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Considering how well a college handles dietary restrictions before making a decision, can help ensure your success on campus! This interview with our founder, Sheryl Harpel, appears in the Summer 2023 Generation GF Magazine. While written for a gluten-free audience, it is helpful for students with any food allergies. Thank you, Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) , for showcasing our college advocacy efforts. Receive their free publication (3 issues/year) by subscribing here ! --------------

H ow can you evaluate college dining services during your college search and set yourself up for success on campus? This presentation was prepared for a teen celiac support group, but the approach would be consistent for students with food allergies. Watch the video recording (now on YouTube) and follow along with our presentation slides . Related GFF posts... How Well Does Your College Meet the Gluten-Free and Food Allergy Challenge? Colleges Urged to Assess Compliance by Food Allergy, Celiac, and Disability Groups After Rider Case Universities Must Serve Gluten-Free Says US Dept. of Justice Celiac Complicates Your College Search ...and review anonymous surveys from college students for general advice and college-specific feedback

Join our grassroots effort to make dining inclusive and safe for all college students with food restrictions! Volunteer Internship Opportunities for High School and College Students Click to learn more and apply! Email info@gfreefriends.com if you have questions about this program!

Dining change negatively impacts students with food allergies By Brandon Samuels, GFF Student Journalist Living with gluten and dairy allergies has always been a challenge. I cannot just walk into a restaurant and expect to have food to eat. Whether it is going to a birthday party, holiday dinner, or enjoying a meal with friends, finding safe food always requires research and preparation. So when it was time to attend college, I understood that I needed to select an institution that would support my dietary needs. I chose to attend Brandeis University, not only for its academic reputation but also because of its accommodating dining hall program. The stakes were high; I would have to trust dining hall staff members to keep me safe. For most of my freshman year, Brandeis University delivered on its promises. There were clearly labeled options that I could eat, their cafeterias had a station that was rid of the top nine allergens, and they even had a regularly stocked pantry exclusively allocated to students with food allergies. A dedicated dietitian listened to feedback from students and effectively reached out to those with allergies. But a change was coming that would dramatically impact the lives of Brandeis students with food allergies. On April 14, 2022, Brandeis University announced a new contract with Harvest Table Group, officially ending the university’s partnership with Sodexo catering services. At first, I was intrigued by the possibilities of new safe options. And why wouldn’t I be? In Harvest Table’s promotional pamphlet, the company promised that they would be “Keeping students with special diets safe and making them feel included with our personalized order-on-demand program.” But I understood from my college search that dining websites and written materials were often unreliable. I would need to evaluate Harvest Table’s food allergy program for myself. What Brandeis students discovered in the dining halls in August of 2022 was awfully concerning. Long lines wrapped around the cafeteria. Only limited stations were opened, causing frustrated students to wait 20 minutes to get a piece of chicken. While all Brandeis students were inconvenienced by this rocky opening, weak dining processes posed a serious health risk to students with food allergies. It was not long before I met with the new dietitian with a list of my concerns, many of which were beyond her control. A week after our meeting I found out that she had resigned. Although long lines began to dwindle and more stations resurfaced as the months progressed, the situation for students with food allergies worsened. A clear example of this involves the Hive Culinary Studio food court. In January of 2023, Brandeis expanded the Hive’s ordering options and added large signs above each vendor’s station listing allergens. But while the signs emphatically labeled ingredients as gluten-free or dairy-free, the reality could not have been more different. In only the span of a month, I observed clear instances of cross-contamination practices taking place at each station. Staff at La Sabrosa heated gluten-free tortillas in the same pan as whole wheat cheese quesadillas. Employees at Nakiri boiled rice noodles in the same pot as ramen noodles. Not only was the dining staff incapable of keeping the food safe for those with allergies, but they also misled students by promoting these areas as allergy-friendly spaces. For most of my time at Brandeis, I have left the cafeteria hungry. The lack of palatable and safe options has left me searching for other alternatives. During the 2023 spring semester, I missed three classes from severe gastrointestinal issues after eating from these locations and warned my friends with food allergies to be wary about Brandeis’ dining practices. I spent money at the convenience store or cooked my own food. By March of 2023, I completely stopped eating any food from the Hive Culinary Studio. Brandeis advertises allergy-friendly options without actually providing a safe and appetizing dining experience, which is dangerous and unacceptable. We need a reliable dining program at Brandeis that prioritizes student safety. Brandeis should train their dining hall staff, remove false and misleading large allergen labels, and bring in third-party specialists to audit and fix the food allergen program. If Harvest Table Group is unable to promptly meet the needs of students with allergies as advertised, Brandeis should switch dining vendors. Additionally, Brandeis ought to include ongoing student feedback. I do not feel supported when it takes four staff members to provide an ingredients list, or when the only gluten-free bread provided is the texture of sandpaper. Brandeis has not fostered a personal relationship with those that have allergies, rendering students to feel voiceless. This fall, I will mostly avoid the dining halls. I just can’t risk it. I will safely cook my own meals off campus. However, I am deeply concerned for all the other students with allergies that depend on the cafeterias. Food allergies are considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and while Brandeis outsourced dining, they did not forfeit their legal obligations. Students living in Brandeis housing are required to spend up to $8000/year on a meal plan and deserve a dining program that keeps them safe and truly accommodates their dietary restrictions. Overall, I believe that Brandeis is misrepresenting its ability to safely feed students with food allergies. They must do better and act quickly. This GFF Student Advocate Guest Blog Post was written by Brandon Samuels, a junior at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, studying Politics and Legal Studies. - --------------- G l uten Free Friends works to raise awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive dining for college students with food restrictions. We welcome student contributors to our blog. Go to Contact Us to submit your story ideas! Follow us on Instagram @gfreefriends . We encourage college students with medically required food restrictions to complete our quick survey about your dining program to help inform prospective students and push colleges to improve their food allergy dining programs.

