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At UConn, gluten-free baked goods are prepared in a ded- icated gluten free kitchen space and then packaged up and distributed across all the dining halls on campus. The bakery produces everything from a range of different cookies to cup- cakes and brownies. And while, Landolphi agrees that baking gluten-free des- serts can be challenging, over time the team has learned best practices and developed a robust line-up of tasty treats. “Biggest issue we might run into is the gluten free baked goods are so good, the people who aren’t gluten free are actu- ally taking some of the product,” he said. Another important consideration when serving aller- gy-friendly fare is the space where the food is being prepared. It is vital that allergen-free food is prepared in the proper spac- es, in order to avoid cross-contamination. Food allergies are not something to be taken lightly, and diners should feel safe about consuming the food they’re served. Everything produced from the University of Maryland’s on-campus bakery is labeled with allergens that it may have come into contact with. “Everything has to have a disclaimer on it that says baked in equipment that may have come into contact with allergens,” said Hipple. “That’s why it’s so important to have allergen-free made somewhere else, because they’re certified to not have come into contact with the allergens.”
GLUTEN-FREE PEANUT BUTTER CRACKERS Developed by Stefani Pollack of the Cupcake Project blog and the Idaho Potato Commission, these crackers have that certain something snackers look for, but definitely no gluten. These are also a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes mean this gluten-free cake stays soft and doesn’t dry out and the pistachio and lemon flavors make this the perfect not-too-sweet dessert. Developed by Stefani Pol- lack of the Cupcake Project blog and the Idaho Potato Com- mission, these crackers have that certain something snackers look for, but definitely no gluten. These are also a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Get the recipe . Thorough food allergy training is also very important for foodservice operations, so all employees know the proper way to handle allergen-free products. Sodexo said that all of its facilities have food allergy training in place. Training isn’t done just once either, the foodservice provider conducts them regularly. “We want to make sure that that’s top of mind because this is not something to take lightly. It’s not just following a standard,” said Reddington. “It’s making sure that a student feels safe to come and eat their meals. This is really their home, right? It’s their dining room when they’re at school, so we want to make sure that they feel inclusive, they feel safe.” As food allergies continue to increase in prevalence, it’s more important than ever for foodservice operations to offer a robust array of allergy-friendly meals as well as desserts, ensuring everybody’s dietary needs are being met. While there are challenges in the allergy-friendly baking space, there are more resources than ever and innovative allergy-friendly desserts are beginning to pop up more and more. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for growth. “I feel like there should be something for someone who has food allergies or dietary restrictions at every university, at every K-12 school, at every convention center,” said Simmons. Looking toward the future, Simmons plans on continuing to grow, driven by her passion for helping people and advocating for inclusive dining. “So however many places I can help get my products into to help create that normalcy for this growing population of people,” she said. “I love to be able to give that to someone. Again, it’s a sense of normalcy that a lot of us have not experienced.”
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