The only made-to-order station within the Union Drive Marketplace Dining Hall is at the deli station. All ingredient information is available online, and with point of sale labels.
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.
All self-serve venues have point of sale labels that include ingredient information, as well as any Top 8 allergens highlighted. The label includes basic ingredients, but using a free QR code scanner application a QR code can be scanned and the full ingredient listing will come up. This is the same listing that is available for all locations on our dining website.
ISU Dining has policy in place with staff to minimize any possible cross-contact as possible. Due to not being able to control actions of students and other guests, we have our Special Diet Kitchen (SDK) that is a separate prep-area that is connected to the main dining hall in the Union Drive Marketplace Dining Hall. The Special Diet Kitchen is designed to be Top 8 Food Allergen free, and is a self-serve venue. All of our dry ingredients is stored in the SDK to minimize cross-contact. The registered dietitian assists with management of the SDK. Students wishing to eat in the SDK must verify medical need with Student Accessibility Services on campus; this is to keep the high integrity and effectiveness of the Special Diet Kitchen program.
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.
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.
Students who have access to the Special Diet Kitchen can take a "To Go" meal due to slightly limited options in other locations. They need to come into the dining hall, and the Special Diet Kitchen, and then fill up a to-go box and leave the dining hall in a side door.
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.
We offer a unique Special Diet Kitchen located within Union Drive Marketplace that is free from the top 8 allergens and can accommodate various other food restrictions for medical purposes.
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.
Food allergy 101, anaphylaxis, limiting cross-contact, label reading, and university policies related to assisting a student who potentially might have a reaction. The bulk of our training's is related to prevention of a reaction, but we have policy and procedures in place in the rare occasion a reaction does occur.
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.
Department of Residence staff (including hall directors and community advisers) have the option of coming to an annual training with the registered dietitian during their training day. If resident life programs utilize ISU Dining food, then appropriate allergen accommodations can be made.
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.
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.
No; Dining and Student Accessibility Services collaborate with Department of Residence to ensure students who utilize the Special Diet Kitchen are placed in housing assignments on the same side of campus. This is only able to happen if students get Special Diet Kitchen approval prior to housing assignments being placed, but some additional accommodations are able to happen.
Detailed 1-3 steps are located on both the Dining website, as well as the Student Accessibility Services website links that are provided above.
Timeliness is important for accommodations ensuring students utilizing the Special Diet Kitchen are placed in housing assignments on the same side of campus. Please aim to have the required paperwork completed by the end of May prior to starting at Iowa State University in the fall. If given enough time, we can coordinate with the Department of Housing to re-arrange housing assignments to be on the same side of campus if the original housing location is not near the Special Diet Kitchen.
12. Our disability office processes food allergy and celiac disease accommodation requests.
See what health services we offer >
ISU Dining employees are unable to assist with administrating epinephrine. ISU and Ames police are able to assist. The registered dietitian encourages students with allergies to always eat with a friend who understand their allergen needs and are able to recognize a reaction.
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.
See what our emergency response policy allows for >