By Abby Spaulding, GFF Student Journalist I want to go to a small college and I envision time spent at the cafeteria with friends and sharing meals together to be an important part of my college life. I am definitely looking for lots of different factors in schools, like academics and social environment, but as someone with celiac disease, eating safely is one of the most important factors for me. I am known for always overpacking when I go on a trip. I want to cover every possibility! Although this has led to many heavy suitcases and isn’t necessarily the best approach for travel, I know that overpacking on the details will only help me as I embark on my college search. So, where to begin? Fortunately, I am part of an active celiac community in Seattle, Washington, through Seattle Children’s Hospital. One of our recent support group meetings was all about managing celiac in college. We heard from current college students about their experiences navigating eating safely at college. Hearing their stories, both positive and negative, has helped me realize that the best way to find out if a college can provide safe eating is to visit in person, if possible. I narrowed down my in-person visits to three colleges that I could either drive or fly to in a few hours. My first step was to look at each college’s website and identify their food service vendor. Some of the larger food service vendors have their own websites where you can learn more about their allergy procedures. Some of the schools also included their daily menus which was very helpful to see. Just from looking at the menus for different schools, I noticed that food offerings varied greatly from school to school, even if they had the same food service. I knew I’d have to visit the schools in person, if possible, to really understand if they could accommodate celiac disease. On those pages, I also found the contact information for each school’s dining manager and reached out via email to ask if they would be willing to give me a tour of the cafeteria and if I could have a meal there during my campus visit. I had positive interactions with all three schools before I even got on campus, and they all were happy to help with this. Once I was on campus the real detail collecting began! I made a list of questions beforehand and added to it after each visit. How wide of a variety of gluten-free foods are offered? Just one allergy-free station or is gluten-free food offered at multiple stations? Can they prepare the food separately so there is a low risk of cross-contamination? Are staff trained on what cross-contamination is? I also asked questions about access to kitchens in dorms and other dining options on campus. I was impressed that one school had eliminated all soy sauce from the entire cafeteria and only used tamari sauce. That school also used gluten-free breading on all fried foods in order to make their fryers gluten-free. Having gluten-free fried chicken and french fries available every day was pretty appealing! One issue that I had never thought about arose when one school let me know that they have minimal dining options on the weekends. I then also asked this question at the other schools I visited. I also asked if they had an on-campus grocery store with gluten-free options so students could get food to make back at their dorm room if needed. One thing that surprised me was that every school I visited was willing to go the extra step to ensure safety not only for students with celiac but all students with allergies. Each school said they would prepare meals individually or keep food in separate refrigerators if that made the students more comfortable. All of the dietary managers at these schools give their cell phone numbers to students with food allergies so they could get help quickly if needed. So, all in all, a good start! I feel encouraged that more and more schools are accommodating students with celiac disease and other food allergies. This is just the beginning so wish me luck! This GFF Student Advocate Guest Blog Post was written by Abby Spaulding, a senior at Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle, WA. Abby enjoys singing and theater and is a proud member of the Celiac Youth Leadership Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Good luck, Abby, and thanks for sharing some of your college search with us! Learn more about evaluating dining during your college search: Meet the Gluten-Free Challenge from College Search to Campus Gluten-Free at College? Yes, It's Possible! Celiac Complicates Your College Search GFF College Dining Survey Responses A or F? For Students with Food Restrictions, Scoring College Dining is Personal Gluten Free Friends works to raise awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive dining for college students with food restrictions. We welcome student contributors to our blog. Go to Contact Us to submit your story ideas! Follow us on Instagram @gfreefriends . We encourage college students with medically required food restrictions to complete our quick survey about your dining program to help inform prospective students and push colleges to improve their food allergy dining programs.

