A new University dining hall regulation has students concerned that there will no longer be signs listing allergens for foods.

Previously, a student was able see if dining hall food contained any allergens, such as peanuts, listed on small placards above the food. The dining halls used to contain physical labels resembling the familiar FDA-mandated Nutrition Facts format along with colorful window clings to denote common allergens and restrictions. This will no longer be the case, as the mobile UI Dining app is replacing the placards. 

Kirsten Ruby, associate director of housing for communications and marketing, said in an email that this new rule will be beneficial for students with allergens because they can look up foods ahead of time or use the app right in the dining hall. 

Students can also become part of the Inclusive Solutions program, which provides custom meals for students with food allergies. 

“Relying on signage at the time of a meal is problematic for students with allergies, as there is the potential for an item to be mislabeled or for a label to be moved or removed by another patron,” Ruby said. “When students with allergies look up foods ahead of time, or using an app right in the dining hall, they can receive accurate information created, entered and reviewed by a dietitian and plan their meals accordingly.”

However, many students were not aware that allergens were no longer getting listed, and that they would now have to use an app. 

Dominique Watkins, freshman in LAS, said that as a student with a peanut allergy, she does not agree with having an app as the only way to check if the food contains peanuts.

“Personally, I don’t use any of the Illini apps. … I rely a lot on the visual, and I think that they should really emphasize if a certain food contains allergens right in the dining halls,” Watkins said. 

Watkins also said she will probably not download the app and just ask a manager if a certain food contains peanuts.

Justin Sebastian, senior in AHS, has worked at the Ikenberry Commons dining hall for more than three years; however, he said he and many of his coworkers were unaware of the new development.

Sebastian, who also has a peanut allergy, said he believes that the allergen information needs to be present near the food so students can find it more easily. If a student asks about nutrition information in the dining hall, student workers will often have to ask the cooks.

“It is more convenient if the information was present right when we got our food,” he said. “Although, it is a nice complement to know that you can look at the ingredients before entering the dining hall so you know which foods to prevent.”

Estefania can be reached at [email protected].