Allergies & Special Diets
Welcome to Penn State University Park. Resources are available to assist those with food allergies or special dietary needs in making safe, informed dining choices on campus through the registered dietitian's office.
Campus dining staff receive annual food allergy training and take every precaution to prevent cross-contact during service, including using separate serving utensils for each food item and keeping service areas clean. However, cross-contact is still a possibility in shared preparation spaces and self-service dining areas.
To minimize exposure to allergens, guests are encouraged to:
- Contact foodallergies@psu.edu to learn more about dining accommodations.
- Notify a manager of allergies and intolerances.
- Ask staff to change gloves and utensils before preparing their order.
- Request a portion of food from a backup pan (including salad bar, deli station, ice cream, and cereal containers).
- Call ahead to have an order specially prepared with attention to specific food allergens.
- Carry a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector at all times.
Special Dietary Needs & Accommodation Requests
Gluten Free
Students who cannot have gluten can dine safely on campus as there are many options available. Being informed prior to arriving at the dining facility is also a great way to stay safe.
All five dining commons have an all-you-care-to-eat space where you can find many gluten-friendly options. If you see a "Gf" icon, this means that the item is gluten-friendly: it has been made without gluten-containing ingredients and prepared in such a way to minimize cross-contact.
If a menu item doesn’t contain gluten, but it is cooked in a shared fryer, it will not receive the "Gf" designation.
Each dining commons also offers supplemental gluten-free items such as breakfast cereals, sliced bread, rolls, pasta, and desserts to help complement the daily menu choices. Gluten-free items such as pasta, pizza, or mac and cheese must be ordered in advance. Gluten-free items like cereal, bread, and desserts may be requested when you arrive at the dining commons.
Kosher & Halal
Kosher
Nosh, located in North Food District, is a certified kosher deli serving a variety of cold and hot sandwiches, matzo ball soup, potato latkes, etc. All menu items are prepared in a designated kosher kitchen, under the supervision of Star K. This station is open Sunday–Thursday for lunch and dinner.
On-Campus Kosher Microwaves: Students living in University housing are provided with a microwave/refrigerator/freezer unit. A student who wants to adhere to kosher dietary laws while living on campus at University Park may submit a request to replace the items with a kosher microwave and/or refrigerator. The unit must meet the specifications listed on the form and is to be provided by the student. Additional questions should be directed to the housing assignment office.
Pre-packaged kosher salads and sandwiches are available in convenience stores located in all dining commons.
Food items that contain pork will be labeled with a “P” symbol on the menu item card. Items that contain shellfish will be labeled with the shellfish allergen symbol on the menu item card. Ingredient information can be viewed for each menu item via our interactive online menu.
Vegan and vegetarian options are offered at each meal period in all dining commons. Fish can be more readily available for students who find this helpful.
Halal
Halal-friendly foods are available at all dining locations. Look for our "Hf" (Halal-friendly) symbol on dishes to indicate that a menu item is made using only halal-certified meats (or is vegan or vegetarian) AND is made without alcohol and any pork products (including gelatin). An item will not be marked as "Hf" if it is prepared in a shared fryer.
Dishes containing pork or port by-products (lard, gelatin, etc) are marked with a "P" icon indicating that the dish contains pork.
Additional Resources
Vegan and Vegetarianism
Meatless items – labeled with an “M” – are free of animal protein (including gelatin, fish, and shellfish) but may include dairy, eggs and/or honey.
Vegan items – labeled with a “V” – are free of all animal products, including animal protein, dairy, eggs, and honey.
Vegan and meatless items are available at all dining halls for each meal. The greatest variety of meatless and vegan items is found in the all-you-care-to-eat (buffet locations), where supplemental vegan items like vegan sausage, vegan pancakes, vegan eggs, and pizza made with vegan cheese etc, can be requested. The best way to get these items is to use the advance order form. More details about how to access and use the form are included in the ‘Online Advance Order Form’ section. Students can also find vegan and meatless items at our retail locations like our deli stations, grill stations, acai bowls, pizza, pasta stations and more! Check out some of our favorites below.
Muffins and cookies free of the top nine allergens are also available upon request at each dining commons.
Dairy Free Alternatives
Non-dairy, plant-based milks, yogurt, sour cream and sliced cheese are available in the ‘Veg Living Coolers’ and/or upon request in the dining commons all-you-care-to-eat (buffet locations).
Pizza made with dairy-free cheese can be requested using the online advance order form. More details about how to access and use the form are included in the ‘Online Advance Order Form’ section.
Muffins and cookies free of the top nine allergens are available upon request at each dining commons.
Tray Carrying Assistance
Accommodations are available for anyone requiring assistance with their cafeteria tray in the dining commons.
If you would like assistance with carrying a tray or multiple dishes, please let the customer service representative (cashier) at the entrance of the dining commons know. They will arrange for a bus person or service attendant to help transport your food and beverage to your table. Or you may call the dining commons (20 minutes prior to arrival please) and ask for a pre-plated meal. When you arrive at the dining commons, please tell the cashier that you pre-ordered a meal. They will radio the kitchen and have someone bring out your tray of food and beverage.
If you would prefer another type of accommodation, please call the dining commons manager to discuss alternate or additional assistance.
What we're doing to help
Food Allergen Management at Penn State
The Registered Dietitians, of Culinary Support Services at Penn State, are Certified Master Trainers (CMT) in AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo. As such, the dietitians train all Campus Dining staff and select students to become certified in AllerTrain.
Additionally, food allergen management refresher trainings are given annually to all Campus Dining staff by the Certified Master Trainers.
To ensure allergens of food served are known and communicated to guests, Penn State uses the following practices:
- Centralized ordering and warehousing
- Database cataloging food items ordered and associated allergens
- Refusal of substitutes from vendors unless explicitly approved by the Registered Dietitian’s Office
To increase safety and transparency of food items, Penn State also employs point of service labeling, online menus with allergen designations, knowledgeable management staff, strict adherence to approved recipes, and accessible Registered Dietitians.
Get In Touch
We encourage students to contact our registered dietitian's office to make a plan for navigating dining at Penn State by emailing foodallergies@psu.edu or calling 814-863-3420.