By Sheryl Harpel, Founder of Gluten Free Friends Valerie Kraft knows that one student has the potential to transform a college dining program. As a Vanderbilt University freshman, she organized students with food restrictions into a Student Allergy Advisory Council. Together, they increased awareness and motivated Vanderbilt to improve their food allergy dining program. By the time Valerie graduated in 2021, Vanderbilt was named Overall Food Allergy Champion for Universities . Vanderbilt won this award again in 2023, demonstrating the lasting impact of Valerie’s efforts. As the Director of Community Engagement for Beyond Celiac, Valerie now helps other college students increase safe dining options at their schools. A firm believer that students should never be afraid to ask their college to meet their dietary needs, Valerie says that If one person puts in the energy to get things started, so many more will benefit! She adds that improvements on one campus can also motivate other colleges to follow. “You have the power,” says Valerie. “The worst thing they can say is ‘no.’ You might as well try, if not for yourself, then for others!” Beyond Celiac is a GFF College Advocacy partner and joins us in encouraging all college students with food restrictions to give feedback on their college dining programs! Watch our interview with Valerie to learn more about how to make change happen on your campus!

By Sonia Green, GFF Student Journalist As a gluten-free student, I genuinely appreciate that Duke University continues to dedicate so much effort toward having a top food allergy program. I am a junior and have seen some improvements since I first arrived on campus. Frankly, searching for gluten-free food, especially as a freshman, was stressful and challenging, but I am increasingly hopeful that incoming gluten-free students will have an easier time than I did. As a freshman, I ate breakfast and dinner at Marketplace. This is one of the facilities receiving FARECheck Gold status for “allergy-friendly food handling” and, as of last year, also certified as free from tree nuts and peanuts . For lunches, I ate at The Brodhead Center on West Campus, commonly referred to as WU, which was essentially a campus food court where the rest of the students had most of their meals. As a gluten-free student, Marketplace and WU each came with their own set of challenges and risks to assess. Marketplace mostly serves first-year students. It is a nice dining hall. The sweet tea is sweet, they offer non-dairy milk alternatives and there is a mini fridge full of gluten-free breads, bagels, cookies, and snacks. Towards the end of my freshman year, a gluten-free waffle station was also introduced. Everything is labeled so students with food allergies know exactly what they can and cannot eat. As a freshman, all I wanted was to be able to navigate dining options with the same ease as my peers. I found the food labels helpful at first, but then I noticed that they would constantly change. I loved the nacho station, but the tortilla chips and beef would be labeled gluten-free one day and contain gluten the next time it was on the menu. The same thing happened with the Asian Fusion station. I had no idea why the labels changed. Once I realized labels on the same dish could just change for no given reason, I lost confidence in their labeling system. They seemed to randomly be limiting my choices, which led me to instead use my own judgment. This was not the safest practice, but there was nobody there authorized to talk about allergies then, and being gluten-free had already vastly limited my options. Every day, I walked past the pizza and pasta station, which didn’t always have gluten-free pasta on hand. I couldn’t eat the cheeseburgers or chicken sandwiches because they had no gluten-free bun, and when it was Asian Fusion week, I ignored that station since most of the dishes were fried in what appeared to be flour or prepared with regular soy sauce. There were many nights when the only protein I could eat was tofu from the vegan station. One night I had to buy a frozen burrito from Whole Foods because I could only find boiled potatoes and broccoli to eat. No matter where students choose to eat on campus, we should be able to find at least one complete meal which was simply not the case. So much more food would have been available to me freshman year if Marketplace had consistently safe protein options, reliably available gluten-free bread and pasta, used only gluten-free soy sauce, and had trustworthy labeling. Gluten-free options just didn’t seem as important to Duke as nut-free options. At WU, where I ate lunch as a freshman, and most of my meals as a sophomore, there were many more options, such as gluten-free pancakes and pizza. I tried my first burger on campus with an actual bun, not slices of bread from a mini-fridge. I could even enjoy chicken tenders and fries. However, although things were labeled more consistently, cross-contamination was an issue. At breakfast, I watched as biscuits were carried over the pans of eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Sometimes naan would be added to my meal from Tandoor before I had the opportunity to say that I didn’t want it. With Duke’s dining program being one of the best in the nation, it was disappointing to see these procedural errors. Again I also eliminated so many areas because I couldn’t eat anything. I never ate at Panda Express (which has since closed). I ignored Ginger + Soy because I could not eat any of their food (I eventually discovered one type of sushi and one rice bowl I can now enjoy). Even the chicken tenders that I once loved at Krafthouse are no longer gluten-free due to management changes. Now, the award-winning “ Ask Me” program ensures that each dining location always has someone authorized to answer questions on food allergies. As a direct result of feedback from students with allergies, this fall two new eating venues are opening that eliminate the top 9 allergens and gluten altogether, removing the risk of cross-contamination. Many students on campus will appreciate the variety these new dining locations will provide. One is still under construction, but Gothic Grill has already replaced The Loop and seems well-received. As a junior, I have grown pretty adept at navigating Duke dining even if it’s not always very satisfying. I mobile order what I can, but know I must request some things in person. Sometimes the only gluten-free dessert options are unfortunately also vegan. I buy my late-night snacks from the grocery store or eat McDonald's ice cream. The new venues will offer additional safe options without cross-contamination risks. Students with a variety of dietary restrictions should be able to at least find something to eat almost anywhere. However, only time will tell if Duke will adequately increase the amount of safe gluten-free options at Marketplace, where freshmen eat most of their meals, or address cross-contamination concerns at WU. Overall, I am impressed by the steps Duke has taken to ensure students like me can eat three healthy meals a day, but, there is still work to be done to ensure that all food allergies are treated equitably on campus. Given their current trajectory, I am interested to see what comes next. This GFF Student Advocate Guest Blog Post was written by Sonia Green , a junior at Duke University in Durham, NC, studying African & African American Studies and Visual & Media Studies. ---------------- G l uten Free Friends works to raise awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive dining for college students with food restrictions. We welcome student contributors to our blog. Go to Contact Us to submit your story ideas! Follow us on Instagram @gfreefriends . We encourage college students with medically required food restrictions to complete our quick survey about your dining program to help inform prospective students and push colleges to improve their food allergy dining programs.

