“I’ve never found it difficult in Landon,” she said. “They have soy milk available and since I’ve been lactose intolerant since my junior year in high school I’ve gotten used to finding foods that don’t have dairy in them.”

Fortunately, for Fifelski, there is medication available, such as lactose enzyme, for those times when eating dairy seems to be the only option. However, students with other special dietary needs are not always so lucky.

Within the last few years, the number of students who reported they have celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, has increased, said Cindy Baswell, the menu development coordinator at MSU.

“I spend twice as much time now as I did two years ago on allergies and special dietary needs and it’s either increasing or people are telling us more,” she said. “It’s hard to say. I think it’s a little of both.”

People with celiac disease are unable to consume wheat, a variety of condiments and many other items often served in residence hall cafeterias. However, Baswell said she and other staff members are working hard to make the cafeteria a safe place for everyone.

“One thing that’s really important to understand about celiacs is that it’s not just your basic foods, a lot of condiments and ingredients contain things they can’t eat, too,” she said. “I’ve been trying to find gluten-free ingredients.”

Other changes made to cafeterias to ensure the safety of those students with celiac disease include supplying gluten-free bread and a toaster for gluten-free products only, Baswell said.

Although it’s natural for incoming freshmen with severe food allergies to be nervous about eating in a cafeteria full of dairy, gluten and peanuts, Bruce Haskell, the associate director of University Housing, said problems are few and far between.

“Generally, we only have problems when a student eats something they know they shouldn’t,” Haskell said.

“We’ve had incidents where things have been labeled and people still eat them, and we’ve had incidents, hopefully not anymore, where things have been mislabeled.”

Baswell said there have been hardly any instances where a student with specific dietary needs was unable to have a successful experience in on-campus cafeterias.

However, should that be the case, Baswell said there are alternatives for students who need to cook their own food, granted they provide the university with documentation of their specific dietary needs.

“We try our best to work with (students) before we give them other housing options, and even then we try to keep them on campus, like in Williams Hall where they can cook for themselves,” Baswell said.

“Living and learning and making friends on your floor adds to the whole college experience. I’ve never had to move a freshman to Williams Hall. And many have returned for a second year to residence halls.

“They ultimately want the same thing that we want for them — staying on campus and making new friends and getting that experience.”

Baswell said another way cafeterias remain food allergy friendly is by keeping certain food, such as peanuts, separate from other dishes to avoid cross contamination, which takes place when the serving utensil from one dish is placed into another.

Baswell said the best way to avoid an issue it to ask questions.

“We go through menus with (students) and if it gets down to a brand issue, once we form a relationship with them, we let them walk through our storeroom and read ingredients and labels,” she said.

“They’re welcome to come back into the kitchen and ask questions.”

If a student knows what he or she can and cannot consume, there is no reason issues should arise, Haskell said.

“It’s incumbent upon students to be aware of (their allergy) and know how to manage it,” he said.