Kent State’s Culinary Services faces the daily challenge of serving more than 20,000 meals to students, staff, and faculty. This task is further complicated by the increasing number of food allergies. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of food allergies has risen by 50 percent since the 1990s; therefore, raising awareness and ensuring safety are top priorities.
In response to this increasing issue, University Culinary Services (UCS) has implemented concrete steps to lower the risk of allergic reactions. These include clearly labeling all food items with their allergens and making sure this information is easily visible and accessible to students, faculty, and staff. Along with allergen labeling and maintaining facilities certified as nut-free, a backup supply of epinephrine has also been added as an extra safety measure.
“This is an initiative that started about one year ago. Our registered dietitian contacted the Allison Rose Foundation to begin the process. We are always looking for ways to eliminate potential risk in food and allergen safety, and adding EpiPens to our dining program was the natural progression in the next steps,” said Jacob Kuehn, senior director of University Culinary Services.
Stock epinephrine is now available at six of the university’s largest dining locations: Eastway Dining, Eastway Market, DI Hub, Student Center, Grill 72, and Rosie’s. These devices are stored in bright yellow locked boxes mounted on the wall to ensure they are easily visible and accessible during an emergency.
Behind this effort is a system focused on preparation and response. Training is mandatory for all University Culinary Services managers and employees, and a standard operating procedure is available to guide staff on proper response and usage. In partnership with the Allison Rose Foundation, UCS has hosted on-campus training sessions, with 135 staff members trained to recognize and respond to anaphylactic emergencies.
“Conversations occurred with campus partners, DeWeese Health, Housing, Conference Services, and Facilities Management, in the planning process. We will continue to train and retrain our staff annually on identifying the symptoms of an allergen cross-contact and the use of administering epinephrine if needed,” said Jacob Kuehn, senior director of University Culinary Services.
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, more than 300 incoming first-year students reported 527 allergies or dietary needs. Data show that for three consecutive years, peanuts and tree nuts have been the most common allergens. The addition of stock epinephrine supports the ongoing work of the certified free-from facility in keeping students safe, part of a broader system that quietly works behind the scenes to protect the campus community.
"Stock epinephrine provides an extra safety layer for our students and guests with allergies. Our goal is that we will never have to use an EpiPen on campus because everyone will do their part to keep the community safe, from guests informing us about allergens to our team members responding properly,” said Jacob Kuehn, senior director of University Culinary Services.
This initiative was developed in partnership with DeWeese Health, Facilities Management, and Environmental Health and Safety, reinforcing a continued commitment to student safety across campus dining.