by Avery Leppo Over nine years ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I was in second grade and had been suffering from severe headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, and forceful vomiting. These symptoms caused me to miss school often and retreat socially. Doctors repeatedly dismissed it all as anxiety. After blood work followed by an endoscopy ultimately confirmed that I had celiac, my parents and I met with a dietician and quickly transformed our home into a safe, 100% gluten-free space. Within weeks of altering my diet, I physically felt much better. ​ Receiving a lifelong autoimmune diagnosis at seven years old was challenging and scary. I longed to have a confidante who could help me adjust to my new reality. This is what inspired me to begin Celiac Chat , a mentorship program for kids and teens newly diagnosed with celiac. With support from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University ,  we provide a virtual safe space to discuss the physical, mental, and social challenges that often accompany living with celiac. By offering resources, and support, and sharing our own celiac stories, we try to ease their transition to a lifelong gluten-free diet. Our hybrid program is based in New York City, but our mentors and mentees mostly connect virtually so they can be located anywhere. We chat about whatever is on our mentees’ minds such as our favorite gluten-free products, ways to order more safely in restaurants or to navigate an upcoming social event. We also emphasize the importance of creating allies by educating our friends and family about celiac, the gluten-free diet, and the risks of cross-contamination. Above all, we help them understand that they are not alone. We provide a glimpse of hope and humor and serve as examples of how they can thrive and live a fulfilling life despite celiac, and also go on to help others. Celiac Chat just launched in September, but over the past five months, we have seen tremendous interest. We are collaborating with over 20 organizations, restaurants, and influencers, have a solid base of email subscribers, and are working hard to reach more parents to increase our mentee numbers. During the annual Celiac Disease Foundation Turkey Trot, team Celiac Chat raised over $600 to help find a cure for celiac disease. Dr. Jacqueline Jossen at The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University has been very supportive by helping spread the word about Celiac Chat to the community and her patients!  We are currently reviewing mentor applications. Our mentors are interviewed and given guidelines to follow so they are prepared to meet their mentees at any stage in the process and follow their lead about how quickly to move from there. We also continue to improve our website by expanding our resources for both mentors and mentees. Recently, I was on a call with a nine-year-old girl who was diagnosed with celiac a year ago. Before I could ask her anything, she said, “How’s celiac going for you?” I instantly started beaming. Within a couple of sessions, she had not only gained confidence in managing celiac but had found joy in being part of the Celiac Chat community.  I am determined to be a resource and support newly diagnosed children and teens so they feel less alone than I did. I find these connections tremendously rewarding and truly inspirational and hope my mentees and fellow mentors feel the same way. Please check out celiacchat.org  to learn more about the program, and if you have any questions, email info@celiacchat.org !   ----------------  This GFF Student Advocate Guest Blog Post was written by Avery Leppo, a senior at The Dalton School in NYC. Avery is a drummer and guitarist.. She plays softball and loves nature, traveling, working with children, and rooting for the Red Sox! Read more about high school students making a difference: GFF Student Advocate Program High School Student Creates a Community for Food Allergy Parents Twins Publish Celiac Book Before Heading Off to College ----------------  Gluten Free Friends works to raise awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive college dining. We encourage food allergy and celiac advocacy and welcome high school and college student contributors to our blog. Contact Us   with your story ideas!  Follow us on Instagram   @gfreefriends

By Marianna Rieser I am in my fourth and final year of pharmacy school at Drake University. Due to peanut, tree nut, and egg allergies, I always carry epinephrine, antihistamines, and tons of snacks. Pharmacy school is demanding, and finding time to prepare meals and source snacks is challenging. It has tested me both mentally and physically but I am happy with the progress I have made. During my first three years of pharmacy school, I took classes in a traditional college setting, usually packing my lunch, eating at home before class, or treating myself to Chipotle. This final year, I instead rotate to clinics, hospitals, and retail pharmacies, and will continue to go to different practice sites until graduation. It has been fun, but full of constant changes, as I adjust from class to a traditional work environment.  