How we can help you
| Steps | What to do next |
|---|---|
1. Complete the above submission form.
| Once you have submitted the form, the KU Dining Services Registered Dietitian will reach out to set up a meeting. |
| 2. Notify the Student Access Center | https://yukon.accessiblelearning.com/s-KU/ApplicationStudent.aspx access@ku.edu |
| 3. Consult our online menu on NetNutrition – it is even mobile-friendly! | NetNutrition will be a tool for you to review daily menus, nutrition, and allergy information. Bookmark the website on your phone for easy access. |
| 4. Prepare for your meeting with the Dietitian | This meeting can be done virtually, over the phone, or in person. We will discuss your specific dietary information, how to navigate eating on campus and using NetNutrition as a tool. After this initial meeting, the dietitian will coordinate a meeting to introduce you to dining managers. Having a relationship with the staff will ensure a positive dining experience. |
| 5. Follow up | The Registered Dietitian will follow up via email or phone to inquire how they are managing eating in the dining locations. KU Dining Services has an open-door policy. Please reach out anytime during the semester. |
What else you need to know:
- Notify the KU Student Access Center of your food allergy(ies).
- Notify Dining Services’ Registered Dietitian of your food allergy(ies).
- When in doubt, ask! We are happy to show you nutrition labels and recipe ingredients.
- Be your own advocate.
- Create relationships with KU Dining Services Staff.
- Use NetNutrition.
- Review menu items served at the dining center before you arrive.
- Special menu items can be prepared but may take extra time. Please plan accordingly.
- If you have a prescribed EpiPen, carry it with you at all times.
Cross contact occurs when an allergen is transferred from one food to another and can cause a food allergy reaction. Cross contact can occur in several ways, but there are actions you can take to avoid cross-contact.
- Consider making more selections from served stations where our employees are trained to mitigate cross-contact.
- Inform the employee of your allergy.
- Ask an employee to change their gloves.
- Ask an employee to use a new utensil or a fresh pan at made-to-order stations. All stations are equipped with “purple kits” to serve and prepare foods to prevent cross-contact.
- Be wary of deep-fried foods and pizzas stations. Our fryers are used for all products and cross-contact from other products will occur. The “deep-fried” icon on NetNutrition identifies foods that are prepared using a deep fryer. Although we offer gluten-free crusts at our pizza stations, the oven is a shared-use space, and cross-contact with gluten and other allergens occur.
At KU Dining Services, we ensure the top 8 allergens are labeled and identified. In addition to, wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish, and egg, we also highlight items with sesame, soy, gluten, garlic, alcohol, and beef. Students can find plant-based items by looking for vegan or vegetarian icons. The deep-fried icon serves as an additional characteristic to acknowledge menu items that are prepared in a shared fryer. For example, if a product is labeled gluten-free and deep-fried, cross-contact with gluten will occur in the fryer. Please be aware that our pizza options are also produced in a shared oven where gluten, wheat, and other allergens are present.
The KU Dining Services procedure is to contact 911 immediately and request medical assistance. Following an incident, the dining center manager will inform the Director and Assistant Director of Dining as well as the Director of Housing. When the timing is appropriate, the dining center manager or KU Dining Services registered dietitian will follow up with that student to check on their situation and well-being.
KU Dining Services is committed to providing an allergy-friendly dining experience. However, the ingredients and nutritional content of food items served in the campus dining locations may vary. In addition, manufacturers may change their product formulation or consistency of ingredients without our knowledge, and product availability may fluctuate. While we make every effort to identify ingredients, we cannot assure against these contingencies. It is ultimately YOUR responsibility to determine whether to question ingredients or eat selected foods. KU Dining Services cannot guarantee the safety of students with life-threatening allergies.