Allergies & Special Diets
Welcome to Penn State University Park. Resources are available to assist those with food allergies or special dietary needs in making safe, informed dining choices on campus through the registered dietitian's office.
Campus dining staff receive annual food allergy training and take 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.
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.
Get In Touch
We encourage students to contact our registered dietitian's office to make a plan for navigating dining at Penn State by emailing foodallergies@psu.edu or calling 814-863-3420.