I have been surprised to find that many medical facilities are not allergy-friendly. Places may have some pre-packaged or frozen food options, but a hot nutritious meal is difficult to find. There is a lack of knowledge about cross-contamination, severity, and the correct labeling of items. Medical centers really should have healthy pre-packaged top 9 allergen-free options readily available to patients, visitors, and workers. The lack of safe food available is disappointing. However, this presents a great opportunity for medical facilities to distinguish themselves from other institutions by better catering to food allergy needs. Individuals may seek care at a particular hospital for treatment or surgery, knowing that dietary restrictions can safely be met. Many of these medical facilities also have nuts around, which concerns me. The treats and snacks in break rooms and other areas often contain nuts, and I worry that people will eat these items and then proceed to touch surfaces, medications, and equipment without washing their hands, putting patients and others with food allergies at risk. I have even observed nuts and other allergens in workplace areas that are supposed to be free of food and drink altogether. This is frightening and standards within medical facilities should be better enforced to account for allergens and contamination.  On rotations, I have not had much time to cook meals, and the lack of on-site safe options has been challenging. Due to my time constraints, I have had to shift my focus towards finding items that need little to no cooking time. While making time to cook healthy and filling meals can be challenging, this process has enriched my creativity and time management skills. I enjoy visiting different grocery stores on the weekends to find new items to pack.  Managing the stress and workload of pharmacy school in addition to food allergies, has been a huge breakthrough for me! I have learned to communicate more effectively about my allergies, better advocate for my needs, and educate others. Most friends I have met in pharmacy school have been very supportive. One benefit of pharmacy school is that all my friends are trained in using epinephrine, so they are prepared to act if I ever have a reaction.  I am thankful for my pharmacy education. It is empowering to have a deeper knowledge and understanding of food allergies, the different types of hypersensitivity reactions, and available medications. Understanding scientific analysis also enables me to interpret research and determine the positive and negative factors in a clinical trial. It is great to look at published studies and make conclusions from the data. I will be graduating in May and while I cannot expect my workplace to have safe options in the cafeteria, I will advocate for these changes to occur one day. I hope to use my degree to impact food allergy research, by finding more treatments and a cure!  This   GFF Student Advocate  Guest Blog Post was written by Marianna Rieser, a fourth-year pharmacy student at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa  ----------------  Gluten Free Friends raises awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive college dining. We encourage food allergy and celiac advocacy and welcome high school and college student blog contributors. Contact Us   with your story ideas!  How well does your college meet YOUR  dietary needs? Please share your advice and dining feedback in our   GFF College Dining Survey  to help inform prospective students and push colleges to improve. Every survey received increases the impact of our advocacy platform!  Follow us on Instagram   @gfreefriends

Congratulations to Cornell University for winning 2018 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Universities! Cornell also ranked #4 this year in the Princeton Review for Best Campus Food. Cornell Students responding to our Celiac College Student Survey had this to say... “We have a dedicated GF dining hall and gluten free sandwiches and other individually packaged snacks available across campus” “Cornell is amazing at accommodating gluten free diets (for celiacs). All dining halls have little food labels that say if they contain any allergens. One of the dining halls I go to (Appel) has a full gluten free section. The Risley dining hall is a 100% gluten free dining hall, where I eat almost every day. It is amazing!!” So just how does Cornell serve 22,000 meals/day to over 10,000 diners at 28 locations with 400 full time and 600 student staff and still provide quality food for students with celiac disease and food allergies? Cornell made a splash two years ago with their announcement that one dining hall had already been gluten and nut free for a semester and nobody had noticed. However, the effort is much broader than providing one safe haven. “Cornell’s success at meeting needs of students with food sensitivities is consistent with our longstanding mission of providing a great student dining experience to all students in any capacity,” says Michele Lefebvre, Director of Nutrition Management. Nutrition Management Since Lefebvre originated her nutrition management position at Cornell ten years ago, the number of students with allergies, celiac disease, and gluten intolerance has grown exponentially. She began meeting with fewer than ten students per year and now meets with hundreds, not including the many students who choose to manage diets on their own. Students book counseling sessions with Lefebvre online for everything from learning how to manage a special diet away from home to finding dining options near their classes. A NetNutrition app also helps students find healthy choices. Student Disability Services (SDS) Lefebvre highly recommends that all incoming students with food sensitivities register with Student Disability Services (SDS), which she says is “ often the students’ best advocate”. As Cornell’s website states, Student Disability Services “works in partnership with Cornell faculty, staff, and students to ensure that all aspects of student life are accessible, equitable, and inclusive of individuals with disabilities.” It is critical that students speak up about their needs. When one graduate student with an anaphylactic peanut allergy told Lefebvre that the bowls of peanuts served during career fairs made him scared to shake hands with prospective employers, Lefebvre contacted SDS, and they had