Please speak with our staff if you have questions regarding food allergens. Prepared foods in our dining facilities may not be allergen free, even if they are made initially with products that don’t contain the allergen. Below are the top 9 allergens that ISU Dining lists on ingredient labels and online menus.

  • Milk
  • Egg
  • Fish
  • Crustacean Shellfish (e.g., Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Krill, Prawns, Crawfish)*
  • Wheat/Gluten
  • Tree Nuts**
  • Peanuts
  • Soy/Edamame
  • Sesame/Tahini

*Under the Food Allergen Labeling And Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), molluscan shellfish (such as oysters, clams, mussels, mollusks, scallops, snail, squid, or octopus) is not a major allergen. Therefore, we do not label molluscan shellfish as a shellfish allergen at ISU Dining, only crustacean shellfish.

**ISU Dining does not label coconut as a tree nut.

Highly refined oils contain extremely small levels of allergenic protein. Clinical studies show that highly refined oils can be safely eaten by food allergic individuals. Therefore, highly refined oils derived from the nine major food allergens are exempt from being listed as an allergen (e.g., soybean oil, peanut oil, etc.). Cold pressed, expeller pressed, or extruded oils must be listed as an allergen since it is not as highly refined and contains more allergenic protein.

Navigating Food Allergies on Campus

Transitioning to college can be a big change, especially for those with food allergies. Read our registered dietitian’s top tips for navigating food allergies at Iowa State University.

Tips
View daily menus with allergen and ingredient information at dining.iastate.edu/hours-menus/ to learn which options do not contain your allergen(s). Tip: If you have an allergy outside of the top 9, you can click on the menu item for the full ingredient list.
Review menu labels in the dining center for quick allergen-information. Scan the QR code for a full ingredient list.
Be mindful of high-risk areas, such as salad bars, shared fryers, and steam wands in our cafes where there is a higher risk of cross contact. Never hesitate to ask our dining staff about the ingredients and preparation of menu items.
Keep in mind that the desserts served in our dining centers and bakery items served in our retail locations have been prepared by our campus bakery, which handles many allergens, especially wheat, gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. Consider asking a dining worker for a pre-packaged nut-free dessert or getting a sweet treat at our campus markets using your dining dollars.
Go in with a plan. For a nutritionally-balance meal aim to include a source of protein, starch, fruits, veggies, and dairy or non-dairy alternative. If you would like additional guidance in building nutritious meals, reach out to our registered dietitian.
Be sure to carry your epinephrine autoinjector with you at all times and inform those you are dining with of your food allergy. ISU Dining staff are not trained to administer epinephrine, but are trained to call 911 in the case of a food allergy emergency.

*Our dining staff are trained on special diets and cross contact prevention through FARECheck and make every effort to keep our guests safe. However, due to the nature of our commercial kitchens and shared fryers, we cannot guarantee no cross contact has occurred. Don’t hesitate to ask our cooks and dining staff if you have any questions regarding ingredients and/or food preparation.

Ask Our Registered Dietitian

Meal plan holders may email diningrd@iastate.edu for assistance with top 9 allergen dining.