At a recent Dining Board meeting, Vale Riggs, Sous Chef in Burton Dining Hall, gave a short presentation on food allergies and outlined what Bon Appétit staff are doing to accommodate students at Carleton who have these allergies. The eight most common food allergens are found in milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy. It’s estimated that 1 in 12 Americans have an intolerance to one or more of these allergens and from his experience, Vale thinks that the incidence in the Carleton population is much higher, although he doesn’t know why.
When students self-identify themselves as allergic to food, the culinary staff records the details of the student’s condition and assists the student in determining how to manage their diet in the dining halls to maximum individual benefit. The information on each student is maintained in a book at both Burton and LDC and can be consulted by the chefs at any time. In this way, just about any student with a food allergy of other dietary issue can be accommodated.
If you have a food allergy or know someone who does and you haven’t contacted Vale yet, please do so at your earliest opportunity. Email him at vriggs@carleton.edu or call him at x4422.