Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
VerifiedDeli, grill, and action stations.
For full ingredients, ask us. The "Big 8" allergens are available via our online menu, sign, and the Everyday app.
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.
Salad bar for any salad dressing or composed salads, and dessert station. Our desserts are scratch-prepared in our on-campus bake shop, which is an area with many allergens. My Zone desserts may be a better choice for many food allergic students. Please talk to Kim about desserts.
Nutrition and allergen information is available on our on-line menu, point of service signs, and our Everyday app.
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.
Our My Zone personal pantry has gluten-free breads, rolls, and many other products free of gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. For a grill item, get your GF bread, then bring to the grill and ask for your burger to be made in a separate pan. For the deli, ask for your meat, cheese, and vegetables to be given to your from the back-up supply after a glove change, then make your own sandwich. We also have a team of trained chefs that can make food separtely if you talk to the RD.
3. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in made-to-order areas.
For students with food allergies, we would like to prepare your salad in the back of the house from produce not exposed to the self-serve environment. We'd like to introduce you to our dining managers so they know what your dietary needs are and tehy can prepare safe food separtely in teh kithcen if needed.
4. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in self-serve areas.
Studnet should reach out to the RDN to discuss food allergies and meet the allertrained chefs that can perpare safe meals for them.
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.
The award-winning Simple Servings station is free from the "big 8" allergens except for fin fish, and also free of gluten. Precautions are in place to prevent allergen cross-contact in preparing your meals, and the station is open to all students, but is always served and requires students to take a clean plate.
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, recognizing symptoms of allergic reaction and emergency response, ingredients, precautions to prevent cross-contact in back and front of the house, communicating with students, etc
Look for the "Allertrain" certificates posted.
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.
all of these
9. We train our RA's.
Working through their resident advisor and the campus dietitian Kimberly Mayer.
We all work closely together.
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.
resident life for housing requests
12. Our disability office processes food allergy and celiac disease accommodation requests.
See what health services we offer >
Emergency Epinephrine is stocked in our four dining halls. Managers are trained by RD in emergeny protocol. We always encourage studnets with prescrbed epineohine to carry it all times.
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.
RPI public safety, Troy Fire Department
14. Our campus emergency responders carry epinephrine.
Samaritan Hospital and Troy ambulance is located next to campus. The health center also stocks epinephrine.
See what our emergency response policy allows for >