta, pizza, and fresh deli sandwiches. The variety of offerings exemplifies Mason Dining and The Difference Baker’s missions to ensure that everyone is included in celebrations and everyday indulgences."
Indiana University
"My son with tree nut, peanut and coconut allergy went to Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. He got a single room to accommodate his allergies. The menus in the dining halls had icons of allergens like dairy, peanut, coconut, gluten, soy, fish, sesame, eggs, etc. You can also meet a campus dietitian to come up with a personalized food plan. There is one dining hall with Free From IX items! My son never had a single allergy incident on the campus for any of the 4 years he studied there!"
Pennsylvania State University
"The Penn State dining team does an outstanding job to make sure that students with food allergies are safe when eating in the dining halls. Every menu item in each dining hall has an item card with symbols that indicate if the menu item contains each of the Top 10 allergens. they also go above and beyond to make these students feel included. The most notable time when I felt included was during my first year at Main Campus, when I celebrated my birthday during the first week of classes. I have a severe egg allergy and cannot eat most desserts, so the head chef in South Dining Commons (Stéphane Gawlowicz) surprised me with an eggless chocolate cake for my birthday."
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"Despite my complex dietary restrictions, including allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, finfish, eggs, wheat, dairy, raw fruits and vegetables, legumes, kiwi, and seeds, the RD team at RPI went above and beyond to provide me with a secure and accommodating dining experience. They assigned a team of chefs to create personalized meals for me and even offered a separated container and refrigerated space for my safe to eat to-go products. Throughout my year on campus, I consumed three hot meals daily without encountering a single allergic reaction. The level of dedication and attention to detail demonstrated by the RD team at RPI surpassed my expectations. Their exemplary commitment to accommodation sets them apart, making RPI a beacon of excellence for students facing similar challenges."
Stony Brook University
"My biggest nightmare for over 17 years was sending her off to live at college and navigate her food allergies on her own. We visited many colleges and universities. I did not feel comfortable with any of them. And then we went to an Accepted Student Day at SBU where we met, [the campus dietitian,] Laura. She made [our daughter] feel safe and comfortable with her food options at SBU. With that, and many other boxes checked off, she decided to attend SBU. We met with Laura over the summer and once again she put our minds at ease."
University of Connecticut
"Excellent Students with Disabilities department that is responsive, innovative and informative. Able to ensure necessary self care in dorm room. Early contact with students, in depth interviews to solicit as much information as possible to develop a solid understanding of the student's needs and did a great job of explaining what resources could be provided to ensure safety. Dining Services exemplified great communication prior to start of school including coordination of meeting with Dining Services Manager, Lead staff, parent and student to interview student, provide tour of food prep area, food service area, sample menus, templates for standardized communication between students and dining hall leads, processes for early send out of weekly menu and students ability to pre select preferences. Everyone at UCONN have proven to be the kindest, most intelligent, accommodating, and well educated in all things food allergy people I have met in my daughter’s 19 years of life."
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
"With special meal accommodations, a chef manager prepares my meals in a small kitchen, and I have set dining times and text the chefs if times or plans change. It has been working smoothly! I appreciate how kind the chefs are at my designated mealtimes and how they make me feel like I am a normal student who is welcome in the environment. I was also excited to learn about the Stress Less Cabinets and Freezers available to students during all meal periods. The Stress Less Cabinets in both Chase and Top of Lenoir are stocked with snack items, breads, bagels, and desserts that have no gluten, tree nuts, and peanut ingredients. I can take these items back to my dorm in case I need extra snacks. Overall, my experience with CDS this semester has shown me that the team places high value on making sure students feel less anxious when coming to a school and learning how to navigate their food allergies in a new place."
Winners were announced at the Food Allergy Safety Summit...for Hospitality
Formerly separate events, the FARE Food Service Summit and the MenuTrinfo FASI (Food Allergy Symposium for Industry), this joint event brought together thought leaders across the industry to share best practices in food allergy safety.
It was held in-person at the University of Maryland, College Park on March 20-21, 2024. There was also a pre-event road trip to see food allergy safety in action on March 19!