ALLERGY INFORMATION
Food allergies appear when your immune system overreacts to a harmless food protein – an allergen. In the U.S., the common food allergens are milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies are not the same as food intolerances, and food allergy symptoms may overlap with symptoms of other medical conditions, so it is important to have your food allergy confirmed with an appropriate evaluation. Panther Dining understands that dietary restrictions are a part of student life. We have a Nutrition Graduate Assistant that will meet with students 1 on 1 to talk about their restrictions and the options for finding meals to fit individual needs.
ALLERGEN FRIENDLY ITEMS OFFERED DAILY
Panther Dining serves allergen-friendly meals that are free of the top 9 allergens. Here are some options you can typically find in the different dining areas on campus.
- Residential Dining provides allergen-friendly prepackaged meals at South Quad Dining. These meals vary weekly but have a wide variety of options from hamburgers to stir fry. You can also find gluten free pizzas with the option of dairy free cheese. Don’t forget to grab a gluten free bagel from South Quad Dining breakfast nook.
- All dining locations offer allergen-friendly buns so you can enjoy hamburgers and hotdogs without worry.
- At Stevenson Tower Dining, you can head to the deli and get an allergen friendly sandwich made or grab a gluten free muffin for brunch.
- University Food Court in the Union provides a rack of healthy snacks that are organic, non-gmo, gluten free, kosher and vegan. Panther Grille and CFA also offer gluten free buns upon request.
- Java B&B the on-campus coffee shop has multiple milk alternatives for creating your own coffee to suit your needs. You can also purchase gluten free bagels or gluten free brownies at this location.
WHAT FOOD TO AVOID IF YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING ALLERGIES:
- Butter or Margarine
- Milk (in all forms including condensed, dry, evaporated, goat’s milk and milk from other animals.)
- Cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Cream and custard
- Pudding
- Yogurt
- Some baked goods
- Chocolate
- Egg (dried, powdered, solids, white, yolk)
- Egg substitutes
- Fried rice
- Mayonnaise
- Meringue
- Meatloaf or meatballs
- Baked goods
- Marshmallows
- Some pastas
- Peanut butter
- Peanut flour
- Peanut oil or arachis oil
- Nut pieces or mixed nuts
- Candy that includes peanuts
- Cold-pressed, expelled or extruded soy oil
- Edamame
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Soybean
- Soy protein
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- Soy sauce
- Baked goods
- Cereals, cookies and crackers
- Most high-protein energy bars and snacks
- Canned broths, soups, and sauces
- Wheat (bran, durum, germ, gluten, grass, malt, starch)
- Flour (all-purpose, bread, cake, enriched, instant, pastry, whole wheat)
- Pasta
- Breakfast cereals
- Couscous
- Baked goods
- Breaded foods
- Most crackers and potato chips
- Almond
- Artificial nuts
- Cashew
- Chestnut
- Coconut
- Hazelnut
- Pistachio
- Hickory nut
- Ginkgo nut
- Pecan
- Macadamia nut
- Pine nut
- Walnut
- Natural nut extract (almond, walnut)
- Nut butters (cashew butter)
- Nut milk (almond milk, cashew milk)
- Anchovies
- Bass
- Catfish
- Cod
- Flounder
- Herring
- Mahi Mahi
- Pike
- Salmon
- Swordfish
- Tilapia
- Trout
- Tuna
- Fish oil
- Fish sticks Double check these items for unexpected sources of fish:
- Barbecue sauce
- Caesar salad and Caesar dressing
- Worcestershire sauce
- Crab
- Crawfish
- Lobster
- Shrimp
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Sea urchin
- Scallops
- Snails
- Squid
- Seafood flavoring (crab or clam extract)
External Resources:
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)
ACAAI (American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology)
Mayo Clinic Food Allergies Overview
FOOD ALLERGY DISCLAIMER
Eastern Illinois University (Panther) Dining Services will make every effort to identify
ingredients that may cause allergic reactions for those individuals with food allergies.
Every effort is made to instruct our food production staff on the severity of food
allergies. Because of the number of meals served and the number of items used each
day, along with food product changes by our food vendor, we may not identify and label
every allergen in the food that is being served. There is also the possibility that
manufacturers of the commercial foods we use could change the formulation at any time,
without notice. Customers concerned with food allergies need to be aware of this risk.
Panther Dining Service cannot assume any liability for adverse reactions to food consumed,
or items one may come in contact with while eating at any University Dining facility
or catered event. Please contact us if you need help with:
- Food allergies
- Food intolerances
- Special diets
- Other dietary concerns