Muhlenberg College
VerifiedIn the resident dining Wood Dining Commons, all restaurants, including made-to order, have allergen information online and through our mobile Bite by Sodexo app. In retail, The General's Quarters and the Life Sports Cafe have ingredient information available on request.
The Noshery, our Kosher Kitchen, offers dairy free options for students with milk allergy. They also offer pre-packaged dessert items with 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.
In the resident dining Wood Dining Commons, of the 7 self-serve stations, Soups, Basic Kneads (bread), yogurt/fruit, Croutons (composed salads), & the gluten free pantry have ingredients and allergens either posted or on pre-packaged labels. In retail, The General's Quarters and the Life Sports Cafe have ingredient/allergen information available on all pre-packaged goods.
In the Wood Dining Commons, nuts and peanut butter are maintained in a separate area near the bread station. Desserts containing nuts are served in the lower right hand corner of the bakery hutch. Individual packages of peanut butter is available at the gluten free pantry. All desserts may come in contact with nuts in our bake shop.
Students can request salad bar ingredients from our back-up supplies.
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.
Policies and procedures are in place and reviewed regularly.
3. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in made-to-order areas.
Procedures specific to each restaurant in place and reviewed and updated regularly.
4. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in self-serve areas.
Students who are determined to need dining accommodations as set forth through the process with Disability Services are eligible for our custom meal request option. The student meets with the registered dietitian who develops the accommodation plan in conjunction with the chefs and student nutrition intern to determine the level of accommodation need for customized meals.
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.
Our chefs and registered dietitian work closely with each individual with dietary restrictions to meet their needs and ensure a safe, nutritious dining experience.
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, avoiding cross-contact, college and university policies, epinephrine auto-injectors, emergency procedures.
We have an on-site dining safety steward responsible for all safety training of our employees. She, in collaboration with the registered dietitian, train employees on all things related to food allergies.
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.
Should a student with a food allergy notify their RA, the RA will make sure that programs have food students are able to safely eat.
Open and clear communication regarding a student's needs about food allergies with Dining Services, the Office of Disability Services, and Housing & Residence Life enables these offices to work together with the student to create an action plan for success.
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.
We always encourage students and families to reach out to our office should they ever have questions, clarifications, or concerns. Our entire staff is trained with the philosophy, "I may not know, but I will find the resource who does." Students are not alone in their time at Muhlenberg - we are always here to support!
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.
All requests are made through the Office of Disability Services.
Students need to submit a "Special Dining Services Request" along with supporting medical documentation and diagnostician form to the Office of Disability Services.
Dining, Health, Residential, and Disability Services work in tandem to meet the needs of our students who require accommodations. Muhlenberg College has had a formal dining accommodation process in place for over to 10 years and well before the Lesley settlement created precedence.
12. Our disability office processes food allergy and celiac disease accommodation requests.
See what health services we offer >
Stock, undesignated epinephrine auto-injectors will be maintained in locked wall cabinets in the Wood Dining Commons and the Generals Quarters within the Segger's Student Union building beginning fall 2019.
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.
When on call, campus EMS carry epinephrine and are trained to administer it.
14. Our campus emergency responders carry epinephrine.
Beginning fall 2019, Dining Services managers and supervisors will be trained to recognize signs/symptoms of food allergy anaphylaxis and to administer epinephrine auto-injectors if necessary.
See what our emergency response policy allows for >