Navigating Food Allergies and Dietary Needs at Saint Mary’s College Dining Hall

For students at Saint Mary’s College with food allergies or dietary restrictions, dining on campus requires careful planning and awareness. The Noble Family Dining Hall, the primary student meal location, strives to accommodate a variety of needs, but students face challenges in ensuring their safety and accessing suitable meals.

Accommodating Common Allergens

Chef Charu Pant, who oversees the Noble Family Dining Hall, emphasizes the commitment to allergy-safe accommodations. The dining hall adapts daily menus to avoid the nine most common U.S. Food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. “We go the extra mile… to go as far as we can accommodate them by giving them special meals… If there’s any kind of allergens in it, we’ll try to take them off. We always go with the nine allergens,” Pant said.

Challenges with Celiac Disease and Cross-Contamination

Despite these efforts, students with celiac disease report ongoing difficulties. Senior Lily Wilder explains that even minimal gluten exposure can trigger an immune response. While a dedicated gluten-free fridge is available, it doesn’t fully resolve the issue. “There are some days where I have to just, ‘salad-it’ kind of thing,” she said.

Cross-contamination remains a significant concern for students like Clara Venia, who also has celiac disease. She describes how easily gluten-free foods can reach into contact with gluten-containing items. “Let’s say there’s something like some sausages in the morning, and they put it right next to the gravy. Why can’t I eat the sausages? Since the chance that the gravy has gotten into them is very, very high,” Venia explained.

Labeling Inconsistencies and Menu Variability

Labeling inconsistencies also contribute to confusion. Wilder points to discrepancies with soy sauce labeling at the stir-fry station. “They will say it’s gluten free [at the stir-fry station] and the other soy sauce [packet] isn’t. I just perceive like it’s a general miscommunication on what is and isn’t.”

Junior Ava Hess, who manages allergies to gluten, dairy, eggs, red meat, and pollen-food syndrome, finds that the dining experience varies depending on the daily menu. “Some nights are great,” Hess said. “But then you have nights where everyone’s excited about pho night, and it’s made with red meat broth that I can’t have. It’s not like I’m starving. It’s just tough when your option is the same option for every meal.”

Dining Hall Safety Measures and Staff Training

The Notre Dame Dining team, which partners with Saint Mary’s, has implemented several measures to enhance food safety. Online menus for all three campuses (Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, and Holy Cross) allow students to filter items based on allergens and view daily food options. Campus Dining at Saint Mary’s

Dining staff members undergo food safety training, including ServSafe certification, which is renewed every five to six years. Staff member Tommy Netabong noted, “We take a ServSafe test and classes every five to six years.” Crystal Scheilbelhut added that the dining hall uses separate pans and utensils for gluten-free preparation and changes gloves between orders, and actively tries to build relationships with students who have allergies. “I try to get to grasp the ones that have an allergy,” Scheilbelhut said.

Student Meal Plans and Accommodation Process

All students are required to have a meal plan, and those with dietary needs must notify dining staff to receive accommodations. Chef Pant assures students that the staff is equipped to handle a wide range of requests. “We have good staff, good cooks and everybody in here and we can come up with something all the time,” Pant said. “We can accommodate anything and everything. I tried to make things that would not have flour in it. If we have to do sauces, we will do corn starch or things that would not have any kind of wheat or any allergen of that sort.”

Students acknowledge the efforts made by the dining hall. Hess appreciates the separate cooking stations and utensil protocols, while Venia highlights the importance of consistently stocked gluten-free items like pasta, bread, and desserts. “It’s something very modest,” Venia said, “but it makes a lot of difference at the end of the day.”

Tri-Campus Dining Options

Saint Mary’s students now have access to dining halls at the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College at no additional cost. Greater Campus Dining Value for Students The Flex Points program allows students to use funds at various Notre Dame retail dining locations, including Smashburger, Au Bon Pain, and Starbucks.