Following an allergen mishap at Te Rangihīroa, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has launched an investigation into halls’ food allergen management procedures. All colleges have now rejigged their allergen management systems, which some say are for the better, and others say for worse.
On June 6th, a resident at Te Rangihīroa College with an egg allergy ate a slice of cake that was mistakenly labelled as egg-free. Otago University’s acting Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jared Hayes told the ODT following the incident that the University accepted blame, calling the situation "very disappointing and regrettable”.
MPI initially prevented Te Rangihīroa's kitchen from catering to students with allergies, instead redirecting breakfast, lunch, and dinner to be served to these students from St Margaret's College, with a van being scheduled to transport students during meal times. Regulations and procedures are constantly being changed behind the scenes. So enjoy the show as we watch the University throw a bunch of shit at the wall and see what sticks.
One allergy-prone resident at Te Rangihīroa, Synthia,* told Critic that she didn’t bother making use of the bus service. Students with dietary requirements were given the option to pick up their meals from inside Te Rangihīroa, which was “more convenient”, as Synthia was busy locking in for exams at the time. She said it made it easier to eat while studying because sitting in the dining hall was a "waste of time.” Lesson learnt: don’t interrupt Synthia's rise and grind.
These restrictions have now been lifted, with a new policy in place that all University-owned colleges will stop displaying allergen cards alongside each dish by the chef who prepared the meal. These cards would let residents know if the dish contained any allergens, meat or alcohol. COO Hayes told Critic that this was one of MPI's directives. Instead of the allergy cards, students with dietary requirements are now advised to speak to a kitchen staff member during meal times to receive an individually-plated meal.
Imogen*, a resident at another University-owned college who has an allergy, told Critic that one and a half weeks after her hall implemented the new procedures, she got allergen-spiked in a chef-plated meal. Imogen reckoned that she had found this allergen in her meals multiple times before the new procedures were introduced. This was an issue which she claims to have repeatedly brought up to senior management.
Imogen compared eating dinner at her hall to a “little game of Russian Roulette”. She said that she doesn't feel particularly safe eating from the chef-plated meals, calling it "very tiring and quite anxiety inducing."
Hayes told Critic that the University is “not aware of any students who have been served a chef-plated meal that has not met their [dietary] requirements.” He believes that students should feel safe eating chef-plated meals, and this is a priority for the University. He asks that Imogen or any other students facing a similar issue “make contact directly with their food service manager at their college to discuss – this ensures we can understand their needs and respond appropriately.”
Frances*, another resident at a University college with dietary requirements, tells Critic that she doesn't pick up her chef-plated meal. Despite her allergy she still uses the buffet, saying that she likes ”to have a choice.” She says the chefs end up putting things on her dietary plate she “wouldn’t choose to eat anyway.” Yeah, fuck cabbage!
Frances also wants the University to bring the allergen labels back, so she knows what she is eating – you never know what mystery meats are being served these days, after all. This sentiment is shared by Stephanie*, a hall kitchen staff member, who thinks it's “just nice” to know what food is being served, “even if you don’t have an allergy.”
Students with allergies are asked to sign a Student Allergy Declaration Form, which outlines the kitchen procedures. It assures that "Allergens statements [will be] displayed for each meal containing a known allergen." Critic asked why the University is not upholding this promise. Hayes responded, “Due to the directive made by MPI, residents have been advised of the changes and the forms will be updated in due course.”
Hayes told Critic that the University has not struggled to accurately label dishes in the past. He boasts that the University catering service provides more than two million meals annually, and they have “robust systems” in place to support students with food allergies and special dietary needs. “We are continually refining those systems to meet evolving expectations and regulations.”
Hayes says that the University does not intend to bring the labels back when the MPI investigation concludes. So it looks like this shit might just stick.
*Names changed.