the peanuts replaced with safe snacks. SDS can also contact professors to allow a student with celiac disease time to recover after a gluten exposure. Cornell Dining Cornell Dining is self-operated with no third-party food service. The mission statement for Cornell Dining reads “We are committed to serving high-quality foods that are healthy and creatively prepared with genuine care for a diverse community”. The campus chefs are passionate about keeping students safe and well fed. “One of my chefs just called to ask if I knew which students with food sensitivities would be staying on campus during our February break so that he could make sure they had enough options available”, says Lefebvre. Being proactive in addressing students’ dietary needs is part of what makes the Cornell Dining culture stand out. Even before Lefebvre approached Kevin Grant, Chef Manager at Risley Dining, about eliminating gluten and nuts from his dining hall, he had been removing gluten from select stations to meet the growing demand. His cooks were excited to implement Lefebvre’s vision, saying it would be easier for them to keep students safe without gluten and nuts in the facility. “My staff members all bought into it,” said Grant. During the summer of 2016, Grant did all the sanitation and equipment replacement needed to ensure a safe kitchen. He re-designed menus, trading bagels and pizza for naturally gluten-free items, to focus on maximizing flavor. “By changing some techniques, like roasting and caramelizing the vegetables, nobody talked about what they didn’t have.” Grant said. Diners were already enjoying Risley’s 100% gluten and nut free food for a full semester before the new regimen was announced in January 2017. “Risley has seen an increase in business since we went gluten-free, not just because of allergies, but because they like the food we are offering,” says Grant. “Many of the students still don’t realize” that Risley restricts its ingredients. Eliminating gluten and nuts has made his staff more relaxed, as there is less demand for special meals. Grant continues to create naturally gluten-free stations that can be replicated elsewhere on campus. Recently, a Risley student manager from Hawaii helped him introduce poke bowls to the dining hall. Grant also supplies twelve grab-and -go locations across campuses with well-labeled pre-packaged salads and sandwiches for students that are unable to make it to Risley Dining in person. For a handful of students with extremely complex food sensitivities, Grant prepares meals in an allergen-free kitchen in his office. Importantly, both Grant and Lefebvre say the other dining halls on campus also do a great job with dietary restrictions. “Everyone is so well trained up here. Their job is harder than mine because they don’t work in a dedicated environment” says Grant. Cornell Dining has a training coordinator that oversees all dining staff through AllerTrain training. Freshmen reside on north campus and are nearly all on the meal plan. In addition to Risley, which is closed on weekends, north campus hosts two more of Cornell’s seven all-you-care-to-eat dining halls: Northstar Dining (often called Appel by students) and Robert Purcell. New students are encouraged to tour the dining halls when they arrive. “Some students with food sensitivities prefer not to raise any attention to themselves, while others are only comfortable being handed a meal by a chef that was specially prepared,” says Lefebvre. “We try to address these different approaches.” At Risley, students who cannot have nuts or gluten can walk in and grab whatever food they want. In Northstar Dining Room, food is thoughtfully selected, arranged and labeled for the top 8 allergens. By simplifying and “containing” allergens, the risk of cross-contact is greatly reduced. The entire salad bar is nut and gluten-free, and other allergens like eggs, dairy, fish and soy are put at the end of the line. Certified gluten-free oatmeal keeps the oatmeal station gluten-free. The char grill station, which rotates grilled meats and vegetables, is also free of the top 8 allergens. Options are rotated across the stations to provide variety. There are three separate dedicated toasters: one gluten-free, one nut free, and one top 8 allergens free. There are kosher and halal stations as well. At Robert Purcell, students can email and pre-order special meals two hours beforehand. Advice for Other Schools What do Grant and Lefebvre recommend to other schools trying to better address food sensitivities? Grant says it is critical to have the right people involved in the details of ordering and receiving products and staff training. “Every part along the way has its checks and balances,” explains Grant. He gives Lefebvre much credit and recommends other schools have someone in her role to make their program successful. “She had already looked at the vendors, and sourced the products, like gluten-free french fries, ahead of time, and made sure proper training was in place.” Lefebvre says teamwork among dietitian, disability services, and dining services is key. At a minimum, schools must commit to accommodating students and can start by providing individual safe stations. Schools can then move towards providing a more complete service. When Lefebvre was awarded 2018 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Universities, she summed up Cornell’s journey: “We have worked diligently over the years to establish a strong program that puts our students and their health first… Everything we do to keep our guests safe, from careful allergen labeling, to gluten-free and allergen-free stations in several eateries, to our 100% gluten-free dining room, has evolved from that commitment to individualized care.” Thank you, Michele and Kevin, for taking the time to