Food Allergies & Medical Needs

A Safe Dining Experience

Smith Dining recognizes that there are many students who have special dietary needs due to food allergies, intolerances, and other medical conditions. Our goal is to provide an inclusive dining experience that is safe and enjoyable for all students. We achieve this through:

Clear labeling
Dedicated dining locations to meet the diverse needs of students
Individual consultations with our Manager of Nutrition Services
Staff training

Accessing Resources & Accommodations

1. Identify Your Needs

Register with the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC): Recommended for conditions rising to the level of a disability (e.g., students with celiac disease or food allergies requiring an EpiPen). Visit the ARC Request Accommodations page for details.

Communicate with Dining Staff: Inform the Dining Room Coordinator (DRC) about your restrictions before eating. They can provide menu information and consult with the chef/Area Manager.

Contact the Manager of Nutrition Services: Email dietitian@smith.edu for personalized guidance, especially for students with severe food allergies, severe food intolerances, or celiac disease. ARC may be consulted first for disability-related needs.

2. Utilize Available Tools

Allergen Icons: Look for allergen icons in the dining areas. Icons identify the top nine allergens (egg, milk, sesame, tree nut, peanut, shellfish, fish, soy, wheat), gluten (“Wheat/Gluten”), and coconut.

Menu Information: Review menus and use NetNutrition to access recipe ingredients and nutrition information.

Communicate Directly: For severe allergies, always notify the chef/area manager at the dining location before eating.

3. Smith Dining Disclaimers

Review the Smith Dining disclaimers to make food choices that are right for you.

Explore Dining Options

Dining Location	Allergen Information	Comments
Lamont	Free of gluten, the top nine most common allergens (wheat, egg, milk, soy, sesame, tree nuts, peanut, shellfish, fish), and coconut.	Open to all students with a meal plan; ARC process not required (though via an ARC process, Lamont may be designated as meeting a student’s accommodation need).
Dawes	Free of gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts.	Students must be registered.
Tyler, King, Cutter, and Chase	Dedicated refrigerator that contains only gluten-free products	—

Diner Responsibilities

Medication: Carry all necessary medications with you at all times in case of an allergic reaction.

Accessibility Resource Center: Smith College encourages registration with ARC for students with severe food allergies, such as those which require an EpiPen or similar, and any other food-related conditions which rise to the level of disability. Complete the required registration process with the Accessibility Resource Center to access any necessary accommodations.

Advance Notice to Dining Services: Proactively inform Smith College Dining Services about any special dietary needs. Meeting with the Manager of Nutrition Services before the semester begins is highly recommended.

Review Allergen Labels: Review allergen icons in the dining areas and the ingredients through NetNutrition. Never eat or drink foods that do not have allergen information displayed.

Communicate Dietary Needs: Always communicate specific dietary requirements before consuming food provided by Dining Services. Notify the Accessibility Resource Center, Manager of Nutrition Services, and the Dining chef/Area Manager about severe food allergies to receive assistance in avoiding unsafe foods and minimizing the risk of cross-contact. If the Chef/Area Manager is unavailable, Dining Services staff can assist in locating them or answering your questions. Students may request that Dining staff change their gloves, use a new pan/utensils, etc. when placing their order at cook-to-serve stations.

Emergency Contacts: Inform relevant individuals about your condition to ensure effective emergency response if needed.

Post-Reaction Notification: Notify the Manager of Nutrition Services immediately if an allergic reaction occurs.

Dining Services Disclaimers: Review Dining Services disclaimers. Be aware of the risk of cross-contact. Many of our kitchens handle various allergens. While we take precautions, cross-contact is possible. Please be aware of potential allergen exposure from shared spaces and airborne particles.

Food Allergen Labeling

Background

Guidance from the following sources is used to determine labeling practices at Smith College Dining Services:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C)
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA)
Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 (FASTER Act)

In addition to the top nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfis, tree nuts, peanuts, what, soy, and sesame), Smith College Dining also labels gluten and coconut.

The following food allergens are labeled in dining areas and online through NetNutrition with an allergen icon. For more details about allergen icons at Smith College, refer to the Allergen Icon Guide.

Nutrient analysis and ingredients lists for recipes are available through NetNutrition.

