Allergies & Special Diets
Welcome to Penn State! We are excited to have you live and dine on campus. Here are resources available to assist you in making safe, informed dining choices on campus.
Special Dietary Needs
What we're doing to help
Food Allergen Management at Penn State
The Registered Dietitians, of Culinary Support Services at Penn State, are Certified Master Trainers (CMT) in AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo. As such, the dietitians train all Campus Dining staff and select students to become certified in AllerTrain.
Additionally, food allergen management refresher trainings are given annually to all Campus Dining staff by the Certified Master Trainers.
To ensure allergens of food served are known and communicated to guests, Penn State uses the following practices:
- Centralized ordering and warehousing
- Database cataloging food items ordered and associated allergens
- Refusal of substitutes from vendors unless explicitly approved by the Registered Dietitian’s Office
To increase safety and transparency of food items, Penn State also employs point of service labeling, online menus with allergen designations, knowledgeable management staff, strict adherence to approved recipes, and accessible Registered Dietitians.
Menu Item Cards and Online Menu
Menu Item Cards display allergen information for menu items and are prominently displayed in dining commons across campus. Ten allergens including dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, soy, wheat/gluten and sesame are represented by individual icons on Menu Item Cards if present within a menu item.
Guests can also use the online menu to search for allergens and nutritional and ingredient information. Learn more about accessing allergen information and using today's menu.
Campus Dining recognizes that students and guests may be allergic to foods outside of these common allergens. Customers with allergies or intolerances to any food are encouraged to contact foodallergies@psu.edu for additional support and resources.
Although Penn State chefs and staff adhere to standardized recipes, last minute changes to ingredients may occur. In these instances, a temporary green menu item card is placed to alert guests that the recipe has not been properly reviewed by a Registered Dietitian for allergen and special dietary concerns. Customers with food allergies or special dietary restrictions are urged to use caution with consumption of these menu items and seek assistance from a staff member for specific ingredient information.
Avoiding Cross Contact
Campus Dining staff receives annual food allergy training and takes every precaution to prevent cross-contact during service, including using separate serving utensils for each food item and keeping service areas clean. However, cross-contact is still a possibility in shared preparation spaces and self-service dining areas.
To minimize exposure to allergens, guests are encouraged to:
- Contact foodallergies@psu.edu to learn more about dining accommodations
- Notify a manager of allergies and intolerances
- Ask staff to change gloves and utensils before preparing their order
- Request a portion of food from a backup pan (including salad bar, deli station, ice cream, and cereal containers)
- Call ahead to have an order specially prepared with attention to specific food allergens.
- Carry a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector at all times
Get In Touch
Food Allergy Disclaimer
Penn State makes every effort to label food allergens in the residential dining commons and retail food venues. However, food items are prepared in a shared kitchen; there is a risk for cross contact with major allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, soy, wheat/gluten, fish, shellfish, coconut, and sesame. Guests with food allergies or special dietary restrictions are responsible for their food selections, and should exercise caution while dining. Immediate questions can be directed to a dining services manager, and guests can request information or a meeting with a registered dietitian: foodallergies@psu.edu