Michigan State University Opens Allergy-Free Dining Hall

Celiac.com 08/20/2019 - The Michigan State Spartans are the latest college students to enjoy a new, allergen-free dining hall. Thrive, Michigan State University's new, allergy-free dining hall will feature meals free from eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish or milk.

Located in Owen Hall, Thrive offers take-out and dine-in foods, and is open to the public. Thrive features three stations. One serves gluten- and allergen-free comfort foods, like mashed potatoes, roast turkey and meatloaf. A second station will serve gluten-free chicken tenders and French fries, while a third will offer gluten- and allergen-free street food choices such as grain bowls and nachos.

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The trend toward offering safe dining options for students with food allergies is growing steadily across the nation. MSU is just the latest university to offer gluten- and allergen-free foods for its students. About twelve percent of students at the school has some sort of food allergy, according to Gina Keilen, the dietitian for culinary services for MSU. 

Michigan State joins other forward-thinking schools in their approach to allergen-free options, said Kristi Grim, the director of national programs for Food Allergy Research and Education. 

While facilities like the one at MSU are still the exception to the rule, they're becoming more popular, said Betsy Craig, founder and CEO of Kitchens with Confidence. Craig says that she expects the company to be working with two dozen colleges and universities by the end of the year. 

Other colleges and universities with allergen-free dining facilities include: Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, Kent State University in Ohio, Baylor University, Tennessee University, Georgetown University, Oregon State, Bard College, University of Wisconsin Madison, Southern Methodist University, University of Arizona, Ithaca College, Texas A&M, University of Notre Dame, University of New Hampshire, SUNY Potsdam, and Tufts University.

"The best schools have multiple options in place," adds Grim. 

Read more at More Colleges Going the Extra Mile for Students with Food Sensitivities; and Beyond March Madness, More Colleges Featuring Gluten-free Food Lineups