Assembling a list of food allergy friendly colleges in the mid atlantic/northeast

[Waiting2exhale]

Great thread.

Searching for accommodation for something other than food allergies, but the language and strategies for seeking and finding the offices at a college which might best be able to help my kid stay out of urgent care or the hospital overnight are quite useful.

Most of all I appreciate, and feel emboldened by this comment from @compmom: “It is a civil right to choose a school based on the usual factors and then be accommodated :)”

I am going to walk with that.

[compmom]

@Waiting2exhale i AM pm’ing you

[Lindagaf]

Another plug for Bates. There are two hospitals within walking distance, just in case.

[Mastadon]

Tufts (just outside of Boston) has about 5,500 undergrads and

At the “downhill” dining area:

1. A dedicated area serving pre-prepared meals free of top 9 allergens
2. A secure pantry with toasters and Panini makers and safe foods
3. Food fact cards for all multi ingredient items
4. On-line ingredient information and dietary tools

At the “uphill” dining area:

1. A secure refrigerator/freezer and cabinet with toasters and panini makers
2. Food fact cards for all multi ingrediant items
3. On-line ingredient information and dietary tools

A registered dietician is available to all students for meal planning

Preferences can be specified for matching roommate assignments, but I am not sure if allergies are one of the attributes.

Best of luck in your search!

/tuftsdaily.com/news/2019/11/22/tufts-dining-introduces-new-platform-free-top-allergens/

https://dining.tufts.edu/nutrition/eating-tufts-food-allergies

[compmom]

There are so many colleges that will be good with this issue that specific examples may be misleading,as if they are special in this regard. (I love Tufts for many reasons!)

[Mastadon]

THere is huge liability for schools on this. However, there is also some responsibility on the student.

@compmom - According to Bates website (in multiple places) they believe that they have no liability on this…

We make every effort to label menu items for these allergens and have put into place a labeling system that appears below. However, manufacturers may change the formulation of foods without our knowledge. Additionally because food is prepared in a commercial kitchen and presented in a self-service environment, there is a possibility of cross-contact with allergens.

Any customers concerned about food ingredients should be aware of these risks and be proactive about their food choices. It is ultimately the responsibility of the customer to decide whether or not to eat
certain foods.

Bates College will not assume any liability for adverse reactions of foods consumed or items one may come into contact with while eating at a Bates Dining establishment.

https://www.bates.edu/dining/files/2011/10/Allergen-Statement-for-Stations.pdf

It is ultimately the responsibility of the customer to decide what they choose to eat. Bates College does not assume any liability for adverse reactions related to foods consumed or mislabeled, or items one may come into contact with while in the DCCE operations.

https://menu.bates.edu/NetNutrition/1

[compmom]

Seriously? Mislabeled? I am going to look into this.

There are legal consequences for not accommodating students. I would have thought there would be legal consequences for mislabeling and, for that matter, cross contamination when there is an assurance that that is being avoided.

That is very different from the kid who decides to go ahead and eat the French Fries when they have been told they use the same fryer as battered fish, and the kid has a celiac episode.

So if there is cross contamination, and a kid dies, the school has no liability? And if the school labels something as dairy free and the kid has an anaphylactic reaction the school has no liability?

Is this an effort to get kids with food allergies off the meal plan?Because the only way to know meals are safe is if there are some consequences for the school.

[Sue22]

IMO this is pretty boilerplate stuff. It’s like all the hold harmless releases you signed for your kids when they were minors. They don’t really mean you couldn’t sue if the school/organization did something wrong. They’re just meant to provide a legal warning and limit the reasons for which you could sue. A college clearly can’t control for every event. For instance, if a student ate a messy peanut butter sandwich and then sat down at the peanut-free table and smeared the table that had been sanitized ten minutes earlier it’s not the school’s fault. If the school put peanut oil in the dressing at the peanut-free salad bar no disclaimer is going to prevent a successful lawsuit.

Here’s part of a disclaimer for a trip to Six Flags.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, I hereby release and forever discharge Our Lady of Mt Carmel, their officers, directors, members and employees, and all sponsors, charities, and workers, employees, directors, officers and individuals volunteering or participating in this Event (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all demands, causes of action, lawsuits, agreements, obligations, covenants, defenses, costs, liabilities and judgments, whatsoever, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, whether they be in contract or in tort, in law or in equity, which my child may have against the Released Parties arising from my child’s participation in the Event. I hereby waive all claims and demands against the Released Parties for any loss, damage, injury (including death), or claim of any kind, arising from, related to, or caused by my child’s participation in the Event, and agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Released Parties from all loss, liability, damages, costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from or related to same.

[Rivet2000]

@Sue22

@compmom

It is a civil right to choose a school based on the usual factors and then be accommodated

True, but the key phrase is reasonable accommodation. That means the school has to supply food the student can eat. It doesn’t mean the food has to be good.

To me there is a big difference between a school that can “accommodate” and a school that actively has procedures established with it’s food service staff, continuing education for new food service employees, and support mechanisms for students with severe food allergies. When we toured schools we always arranged to meet meet with the schools nutritionist (if they did not have one the school was off the list).

Here are things I think your should look for:

• allergen free dining hall
• allergen free lines at other dining halls
• ability to ask for a chef prepared meal (avoiding cross contamination with buffet line)
• allergen free snack lockers distributed across campus
• ability to order allergen free box lunches for off campus activities
• single dorm rooms if needed

In my experience, most schools talk the talk, but only a very few walk the walk.

[songbirdmama]

Accidents occur, and cross contamination can happen in the safest environment.The issue that is important to the daily life of the allergic student is whether a given dining service has superb protocols to minimize accidental exposure, and whether they offer balanced allergy safe meal options. Even if good practices are enforced there still may be risks, but that is something allergic kids and their families face every day. This is why they must carry their epipen at all times!

[Mastadon]

Just so that people don’t think this is a Bates issue, even the “University that is not to be named” - just up the street from Tufts - does not guarantee the accuracy of their labeling - and it does not appear to have any dedicated facilities.

Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) makes every effort to accommodate the various dietary requirements of our guests. We are committed to stringent food safety measures and to educating our employees on the subject of food allergies and intolerances. HUDS makes every effort to label its food correctly. However, the number of meals served, and the number of items used, makes it impossible to guarantee the accuracy of its labeling.

https://dining.harvard.edu/campus-dining/undergraduate-dining/dining-harvard/food-allergies-special-dietary-needs