While most people are choosing their meals based on cravings, some students at MSMS are choosing what they eat based off of safety. Every year, students come to MSMS with varying backgrounds and diverse skills, but what usually is not considered is the potential for food allergies. Twelve students responded to a mass email, stating that they have mild to severe food allergies, ranging from nuts to tomatoes.

Alan Johnson, the manager at Hogarth Cafeteria, boasts an allergy-friendly service option called Simple Servings. In this specific food line, common allergens are avoided and the food is always gluten free. The meal preparation for the line is done in a cooking area that is designated for Simple Servings only, so that there is no cross-contamination. In this preparation, utensils are not even shared among the other sections as there are specific Simple Servings colored tools that are lavender.

He also asserted that while all cafeteria servers are not required to know all of the ingredients for all of the meals, they are required to have general knowledge on what they are serving at the time. “They all have access to recipes,” he assured. Mr. Johnson said that the desserts should always be labelled with the ingredients described, but several MSMS students say that this is not done.

Connor Bluntson, a senior at MSMS, has a severe tree nut allergy, alongside a mild shellfish allergy. “The dessert section is my biggest problem with the cafeteria,” he explained. “In addition to them often having either no allergen labels or the wrong labels up, the vast majority of dessert options contain nuts. The only option I have in that whole section is their chocolate chip cookies, and even then I have to be extra sure that they’re not peanut butter or macadamia nut cookies.

“It’s pretty outrageous that just because I have an allergy, I’m limited to one or two dessert options,” Bluntson said. He exercises general caution in the cafeteria saying, “I’m a little more cautious about food choices. They don’t serve much shellfish, but a good amount of their food contains nuts, and sometimes they fail to point that out on their menu lists.”

Sasha Edwards, also a senior at MSMS, has a moderate allergy to tree nuts and a severe seafood allergy. She says that she exercises extreme caution in the cafeteria due to her experiences with the dessert section. “I have gone to the dessert bar twice since my time here at MSMS and had to rush myself to the dorms for large quantities of water and Benadryl because I ate unlabeled desserts that had pecans and/or walnuts. It not only hinders me from eating at the dessert table, but it makes me more wary about the cafeteria as a whole.”

Both of these students indicated that the only way of contacting the cafeteria with concerns was the suggestion board. Bluntson says that he wrote suggestions for the dessert section during last school year, but he has not seen a change.

Mr. Johnson encourages students to come see him during meals with any concerns, as he is typically walking around and interacting with students during those times. He also says that he can be contacted through email or through the suggestion box, which is checked every day to every other day. He generally pulls one or two cards and has the responses out within 48 hours.

Even in locations other than the cafeteria, it is always considerate to think about others with food allergies when snacking. If in Hooper lobby, think twice before opening a pack of peanuts, and ask around your table at meals to see if anyone there has an allergy to something that you are eating.