Dietary Accommodations

POLICY FOR MEAL ACCOMMODATIONS

The following policy outlines proper procedures for accommodating Michigan State University (MSU) students with documented food allergies or medically documented dietary restrictions or needs. 

Policy: As acknowledged in the Student Housing Contract, all on-campus students at MSU are required to have a dining plan, except for those living in Owen Hall, VanHoosen Hall, Williams Hall, 1855 Apartments, or University Village Apartments. Culinary Services supports students with documented food allergies or medically verified dietary restrictions by helping them find safe and appropriate dining options.

 

Student Responsibilities

  1. Initiate a request to the CS dietitians at dietitians@rhs.msu.edu to disclose dietary restriction(s) and to discuss menu options, available navigational tools and resources, and how to find safe dining options on campus.
  2. Always carry any needed medication and emergency contact information in case of a reaction. Culinary Services does not stock epinephrine.
  3. Review menus and ingredient information online, as well as allergen information at the points of service, to help guide your selections.
  4. Contact a CS dietitian, chef or dining manager if you have questions or concerns throughout the school year or when dining with us. Students are encouraged to speak to an executive chef or dining manager to ensure they speak directly with a leader of the culinary team.
  5. If the dietary restriction qualifies as a disability and/or it is agreed upon with a CS Dietitian that accommodation outside of the daily menus is needed, the following steps should be taken:
    1. First, visit MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) website to acquire the desired form(s) for documenting a disability. Once the appropriate form(s) are completed by your qualified medical professional, submit them to the RCPD.
    2. Next, once approved, students should contact a CS Dietitian to establish a collaborative and agreed-upon dining accommodation plan with the CS team. If the individual does not uphold their responsibilities under the agreement (e.g., failing to communicate dietary restrictions to the Dietitian, missing scheduled mealtimes, or not providing timely menu requests), the plan will be paused. To resume the plan, the student must contact a CS Dietitian to schedule a meeting to review and redevelop the agreement.
  6. In summary, students should take the following steps to request dining accommodation(s):
    1. Register with the RCPD.
    2. Contact the CS dietitians at dietitians@rhs.msu.edu and schedule a meeting.
    3. Develop a mutually agreed-upon dining accommodation plan with the Culinary team.
    4. Communicate with the CS team if needs change or the plan requires adjustment. 
  7. Students approved through the RCPD office with documented allergies or medically documented dietary restrictions or needs may be eligible to enroll in the OrderIT mobile app order-ahead program. A CS dietitian will determine eligibility.
  8. See Appendix A for OrderIt Student Expectations and Responsibilities, which is provided to and reviewed by all individuals registered in the program.
  9. Be aware that all kitchens are shared kitchens.
  10. Students are ultimately responsible for the foods and beverages they consume and must make the final judgment on whether an item is safe for their consumption.
  11. If you have an allergic reaction, notify a CS dietitian, executive chef, or dining manager.

 

Culinary Services Responsibilities

  1. Dietitians: 
    1. Actively engage with students (meeting with and giving tours as needed), to assist in finding safe dining options on campus.
    2. Introduce any student actively engaged with the process to the chefs and dining managers who will assist in the day-to-day management of the student with a dietary restriction, meeting as a collaborative group when needed.
    3. Upon request, supply ingredients and menu information.
    4. Provide allergy training to the CS team.
  2. CS Chefs and Dining Managers:
    1. Ensure recipes are being followed, as well as communicate with the menu management team of any recipe changes.
    2. Print accurate and timely menu signs and grab-and-go labeling that list the meal offerings and their allergens or traits.
    3. Meet as needed with students who have dietary restrictions and a CS dietitian to determine needed accommodations.
    4. Upon request, supply ingredients and menu information.
    5. Available to the student for menu, ingredients, or production questions during the times of service.
    6. Maintain a current allergy training certification.
    7. Provide in-unit training of proper sanitation, glove changing and ways to prevent cross-contact.

 

Additional Information

  1. CS makes every effort to thoroughly train staff and label food allergens throughout dining operations; however, ingredients and nutritional content may change from time to time without their knowledge due to manufacturing changes, recipe substitutions and other outlying factors.
  2. Summer Camps and Conferences:
    1. Contact a CS dietitian for assistance in navigating the dining halls and making informed food choices on campus.
  3. Training:
    1. CS executive chefs, sous chefs, managers and full-time staff complete AllerTrain, an ANSI-accredited allergy and celiac disease training program.
  4. Labeling and Allergen Information:
    1. There are menu signs in the dining operations at their points of service that show what is being served, as well as the Major 9 allergens and additional traits and restrictions present in that meal item.
    2. Allergens, ingredients and nutritional information are available online.
    3. All grab-and-go menu options will include a label that lists the ingredients and Major 9 allergens and additional traits.
  5. Special Dietary Extras:
    1. Thrive at Owen is a dining hall Certified Free From the Major 9 allergens plus gluten. Those allergens are not present in the kitchen and regular allergen testing and audits are done to ensure compliance with the certification.
    2. Holmes Market, Holden Market, The Gallery at Snyder-Phillips and the MSU Bakers are nut-conscious to assist those with peanut and tree nut allergies. Peanuts and tree nuts may still be present in the kitchens, but anything served out of the venues will be void of those allergens.
    3. Allergen-conscious alternatives are available across campus (e.g., gluten-free pasta, non-dairy alternatives).
    4. Individually packaged condiments and dressings are available to prevent cross-contact.
    5. The CS dietitian, dhefs, and procurement teams work closely together to purchase ingredients and adjust recipes to have menu items cross over various dietary restrictions.
    6. Students may ask any CS staff member to change their gloves when plating the meals.
    7. Students may ask for menu items offered on the serving line from pans or containers that haven’t touched the line yet, if available.
    8. Students should take caution with deep-fried items. MSU does not change its fryer oil after every menu item or every meal, so there could be the risk of cross-contact. Use personal discretion when choosing deep-fried foods.
    9. Unless disclosed by the manufacturer, MSU does not consider soybean oil or a nut-based oil to have allergies due to how they are filtered and processed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the CS dietitians at dietitians@rhs.msu.edu.