Help IU win a Food Allergy Research & Education award and learn more about what goes into IU’s AllerTrain university status.
Learn how IU’s food allergy program led to a national award nomination
IU Bloomington has been nominated for a national Food Allergy Research & Education Community Choice award, in large part because of IU Dining's required allergy training for dining staff leadership.
Now through Monday, March 16 (2024), vote for Indiana University online to help recognize the dedication of IU Dining’s registered dietitians and dining staff in their ongoing mission to support students to eat safely on campus.
The FARE nomination came from a parent, who wrote: "My son with tree nut, peanut and coconut allergies went to Indiana University (Bloomington). He got a single room to accommodate his allergies. The menus in the dining halls had icons of allergens like dairy, peanut, coconut, gluten, soy, fish, sesame, eggs, etc. You can also meet a campus dietitian to come up with a personalized food plan. There is one dining hall with Free From IX items. My son never had a single allergy incident on the campus for any of the four years he studied there!"
IU Bloomington is an *AllerTrain university, meaning staff are specially trained on allergen-safe food preparation. Since 2017, IU Dining Registered Dietitian Rachel Dolgner has served as a certified AllerTrain instructor on campus, and Registered Dietitian Lauren Trumbauer will be certified as an instructor prior to the 2024 fall semester.
All aboard the AllerTrain
In addition to providing employee training and certification, IU requires chefs de cuisines, sous chefs, dining managers, and staff working in Free From IX to complete an accredited course covering Celiac and other food allergies, designed to meet state-specific mandates. More than 100 IU dining staff are currently certified, and they help share safety practices with part-time and student dining employees.
Participants learn about:
- The major 9 allergens
- Protocols and best practices to avoid allergen cross-contact
- How to better serve those with special dietary needs
- Recommendations for policy implementation
- Information on current and pending legislation
In addition, IU chefs de cuisines, sous chefs, dining managers, and staff working in the Free From IX allergen-free concept take ongoing AllerTrain courses to maintain certification.
IU Dining’s registered dietitians offer personalized, individualized student consultations that cover allergies and medical conditions; review of menu items, ingredients, and specialty products; and discussion on how to avoid cross-contact. Dietitians also connect individual students with dining managers and chefs based on campus housing location and class schedule.
Regardless of whether a student has connected directly with the dietitians, the chef and manager at each campus dining location are available to answer student questions and ensure foods are prepared with allergen-free precautions when requested.
About FARE
FARE is a charitable organization designed to improve the quality of life and health of those with food allergies through research, education, and advocacy. IU is a member of the FARE Food Allergy College Search.
Winners of the FARE Community Choice Award will be announced at the organization’s Food Service Summit and MenuTrinfo Food Allergy Symposium for Industry event March 20-21 at University of Maryland.
*AllerTrain was developed by MenuTrinfo, a company dedicated to ensuring safe food service by providing allergen and nutritional information since 2010.