Tulane Dining caters to students with food allergies

On Jan. 30, Tulane University became the first university in the state to roll out the Simple Servings allergen-free menu program at Bruff Dining Commons on the uptown campus.

The station provides a daily protein, vegetable and a starch during lunch and dinner. All meals are prepared without the top seven most common food allergens, which include tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, gluten, milk, soy and eggs.

Tulane Dining Services, which is run by Sodexo, introduced this program after noticing an increase in students with special dietary needs.

“We saw a need to provide delicious and safe food free from common allergens and gluten,” said Kelsey Rosenbaum, campus dietitian for Sodexo.

Individual dishes on the menu, such as quinoa stir fry or honey balsamic pork chops with green beans and rice, are designed by Sodexo chefs and dietitians for the Simple Servings program. Executive Chef Scott Goodstal uses these recipes to build a weekly menu for the station with a few local touches. Additional signature dishes for the Simple Servings program are in the works including New Orleans favorites, jambalaya and gumbo.

Rosenbaum said the Dining Services team is excited to create a more comfortable dining experience for students with food allergies on campus. All chefs, managers, supervisors and staff at the station have been trained in proper protocol for creating and serving allergen-free dishes through the AllerTrain certification program. Tulane’s Simple Servings buffet will become a  model for other local universities hoping to improve accommodations for students with special dietary.

In addition to the new Simple Servings station, Bruff offers additional allergen-free items in the “My Zone” section of the dining hall. For more information about Bruff’s allergen-free services, visit Tulane Dining Services online.

Hannah Dean is a senior majoring in Latin American studies and political science.

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