Wheat/Gluten: All items containing wheat or gluten are labeled in dining areas and in NetNutrition with a “Wheat/Gluten” icon.

Shellfish: Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), crustacean shellfish (such as crab, lobster, or shrimp) and ingredients that contain protein derived from crustacean shellfish are major food allergens, but molluscan shellfish (such as oysters, clams, mussels, or scallops) are not. Smith College therefore labels crustacean shellfish with a “Shellfish” icon but not molluscan shellfish.

Highly Refined Oils: Because highly refined oils do not contain allergenic protein, they are exempted from the FD&C Act allergen labeling requirement. Highly refined oils are therefore not labeled with an allergen icon at Smith College. If you avoid highly refined oils derived from a major food allergen, refer to NeNutrition for the ingredients list or ask a Dining Services staff member for ingredient clarification.

Tree Nuts: According to the FDA, only tree nuts listed in Table 1 are considered major food allergens, and, therefore, must meet the food allergen labeling requirements of section 403(w) of the FD&C Act. Because other tree nuts that are not listed in Table 1 do not have a robust body of evidence to support inclusion as a major food allergen, they should not be included in the “Contains” statement even if they are used as ingredients because the “Contains” statement is reserved for major food allergens. Only the tree nuts list in the table are labeled with a “Tree Nut” icon at Smith Dining Services.

Table 1. Tree Nuts FDA Considers as Major Food Allergens with Their Common or Usual Names and Scientific Names

Common or Usual Name	Scientific Name (Family name is identified in parentheses.)
Almond	Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb (Rosaceae)
Black walnut	Juglans nigra L. (Juglandaceae)
Brazil nut	Bertholletia execlsa Humb. & Bonpl. (Lecythidaceae)
California walnut	Juglans californica S. Watson (Juglandaceae)
Cashew	Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae)
Filbert/Hazelnut	Corylus spp. (Betulaceae)
Heartnut/Japanese walnut	Juglans ailantifolia Carriere var. cordiformis (Makino); Rehder (Juglandaceae)
Macadamia/Bush nut	Macadamia spp. (Proteaceae)
Pecan	Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh) K. Koch (Juglandaceae)
Pine nut/Pinon nut	Pinus spp. (Pineaceae)
Pistachio	Pstacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae)
Walnut (English, Persian)	Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae)

Gluten-Free Dining Options

Smith College provides several options for students requiring gluten-free dining.

Dedicated Gluten-Free Kitchens:

Lamont: A dedicated kitchen free from gluten, coconut, and the top 9 allergens (wheat, egg, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish, milk, peanut, tree nut). To prevent cross contact, no outside food is permitted in the kitchen and Smith Dining requests that outside food not be brought into this dining area.
Dawes: A kitchen free from gluten, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. Intended for students with severe reaction to gluten (e.g., celiac disease).

Gluten-friendly Refrigerators: Tyler, King, Chase, and Cutter: These dining locations offer a special toaster and refrigerator containing bread, bagel, peanut butter, seed butter, preserves, and dessert options made from gluten-free ingredients. The gluten-friendly sections are accessible to all students with a meal plan, 24 hours a day.

Labeling: All items containing wheat or gluten are clearly labeled in dining areas and in NetNutrition with a “Wheat/Gluten” icon.

Dawes Dining Access

Dawes Dining provides a fully gluten-free environment specifically for students with celiac disease or similar conditions resulting in a severe reaction to gluten.

Eligibility Requirements

Diagnosis of celiac disease or similar condition.
Medical documentation confirming a severe reaction to gluten.

Application Process

Step 1: Disability Identification Request: Follow the instructions on the ARC Request Accommodations page. Please carefully review the information on this page, including details about required medical documentation form.

Step 2: Meet with ARC: Discuss your needs with an ARC team member. They will guide you through the next steps.

Important Note: Which gluten-free access is approved for you will depend on the details of your need. Please refer to the Explore Dining Options and Gluten-Free Dining sections for more information on other gluten-free dining options available through Smith Dining.

Allergen Training for Staff

Smith Dining Services are required to complete the following:

ServSafe certification
AllerTrain allergen training course

Additionally, staff receive ongoing reinforcement of the information through:

Yearly reinforcement of key information by the manager of nutrition services
Allergen policy
Allergen investigations