Challenges eating gluten-free at Chartwell's -- University of Miami
As a student, the University of Miami has been amazing in every
way - except for its contracted dining company - Chartwell's
Dining Services. In order to safely eat a meal, a manager must
be first located (this can take some time, as they are not always
as available as they are supposed to be) since they do not list
the 8 common allergens or keep any of the ingredients behind
the counters. Managers are always unaware of what the menu
items contain and always must leave in order to read labels,
making wait time to learn if something is safe even longer. They
need to be educated that many foods can contain gluten,
including sauces and feta cheese. To my dismay, even after
waiting extended periods to learn if the food is safe, 70% of the
time it is not since they use flour as a thickening agent so often.
The way the kitchens and serving areas are set up, cross-
contamination is also an undeniable issue. Furthermore, after
making numerous suggestions and requests for more gluten
free options, none were met and I am still forced to buy a
meal plan that has caused me to become very sick on multiple
occasions. I love this school and wouldn't trade a better dining
services for the education I am getting, but making their dining
hall more gluten and allergy friendly is definitely an area of
improvement. __________________
