By Deanna Bryant, Contributing Writer
The line for salads in the Dining Hall is long. At the back is Celia Young, a freshman general business administration major trying to read the sign above the station. The salad special of the day lists eggs as the only major allergen, but that’s not what she’s looking for.
“I’m scared to eat every day in there,” Young said.
Young has a severe dairy allergy; because of this, she often resorts to salads. She feels it’s the only option that avoids cross-contact.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. These are the causes of many severe allergic reactions.
According to a 2025 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, those with food allergies make up 15% of the student body. This is roughly one in seven students on campus.
College dining halls operate in fast-paced environments. Small mistakes from cross-contact or mislabeling of food make it difficult for students to safely choose their meals.
“The signs don’t really help,” Emma Watson, a freshman physical therapy major with a nut allergy, said.
Both Watson and Young reported experiencing mislabeled food in the dining hall. These mismatched labels continue to confuse both students and staff.
“A lot of the time, the things that are on the hot bar don’t match the screen, and then they don’t know what’s in it,” Young said. “It will say that the allergen’s not present but then I’m itchy five minutes later.”
The General Manager of Dining Services, Jessica Lively, said there are various ways in which the staff work to prevent cross-contact.
The dining hall staff is provided with biannual training. This includes food allergy training as well as training on food safety. Most meals in the dining hall are also staff-served rather than self-served to avoid cross-contact.
“All equipment and utensils are washed and sanitized in 2 ways between every use,” Lively said. “Every food item served has its own utensil.”
According to Lively, the dining hall responds to incidents like these by retraining staff and correcting signage. She also said that she works with students to ensure a safe eating plan is in place for the future.
“Roughly 20 students per semester speak with a member of our management team about food allergies,” Lively said. “Each student will have a file in our Eat Safe program, which we tailor specifically to each student’s needs. Some students just need help navigating signage, while others need special order items.”
Despite scheduling two meetings, Young said these did little to change her experience in the dining hall.
There are alternatives to the dining hall meals, but it is important to note that they are not included in the freshman meal plan. Young recommends the Wildcat Den for any other students who may be struggling in the dining hall.
“They know what I can eat and what I can’t eat. They’re helpful,” Young said.
There are more resources available on campus should a student have an allergic reaction, such as the CHIP Center.
“We do carry allergy medicine such as Claritin and Benadryl for mild allergic reactions,” Rachel Meyerowitz, the assistant director of the CHIP Center, said. “But we do not carry any prescription medicine like EpiPens, as they require a prescription specific to an individual.”
While not required by law, carrying non-patient-specific prescription Epinephrine is legal under Section 3000-c of the Public Health Law, found on the New York State Senate website.
“We always encourage students to work with their medical provider to determine what is right for them,” Meyerowitz said.
Even though the CHIP Center does not carry EpiPens, the CHIP center can connect students to professional allergists in the area. The Medical Care & Support portion of the Daemen website lists Buffalo Amherst Allergy Associates PC and Buffalo Medical Group as valuable resources for students.