https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/2/20/marini-rapoport-allergy-friendly-dining/?fbclid=IwAR3X944wdlON3mYTBnRCaqA7RyMMw7fmJk3rxW0_TgnD3n37WLbZ1oqwyZQ Student response to Crimson article

UPDATE! We received this happy email from the Harvard student with celiac that completed our survey: "Thank you so much for creating the Gluten Free Friends website. I don't know if this was due to your advocacy, but Harvard recently started labeling food with the 8 common allergens plus gluten. It is a huge improvement in quality of life for me and many of my friends, and I am very grateful for the role you played in making this happen."

Article on Vanderbilt's new food allergy certification: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2020/02/19/vanderbilt-campus-dining-earns-allergen-free-certification/?fbclid=IwAR1evwMJEarR-kzXrFtNxPCiYPquTTi_xv32QjxQXrT1Uxjzps9DOgl83tg

The Crimson published this article about the challenges Harvard students with food allergies face: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/2/14/students-decry-huds-accomodations/?fbclid=IwAR02ulerpp1P_zJ79KTJpyUDU5wZHBvSN4ynYhDPci_Rh3XPzEiQgnaTTUY

@lauradwight thanks for the report!

That is really upsetting! Were they able to figure out what happened? Thank you for your feedback and so sorry that happened.

We also encourage all students with cd to officially register with the disability /accessibility services. Some students surveyed are even registered there for other things and did not know they should register their medically required food restrictions. It is difficult to hold a school accountable if a student is not officially on their radar. Thank you for your comment, Mindy!

looks like some good news: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2019/06/27/michigan-state-university-msu-allergy-free-dining-hall-cafeteria-thrive/1563909001/ https://miglutenfreegal.com/2019/08/12/thrive-top-8-allergen-free-dining-hall/?fbclid=IwAR2RkKraE8hPBxEbgxKsKSry-0yYkDzPKVnyePFD2i3vwfe_2guqEZG0rqg

Regarding beers that have low parts per million (ppm) like Corona or Bud Light Lime, please note that they are still not gluten-free and there is debate about their safety for people with celiac. It is safer to stick to the truly gluten free beers and hard ciders on the market. Not having symptoms doesn't necessarily mean no gluten exposure. The vendors don't label their beers gluten-free for a reason.

Prospective Parent:  Before visiting Hamilton College, I spoke with Executive Chef, Derek Roy, and General Manager, Reuben Haag, from Hamilton's Bon Appetit food service. My teen is extremely sensitive and safe food is an important factor in our college search.  Derek kindly met us in the McEwen Dining Hall on the "dark side" of campus (near the art center) to show us around. He recommended we eat at McEwen, as it's mostly gluten-free.  We ate dinner and breakfast there and were very impressed with how Reuben and Derek had totally eliminated gluten ingredients from all McEwen's cooking stations and salad bar.  It made it so much more relaxed to not have to worry about cross-contamination. Gluten was present in only limited areas like the sandwich bar. They even had an omelette station! They also only offer gluten-free soy sauce on campus to increase safe choices everywhere. Derek said that in the main dining hall, the Commons,  they offer gluten-free sushi, and other choices but it requires more conscious decision making as there is more gluten present.  We didn't venture there as it felt advanced for our first visit.  McEwen is not open on the weekends.  Hamilton's inclusive approach for handling food restrictions was consistent with the friendly feel of the campus.  Bon Appetit's ability to manage food sensitivities varies greatly by school, and seem very dependent on the management at the particular site.  Wish they would use Hamilton's McEwen Dining Hall as a model for their other schools.

See our related blog post about Cornell University's valiant efforts to meet the gluten-free and food allergy challenge with style, resulting in being named 2018 #1 Food Allergy Program for Universities by AllerTrain.