By Christy Howland Staff Writer Framingham State Dining Services provides several allergen-friendly food options such as Simple Servings and Simple Zone to allow students with dietary restrictions to eat on campus. Simple Servings is an allergen-friendly food station located in the Dining Commons that designs its meals to be safe for students with the top nine allergens. Simple Zone is a keycard access allergen-safe room, provided to ensure students with severe allergies and dietary needs have a safe food option in the dining hall. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), as of 2023, 11% of all college-aged students have at least one food allergy. In a 2023 study conducted by the NLM, only 66% (789) of U.S. colleges have an allergy-friendly food station in their dining halls. The study also showed only 59% (705) of U.S. colleges have available ingredient information for their menus. The most common food allergies are shellfish, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, gluten, soy, and sesame, but more than 170 foods have been reported as an allergy, according to the NLM. FSU Dietitian Leah Forristall said, “Allergy protocols have always been a priority for FSU Dining and while I have only been working here at FSU for about four years, it is evident that food safety is a top priority. “Our allergy and food safety protocols are mandated through Sodexo, and in some instances the state of Massachusetts. Sodexo as a company has high standards and expectations when it comes to safety and having protocols in place to hold us accountable for that. “As the prevalence of food allergies and dietary restrictions in general is on the rise, we’re constantly striving to improve our offerings and any protocols that can help enhance our programs,” she said. Forristall said many students with allergies will keep that information private, but she typically sees 20-30 students per year for accommodations regarding medical conditions or allergies. “Accommodations typically depend on what the food allergy is and tend to be specific to the individual student. Many students don’t need accommodations beyond Simple Servings or Simple Zone. “Often, though, we have students who maybe have allergies beyond the top nine, an extensive list of food allergies, or they’re simply more particular about what they eat. For those students, they typically work directly with me to receive custom meals on a regular or as-needed basis,” she said. Senior Caitlin Halin said, “I’ve been talking to the dietitian since my sophomore year, and they gave me special meals based on my allergies and tolerances, so I always have something available I can eat.” Simple Zone is a nut-free and gluten-free pantry located in the Dining Commons that does require key-card access. The key card helps ensure the space remains clean and unsafe food isn’t brought in, said Forristall. “For students to gain access, they must have a dietary restriction that prevents them from consuming peanuts, tree nuts, or gluten. “Students can gain access by emailing me to request a meeting. A waiver needs to be signed that ensures any student with access understands the rules of that area. “We currently have about 40 people with access to Simple Zone, including faculty and staff that dine with us and require access,” she said. Senior Kaitlin Carman said, “They have Simple Servings, which I think is really helpful. It makes it a lot easier and more accessible to be able to get food that’s gluten-free or free from cross-contamination. “They have a dedicated staff that work there and try their best. They also have a special allergen-friendly room that you have to get a key card to access. “They have a really awesome selection of gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free food, all kinds of stuff - I think students need to know more about that,” Carman said. Dining Services has a variety of protocols in place to prevent cross-contamination and many protocols to help create a safe dining experience, said Forristall. Freshman Carmen Rios said, “I love that they have the new symbols for all of the options. I’m glad that there’s clarification on that. Getting jump scared by tree nuts and then having to run for my EpiPen is never fun.” Senior Avery Barnes said, “People who have allergies, it feels super-inclusive for them. I think they’re doing a really great job with that. “It shows them what ingredients are in each of the foods, and then it shows if you have an allergy to those ingredients, you will be aware of it,” said Barnes. Junior Lillian Paul said, “They could list a couple of the more weird allergy possibilities like onion allergies and fruit allergies, but other than that, I think they do a pretty good job.” Forristall said, “One of my personal goals is to continue growing the variety of allergy-friendly options and not only ensuring that students have a safe meal, but a meal that they want to eat. “We understand that people have food preferences and different pallets, and may not enjoy what is being served that day. This is part of the reason I highly encourage students with food allergies to disclose their allergies and set up a meeting with me,” she said. Some students had suggestions about what FSU Dining could do to improve its allergy-friendly offerings. Senior Jabriana Gonzalez said, “I feel like the allergy-safe places don’t have that many options as regular students do, to be honest. It doesn’t seem as big, either.” Halin said, “I’d like to see more creative dishes. The main line has chicken alfredo - if they could do something like that.” Senior Raena Doty said, “I appreciate that they have a space for allergy inclusion and for people who have dietary needs. The Simple Servings station is really great. “However, the hours are not always the best. They don’t have breakfast as early as the main line on weekends and it’s kind of your only option if you're allergic to anything and you're highly sensitive to anything that may be around other stations,” said Doty. “I would love to see more allergy options on the go. They have Rams on the Run in Sandella’s and on the weekends in the dining hall. “I think that would be a really great option for anyone who maybe can’t eat during regular hours or doesn’t want to eat in the Dining Hall,” she said. [Editor’s Note: Kaitlin Carman is an Asst. News Editor and Raena Doty is an Arts & Features Editor for The Gatepost.]