University of California Santa Cruz
Not VerifiedInteractive nutrition facts for all of our meals are available through the online menus. You can use the meal calculator to check calorie counts and plan a whole day's eating. Additionally, each dining hall displays printed signs next to each entree or side dish identifying ingredients, nutrition content, allergens, and vegan or vegetarian choices.
1. We provide access to ingredient information for made-to-order* items. *Made-to-order - Meals that are prepared on request and to your specification in the dining hall. Examples include a sandwich station, omelet station, burrito station, etc.
2. We provide access to ingredient information for self-serve* items. *Self-serve - Meals that are served buffet-style in a dining hall. These are typically high risk for cross-contact and are best avoided by diners with food allergies.
"Although we do our best to meet the needs of students with food allergies, our food is prepared on shared equipment in a kitchen that uses milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish, wheat, and other allergens. While we work hard to avoid cross-contact, we are not an allergen-free facility. If you have allergy concerns or need assistance, please speak with a manager. They will support you in having a safe dining experience."
3. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in made-to-order areas.
4. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in self-serve areas.
5. We have pre-order meals* available. *Pre-order meals - Custom meals that can be ordered in advance by a diner so they are ready for pick up at a specific time. Typically these can be ordered online or by phone/text.
6. We have an allergy-friendly station*. *Allergy-friendly station - A food station where specific ingredients are banned, typically including many or all items in the Top 8 allergens and gluten.
7. We train dining services staff members.
8. We have a registered dietitian* on staff. *Registered dietitian - Registered dietitians are food and nutrition experts who are often tasked with helping students with food allergies navigate the dining halls.
9. We train our RA's.
10. We have inclusive resident life programs* including food. *Inclusive resident life programs - Programs in the resident halls often include food. Inclusive resident life programs will offer students with food allergies the opportunity to request safe food alternatives for events they attend in the dorms.
In order to request a Housing Accommodation please do the following:
1) Fill out a DRC Housing Accommodation Request form and return to the DRC along with supporting documentation. The DRC will not be able to process your accommodation request unless you have met our criteria for medical documentation and established contact with our office.
2) Submit your Housing Application Online during the Priority Housing Application Period. Please refer to the posted deadlines on the housing webpage for important information.
11. We offer accommodations for roommate assignments. *Every accommodation request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A housing accommodation cannot be guaranteed prior to an individual evaluation.
Students whose food access needs are not met by dining hall managers are encouraged to meet with Breanna Van Otterloo, Dining's Food Safety and Nutrition Specialist. Breanna works with students to discuss their specific needs and determine how to best address the concerns. Accommodations to dining services may require collaboration between the student, dining staff, and the Disability Resource Center, and documentation from a qualified professional to be considered.
12. Our disability office processes food allergy and celiac disease accommodation requests.
13. We have stock, undesignated epinephrine* available for emergency response. *Stock, undesignated epinephrine - Epinephrine that is prescribed to a college or university rather than to a particular student. This epinephrine is kept on hand to use for any student that experiences anaphylaxis.
14. Our campus emergency responders carry epinephrine.