Here at the University of Tampa students have a large variety of dining options. There is the cafeteria, Spartan Club and Stadium Center, all of which provide an assortment of places to eat. However, I feel that in buffet style dining, such as the Sodexo cafeteria, nutrition and allergen information for the dishes being served should be clearly displayed either in front of the cafeteria or at each respective line.
Brian Dietrich, the marketing major for Dining Services at UT, said that nutritional information and allergy information about the food served here can be found online at dining.ut.edu. Dietrich stated, “To find specific information, select the location and the weekly menu, and from there you can then select any of [Sodexo’s] menu items and the nutritional information, including possible allergens, will be shown.”
This is a useful tool, if you have time to check it. However, I do not feel that it is a strong enough measure being taken for those with food allergies. The National Peanut Board and the Food Allergy Initiative claims that about four percent of the U.S. adult population and about four to six percent of children are affected by food allergies, and in countries of the Western Hemisphere, experts attribute 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions to eight foods: cow’s milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and crustacean shellfish.
Based on the UT profile available at ut.edu for fall 2012 and national statistics, approximately 276 enrolled students have food allergies. According to the National Peanut Board, the most common manifestations of allergic reactions to foods involve the rashes, hives, swelling, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. They also report that experts do not know why some people have mild reactions and others have life-threatening reactions. I feel that this, combined with the buffet style of the cafeteria, is a disaster waiting to happen.
Erica Fremming, a junior art major at UT, is allergic to tree nuts, especially almonds. She told me that she normally keeps her EpiPen close by when she knows that she is eating somewhere, but one day in the middle of October she was running late and forgot to put it in her bag. She said, “It’s rarely an issue because almost everywhere gives you information if something contains tree nuts.” When she arrived at the cafeteria she hopped into the shortest line, which happened to be the International line. While eating Fremming noticed her throat was feeling tight and sore. At first she believed that she was getting sick again, until she saw an almond in her stir-fry. She had not ordered almonds, never expected them to be in the dish, but as it turns out there were slivers of them in the sauce. When she searched her backpack she found that her EpiPen was missing.
She quickly returned to her dorm and thankfully did not have to use it, but said, “I used to not worry about eating in the cafe, but now I have to because I’m not given enough information about what I am eating, and for me, that’s life-threatening. Although this situation is partially my fault, I do believe allergy information should be made obvious to the students in the cafeteria.” I feel that situations like this could best be avoided if Sodexo posted allergen information where the food is being served, or at least on the menu displayed in front of the cafeteria.
As it is, people eating in the cafeteria either need to remember to check online, or ask the person serving the food what is in it. Fremming said that she asks if she feels that there might be almonds in the dish but that it “takes about ten minutes, because the person has to run into the back and ask.” It would be more convenient if they put up a sign that states the nutritional information, whether it is at the front of the cafeteria or where the food is actually served.
The open display of nutritional and allergen information would also benefit those who are conscious of their dietary intake and are interested in choosing healthy options. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Congress passed a national law requiring the listing of calories and other nutrition information on menus and menu boards by chain restaurants that have 20 or more outlets. Many research centers support this practice. The Center for Science in the Public Interest states, “Without clear, easy-to-use nutrition information at the point of ordering, it’s difficult to make informed and healthy choices.”
I do not see how the display of this information could be anything but beneficial. It would make things more convenient for people who have allergies and for those that are trying to eat healthily. For people that are not interested in the information, it could do no harm. It may even encourage them to be aware of what they are eating. Sodexo should clearly display nutritional and allergen information in an accessible location, such as at the front of the cafeteria.
Elaina Zintl can be reached at elaina.zintl@spartans.ut.edu
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Excellent article! Well written.