Food Allergies
Our Philosophy
Purdue Dining & Culinary is dedicated to our work with students, staff, and guests who have food allergies by providing options in all Residential dining locations. Purdue Dining & Culinary is not in a position to guarantee a completely allergen-free environment. Rather, we are dedicated to minimizing the risk of exposure and we encourage all students and guests to disclose their needs and plan for effective response to possible emergencies.
Labeling
Purdue Dining & Culinary Residential dining locations label all food products with the Top 9 allergens plus gluten and coconut to help individuals with food allergies make informed choices:
- Coconut, Eggs, Fish, Gluten, Milk, Peanuts, Shellfish, Sesame, Soy, Tree Nuts, Wheat
Allergens are coded with icons that can be seen on our mobile app, Menus Online and Net Nutrition . Food items are labeled based on the ingredient list provided by the manufacturer, meaning we tag items as containing an allergen versus being free-from an allergen.
A yellow caution icon signals that we are unable to provide nutrition information for that item. This is a “safety net”; it is our way of saying we would rather provide no information than provide wrong information. Any time an item being served does not match the recipe in our menu-management system, we use this caution icon to indicate no nutrition information is available. A dining court supervisor can provide allergen information for these items.
We occasionally serve items in the dining courts that are not published to the app. A dining court supervisor can provide allergen information for these items.
Online Resources
Purdue Mobile Menus
All students are highly encouraged to download the Purdue Mobile Menus app.
- View all locations' menus in advance
- Navigate and determine which dining court and location best fits your needs
- View allergen tags, nutrition facts label, and full ingredient list
- Allergen filter
- Favorites feature
Menus Online
Menus online utilizes the same database and information as the mobile app but allows user to view the menu in a web browser.
- Use the Ctrl+F function to search for items in the ingredient list that are not coded with an icon.
- Example: Non-top 9 allergens like celery or mustard
Our Staff
Purdue Dining & Culinary’s full-time employees are ServSafe and AllerTrain certified. Our staff are willing to answer questions you may have about food preparation, ingredients, cooking methods, or recipes. Students should ask to speak to the “supervisor on duty” if they have any specific questions or concerns when dining.
Specialty Stations
Several dining courts operate a specialty station dedicated to allergen-free food. Students with food allergies are not limited to only eating at these stations; they may find that the offerings at our other stations meet their needs.
- Earhart - Infinite Solutions
- Ford - Simple Servings
- Hillenbrand - Gluten & Dairy Friendly
- Wiley - Gluten Friendly
Infinite Solutions is a new station dedicated to allergen-free offerings. This station is free of the top 9 allergens and offers a menu of custom entrees like salads, rice bowls, baked potatoes, and more. Most food served in this station is prepped and cooked within the station to minimize the risk of allergen contact in our kitchen and serving spaces. The food is served by staff to reduce the chance of cross contact.
Simple Servings stations consist of a rotating plant-based protein, grain/starch, and hot vegetable. The offerings at this station are free of all animal products.
In addition to the allergen-friendly station, Hillenbrand Dining Court will not serve any items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
The dining courts also offer a variety of build-your-own stations, which are customizable to the needs and preferences of our students. Examples of custom entrees include pizza, pasta, stir-fry, burrito, salad, and deli sandwich. Be sure to ask a staff member if you require specialty ingredients like gluten-free pizza crust or pasta.
Dietary Accommodations
Some food-allergy students may require further assistance in our Residential dining operations. Take the following steps to request a dietary accommodation.
- Contact our Registered Dietitian at allergicboiler@purdue.edu to connect with Purdue Dining & Culinary. Our dietitian will need to know what food allergies you have and what your typical diet is like.
- Contact the Disability Resource Center and schedule an appointment to discuss your housing and dining needs.
- Submit documentation of your food allergy or medical condition from an MD, DO, or NP.
The Disability Resource Center determines if you are a qualified student with a disability. Qualified students with a disability are eligible for dietary accommodations. Dining & Culinary’s Registered Dietitian determines appropriate and reasonable accommodations for these students in conjunction with the Disability Resource Center. Students will receive communication from the dietitian about implementing their accommodation.
More Information
- What We Need From You
- Cross-Contact
- Disclaimer