speak with me and for helping Cornell meet the gluten-free and food allergy challenge with style. Let’s hope other schools are inspired to follow your lead! Sheryl How well does your school meet the challenge? Current or recent college graduates with celiac disease or food allergies please complete our GFF College Dining Survey! USEFUL LINKS Celiac Complicates Your College Search Cornell Secretly Launches Innovative Gluten-Free, Nut-free Dining Hall You've been enjoying Risley’s gluten-free dishes for two years without even knowing it 2018 Allergy Awards Princeton Review for Best Campus Food Video Presentation of Cornell's Dining Innovations From Swipe to Table, Cornell Aims for Healthier Menus PETA Cornell Vegan Report Card Cornell's Net Nutrition App Cornell Student Disability Services Cornell Dining On Line Menus Cornell Celiac College Survey Responses AllerTrain

For generations, our family has shown the love through baking. When my 2 kids, sister, nephew and dad were all diagnosed with celiac 10+ years ago, we were thrown for a loop. Annalise Roberts brought back the carefree joy of baking with reliable top quality results. Pages in her GF Baking Classics cookbook are worn and stained from being too close to the mixer. There are handwritten notes about slight modifications that could create a marble cake from her vanilla cake recipe, and recipe printouts from her blog stapled on the inside cover. When the kids were small, I kept her unfrosted vanilla cupcakes and a container of homemade icing in the freezer, to have on hand for birthday parties. They were so good my kids felt sad for the ones having to eat the store bought cake. Friends would call and ask me for recipes after our parties. Everything in this cookbook is amazing. To bake with this cookbook, you need to keep some xanthan gum in your freezer and purchase Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend flour blend. I get it on Amazon and store an extra one in my freezer. We used to have to mix the Authentic Food rice flour and make the blend ourself, but Annalise got so popular, they began selling it premixed which is awesome. When your flour arrives, put it in a tupperware with some room in it and shake it up well. Keep it in your freezer so it's ready to go. Shake it before using to to bring some air to the flour. When measuring, spoon into the measuring cup instead of digging in. Annalise has a nice introduction about handling gf flour at the beginning of her book. Annalise also has a cookbook called The Heirloom Collection which is a bit more ambitious and GF Baking Classics for the Bread Machine which requires getting some different flours. Although, I have less experience with them, I can say that all of her recipes are well tested and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Our Favorite Marble Cake To turn Annalise's Yellow Layer Cake into our favorite marble cake, pour 2/3 of the prepared batter into your pans. Add 2 melted Bakers chocolate squares and one tsp vanilla to the remaining batter. Drop in blobs across the cakes. Take a fork and go bottom to top in gentle swirl to create the marble effect. Don't mix too much or will turn the whole cake light chocolate. Shout out to my sister for this adaptation! Grandma Pearl's Coffee Icing One box confectionary sugar 1 stick of softened margarine/butter About 5 TB cooled strong coffee (start with 3 TB and add one at time until desired texture) Put aside some icing to add a little Hershey's cocoa for mocha decorating I started going back through my pictures to revisit some of our Annalise creations. Here are some of our celebratory desserts through the last 5 years! What a fun way to track the passing of time. Annalise, if you read this, thanks so much for the baking joy you have brought back to our family! My artistic daughter's fabulous owl cake made from 2 round Yellow Layer Cakes for her owl loving father, with coffee icing, accented with mocha. When cutting shapes, work with chilled/frozen cakes, and make extra icing to glue it together. Practice with paper cut out in pan shapes until you get the result you are looking for. and repeat it in parchment paper. Lay the parchment paper on cake to help guide cutting. My mom baked this beautiful 60th Maple Walnut Cake for my sister. She baked three round layers and one square layer but didn't use it all. After cutting the round layers in half, she cut out the center to make "C's" and used those middle extra pieces to help make the inner circle on the 6 . The square helped her elongate the ovals. Mom doubled the icing to glue it all together and cover all those sides, and covered it with crushed walnuts. We use Trader Joe Walnuts as they have no peanut or wheat warnings. (Always recheck labels as sometimes they change). Oh, and next to the 60 cake is a yummy peach Summer Fruit Crisp. On the left, Chocolate Fudge Cake is surrounded by Vanilla Cupcakes, using mocha and coffee icing, to give variety. You can also do this display with just one Yellow Layer Cake recipe, splitting the batter between one layer and 12 cupcakes. Just bake in separate ovens since baking times vary. I probably already had the cake layer in the freezer, but didn't think it was enough food so baked an additional 12 cupcakes. I can't imagine I would have bothered baking two types. Annalise's Vanilla Cupcake recipe is the same as her Yellow Layer Cake but half the size. It makes one dozen cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes. Baking time for minis is about 12-14 minutes. The above minis are from 5 years ago, but I likely separated the batter to make different flavors. I remember buying lemon extract for the lemon minis, and mint extract for the junior mints ones. For the oreo minis, I used Trader Joes GFJoe Joes, and crushed some in the icing. The