by Betsy Craig, CEO of MenuTrinfo®
In 2011 we at MenuTrinfo® launched the nation’s first food allergy training program – AllerTrain®. There was not a course out there to address this growing medical need in the country. We had been on the nutrition side of the menu for almost 2 years at that point. This insight gave us the ability to help brands create allergen charts and identify food allergens in recipes. Most importantly, our work with brands both large and small made us uniquely positioned to help in this space.
Launching the AllerTrain® suite of courses in 2011 was exciting. Quickly I learned that one size definitely did not fit all. I discovered that the training needs in higher education was changing. There was a legal settlement in the college and university space (Lesley University) going on. Subsequently, higher education became a place food allergies were seen in a different light. In turn, courts began to insist on better accommodations.
AllerTrain® U was born out of this growing need. We offered this course and worked with newly formed FARE to help advance solutions for college students with food allergies. We approached dining through the lens of serving the same set of guests 2-3 meals a day for approximately 16 weeks at a time. It was groundbreaking work to help develop the guidelines that are being used today on campuses all over the United States. As a result, it was exciting to witness the spread of AllerTrain® U on campuses both with and without certified AllerTrainers on site.
Where is AllerTrain® U?
Today there are over 500 colleges and universities using a course specifically designed for them. With AllerTrain® U, environmental questions are answered, confidence is delivered, and food safety is on the menu. Click here for the list of colleges that we are proudly a part of their solutions.
In conclusion, serving students day in and day out got even easier as food offerings, options, resources and small wares continued to answer the needs and we were right there in step. In addition to AllerTrain, we have products that are officially “Certified Free From” as a result of a new division we launched, Kitchens with Confidence. Looking forward to divulging more about that branch of our business in a future blog.
