New specialized kitchen in Daly’s benefits students with food allergies

Healthy food options continued to expand at Rider this fall with the official opening of a new food-preparation station that bars ingredients that cause major food allergies.

Called G-8 and located in Daly Dining Hall, the station serves food free of the eight major food allergens — peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, wheat and soy. It officially opened on Oct. 22. All the food provided by G8 is also gluten-free.

“This station was created to provide students with food allergies a daily offering of lean proteins, whole grains and fresh vegetables,” says Alexa Essenfeld, a registered dietitian from Gourmet Dining.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jan Friedman-Krupnick adds that the kitchen was built to meet the needs of students with allergies and to improve their student experience. To reduce the possibility of cross-contamination, the station has its own glass-enclosed kitchen and prep area apart from the main kitchen in Daly Dining Hall. The G8 staff, who have been trained in food allergens, uses kitchenware specified for their station.

“We don’t know of any other university that has an allergen station with dedicated cooking equipment,” Friedman-Krupnick says.

A food station like G8 improves upon a traditional kitchen where all ingredients are cooked in the back of the main kitchen, with equipment used for both foods with allergens and non-allergens, Friedman-Krupnick says.

Although allergen stations may be rare on college campuses, Essenfeld believes that as awareness of food allergies grows, accommodations such as G8 will increase.

On opening day, which featured a limited menu that is expected to grow, Essenfeld observed students reacting enthusiastically to the new station.

In addition to the G8 station, there is another novel station in Daly’s called Rooted, which is vegan-friendly.

“Rooted provides healthy and wholesome foods that are vegan-friendly,” Essenfeld says. “Plant-based diets is a hot topic right now in the food and nutrition industry, and research continues to reveal its health benefits. Rooted will be a great way for students to explore a more plant-based diet.”

Both Rooted and G-8 opened at Rider this year because of the new partnership between the University and Gourmet Dining. While steps were taken last year to accommodate students who were gluten-free or had other allergies, Gourmet Dining proposed the idea of having an allergen station and vegan station with their own kitchen equipment.

Essenfeld sees the advantages of having these specialized stations to help students address their dietary needs.

“I think this station will help alleviate stress students with food allergies may feel while navigating the dining hall,” she says. “This is intended to be a space where those with food allergies can feel comfortable and can easily inquire about recipes and ingredients. Additionally, it will provide a variety of options lending itself to a balanced diet.”