s'more ones had chocolate icing and marshmallows. Wish I wrote it down, but you get the idea. Creating your own is part of the fun! My sister had a crowd for a big combination of birthdays and graduations and baked up a gluten free storm. This looks like a combination of Yellow Layer Cakes and Chocolate Fudge Cakes, with vanilla, coffee and chocolate icings. The cake on the right was for the vegan guests and wasn't from Annalise. And here's some of our classic birthday cakes over the years... And then the cake for the saddest election party ever... Some more birthdays... Above we have Coconut Layer Cake, Sour Cream Coffee cake and birthday Brownie (ice cream toppings not shown). And don't forget the cookies and brownies! They freeze really well if you want to bake ahead. On the right are Chocolate Chip Cookies which are fabulous. Definitely listen to Annalise about using vegetable shortening (crisco). For an amazing upgrade, try Guittard semi sweet chocolate baking chips which are labeled gluten and peanut free. Again, we use Trader Joe's walnuts since they don't have any wheat or peanut warnings. On the left are Snickerdoodles from the Heirloom Collection cookbook, yum! In the middle are a mint version of Annalise's Brownies adapted by my brilliant sister. She cautions not to skip the multiple chilling steps. Mint Brownies Mint Icing (mix the following) 1/4 cup softened butter/margarine 1 1/3 cup confectionary sugar 1 TB water as needed 1/2 tsp mint extract Green food coloring (optional) Chocolate Topping (melt the following) 3 TB butter/margarine 1/2 cup semi-sweet gf chocolate chips The Steps Bake and chill/freeze the Brownies Frost with mint icing Chill well to set Top with Chocolate Topping Chill well before cutting Happy GF Baking!! Sheryl

By Sheryl Harpel, Founder of Gluten Free Friends When we survey college students with food allergies or celiac disease, we receive candid feedback on what it’s like to manage special diets as they rush between classes, study for exams, and socialize, often on tight budgets. Their responses reflect unique perspectives. On the same food line, one may be delighted with how food is labeled and organized, while another is concerned about potential cross-contamination. Our GFF College Dining Survey captures individual dining experiences of students with varying food restrictions at a given point in time. Students at the same school don’t always give consistent feedback. In an extreme example, University of Pittsburgh students give dining grades ranging from A to F. All of these student experiences have weight, but what could cause such extreme variations in satisfaction in the same dining halls? Well, it’s personal! Students' perspectives are influenced by… 1. Foods Being Avoided If a college accommodates some food allergies better than others, students with different food restrictions could have very different experiences. Top 8 allergen-free dining lines aren’t necessarily helpful for students with less common food allergies, and a nut-free dining hall may not help a student with celiac avoid traces of gluten. The recent University of Pittsburgh graduate that failed Pitt’s dining program has a milk allergy and complained that Pitt “only focused on nut allergies.” Some students have additional constraints, such as trying to eat vegetarian, kosher, or halal, which further limits options. 2. Exposure Consequences Students facing potentially life-threatening or debilitating reactions may need more assurances and attention than those with lesser reactions. Once confidence in dining safety is lost, it is not easily regained. 3. Financial Resources Some students have the money to supplement when their needs aren’t met. They shop and eat in town, and get Amazon packages delivered. Others are fully dependent on feeding themselves from often mandatory meal plans. Not meeting dietary requirements for these students can lead to genuine food insecurity. Even though Brooklyn, NY, likely has great off-campus options, a Pratt Institute student reported having no money for food beyond what had been spent on the meal plan and “feeling food insecure[and] worrying about where my next meal will come from.” 4. Sensitivity Some students are asymptomatic and may not even know when they’ve been exposed, while others react to the smallest of traces. 5. Self-Advocacy Students who register their disabilities, seek accommodations, actively use school resources like campus dietitians, talk to dining managers, and advocate for improvements, may have a much different experience than students quietly trying to cope under the radar. 6. Expectations Students have their own opinions about what dining services should be provided. For example, a Boston College sophomore with celiac gave BC Dining an A+, gladly pre-ordering and planning ahead to have safe gluten-free options, while a fellow student in a BC Heights article found it unworkable to give up that much flexibility. As dining improves, expectations can rise too. Top programs take student input and continue to raise the bar, as reported by a satisfied sophomore at Franklin and Marshall, “They are very accommodating and implement feedback quickly.” 7. Level of Understanding and Acceptance of Diagnosis Students handle food restrictions differently, both physically and emotionally. Some students come to terms with the challenge when they are young, while others are still struggling with it when they head off to college. We, therefore, encourage prospective students to ask, “Can I make this dining program work for me given my personal situation?” Listen to these students' stories and then investigate further to reach a very personal conclusion. College students with food allergies or celiac, shine a light on your school’s dining program! Take the GFF College Dining Survey!