RESEARCH & TRENDS C A M P U S D I N I N G T O DAY
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MAKING IT A GLUTEN-FREE FOOD CAMPUS Seven Things to Consider by Lindsey Yeakle, GFFS Quality Control Manager, Gluten Intolerance Group
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or campus food service operations thinking about how to incorporate gluten-free dining options, here are seven important considerations to keep in mind:
1. The FDA defines “gluten-free” (GF) as a food containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Food items labeled “gluten-friendly”, “gluten removed”, and the like are held to the FDA standard, so labels such as these do not relax the requirements for a food service. 2. When planning GF menus, the GF status of all ingredients and garnishes used in the dish must be verified. Many food products have enlisted the services of a third-party GF certification program, which will display its symbol on the food packaging. However, it is important to note that not all programs certify the GF status of the product itself. Some only certify that the manufacturer’s processes meet the certifier’s GF standards. Moreover, as soon as the package is opened, the efficacy of the GF certification ends. 3. Once the food service is certain all ingredients are GF, careful attention must be paid to ensure that the preparation of the dish is not subject to cross-contamination from elements containing gluten. Cross-contamination can occur if gluten-containing and gluten-free preparations are both made using certain utensils (such as pizza
cutters, graters, ice cream scoops, etc.), because even if those utensils have been washed, they are hard to fully clean to the point that no food particles remain on the utensil. 4. Precautions are also required for the processes used in preparing the GF dish itself. For example, the same water used to cook ordinary pasta cannot be used to cook GF vegetables or GF pasta. 5. Storage methods for ingredients and equipment are also an essential consideration in avoiding cross-contamination. Many of the necessary safeguards are simple, such as not storing pans or bowls used for gluten-containing preparations above pans used for GF dishes. 6. Additionally, a campus dining facility serving GF options will need to conduct ongoing staff training on how to properly prepare, handle and serve food to prevent cross-contamination as well as how to accurately answer guest questions about GF menu items. Menu items are either GF according to FDA or even more stringent standards or they are not GF. Diners deserve to know that food will be safe for them to eat. Wait staff need to take customer GF inquiries seriously and answer them accurately. 7. An option for your food service to design and ensure successful GF food service is to work with a third-party GF certification program that can help establish
procedures to keep GF food items safe. Certification is one way to provide the highest assurance to diners of the food service’s ability to meet their needs. The benefits of providing gluten-free options on campus was summed up by a Kent State University food service dietitian this way: “Knowing that any of the gluten-free students I work with can visit our certified gluten-free dining hall and eat anything they want safely and with a wide variety of meal offerings every day is something that is not measurable but goes a long way in student and parent satisfaction.” Lindsey Yeakle is the Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) Quality Control Manager for the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). As a trained chef diagnosed with celiac disease, Yeakle left her personal chef business to follow her true passion of ensuring those with celiac can safely and confidently eat at restaurants. GFFS has been a recognized leader in the gluten-free community for more than 20 years. For more information, visit www.gffoodservice.org/.