Within the last few years, the Dining Service has reached beyond the realm of comment cards and recipe submissions to accommodate its student?s preferences. Now, the Dining Service is taking great measures to ensure the safety and comfort of a rising number of students with food allergies.
According to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's Web site, milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat account for 90 percent of all food-related allergies. If an allergic individual consumes even the tiniest quantity of an allergy-causing food he or she could suffer from anaphylaxis, "a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death," according to the site. The number of Americans with food-allergies has reached higher levels than ever before, with 12 million Americans (one in 25) suffering from some form of food allergy.
This year, the Dining Service said it is dealing with more students than ever with specific dietary needs and desires. There has also been a noticeable increase in students suffering from Celiac Disease, an allergy to the gluten protein found in most grains.
"Celiac is an allergy affecting a lot of our students, but we have students here with all sorts of allergies," said Director of Dining and Bookstore Services Mary Lou Kennedy. "This year alone I am working closely with eight to 10 students with allergies to ensure that they are receiving and aware of options in the dining halls."
According to Kennedy, parents of students with food allergies often approach her about food options at the College in order to ensure that their children will receive the proper nutrition and attention at Bowdoin. Other times, students will take the initiative to contact Kennedy on their own.
After she is aware of a student having a food allergy, Kennedy will normally read through menus with that student, give him or her a tour of the stockroom reading through food labels, and introduce him or her to head and assistant chefs so the chefs are aware of which students have food allergies.
"A lot of times I'll be approached by a number of first years within the first few weeks of school, but once they're given a tour and understand the lay of the land, they often disappear and manage on their own," said Kennedy. "The students I work most closely with tend to have either very severe food allergies or multiple food allergies."
In order to make it easier for students with Celiac Disease to find safe eating options, the Dining Service is now labeling all foods that are definitely gluten-free, both on its menus and within dinning halls.
Christine Head '11 was diagnosed with Celiac Disease this summer and said she has not had problems at Bowdoin's dining halls.
"I've never been sick after eating something labeled gluten-free, but they tend to label very obviously gluten-free items, like meat or vegetables," said Head. "I have to be more careful with random items throughout the dining hall, such as meat that is slightly breaded or soy milk, both of which have made me sick before."
According to Cardone, random items such as soy sauce, and some vinegars and sauces are made with gluten. Since the tiniest particles of allergy-causing foods can cause a reaction in those who are allergic, the Dining Service is highly meticulous in its food preparation.
"Even the dust from a mixing bowl could contaminate foods and make students sick," said Cardone. "A few years ago we replaced cereal containers with scoops with the dispensers in the dining halls today in order to avoid cross-contamination among the cereals."
Cardone noted the Dining Service has to be equally careful when deciding where to purchase food products.
"We have to make sure that all of the ice creams and chocolates we buy that should not contain nuts are produced by companies that guarantee their product is not built in facilities that also produce nut products," said Cardone.
According to Cardone, food production companies have become more aware of the rising demand for allergy-free products and have responded by supplying a wider range of options.
"As time goes on, there are more products available for those who are allergy-sensitive as the quality and accessibility of the ingredients needed to produce these products has increased," said Cardone. "A few years ago the alternatives for students with gluten allergies were terrible, and we were not going to present a product that students wouldn't want to eat."
The Dining Service purchases most of its gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free desserts from Associated Buyers, a company that supplies a lot of small specialty groceries and supermarkets such as Morning Glory in Brunswick.
"I love the gluten-free desserts in the dining halls," said Head. "Sometimes they're a bit stale by the end of the week, but if you get them when they're fresh, they're delicious and taste like wheat-baked goods."
Along with making a point to have gluten-free desserts available upon request, the Dining Service commonly makes vegan desserts available. According to Cardone, the recipe for the famous vegan "Sin City" dessert was provided by a student's mother a few years ago and has been a hit ever since.
"We try to have a gluten-free option at least three to four times a week, if not every night," said Cardone. "We have a vegan and vegetarian option at every meal, and whenever we're serving shellfish at one dining hall, we make a point of not serving it at the other dining hall so that students who are allergic to shellfish have a risk-free dining location."
According to Kennedy, the process is about balance.
"We have to balance the needs of the individual while making sure there is food for everybody," said Kennedy. "We recognize the importance of ensuring the students who are extremely limited can be healthy and stay safe."