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section headSpecial Dietary Needs

Liberty Increases

Gluten-Free Desserts

ith an increase in students reporting gluten intolerances, Executive Pastry Chef Audrey Dobson-Maliangos and her
Dining Services at Liberty University in Lynchburg, team of bakers began researching gluten-free recipes. “Usually
W Va., has made a concerted effort to offer more items after a good meal, everyone develops a sweet tooth and these
without it — even adding a gluten-free bakery. types of products weren’t readily available,” she said. “We
“Over the past several years the number of students who wanted to give them the same options that other students have
have food intolerances is growing at a pace that has not been by providing them products out of the bake shop that we were
seen before,” said Anthony Delligatti, regional district manager actually making. We dove into a little education on gluten-free
with Sodexo, the campus foodservice provider. “In order for baking, and developed some recipes to offer to the students.”
campus dining programs to assist their respective colleges and The gluten-free bakery items were widely accepted by the
universities to recruit and retain students, the menu options students, so Dining decided to dedicate space to a gluten-free
need to be wide and accommodating to everyone.” bakery. “We had a section of our bakery that was used for
Dining used surveys to track the rise in students reporting. supply storage,” said Dobson-Maliangos. “We just rearranged
“We have an online survey for any new or returning students how the bake shop was set up so we could open up that area,
that they have the opportunity to tell us about any allergies or which is entirely away from the other area of the bakery. It
food intolerances that they have,” he said. “That email auto- provided us an area that excluded the possibility of any kind
matically goes to our campus dietitian Rachel Sanders. What of cross contact. We worked very diligently with our corpo-
Rachel does is reach out to the student before they even get rate dietitian, Beth Winthrop, on the requirements for being
on campus to find out what their intolerances or allergies are able to call ourselves gluten free. Talking with her, we wrote
and how we can accommodate them. By doing that and some down specific guidelines for being able to develop that area
informal surveys that Ryan Wheeler, unit marketing specialist, and filled all of those requirements.”
and his marketing team did, we found that we had quite a few As was the case with gluten-free entrées, the bakery staff
students who had a gluten intolerance.” underwent training to avoid cross-contamination. “We partnered
The school continued surveying students after the gluten- with MenuTrinfo and had all of our staff go through AllerTrain,
free choices were launched. “Through informal surveys we Managing Food Allergens & Gluten in a Cafeteria Setting,
have conducted here, we have also learned that there were a along with signing them up for annual refresher classes,” said
number of students with a gluten intolerance that felt that we Delligatti. “People are aware of food allergies and intolerances
offered a variety of main dish foods, but we were lacking in and how to handle situations, and if a student comes up and
desserts – and we believe that no student should be inhibited asks any questions, what we need to do if they are unsure.”
from enjoying dessert,” said Delligatti. Now, 20 percent of the bakery items during each meal period
are gluten-free products. “We are running out of those every
day,” said Dobson-Maliangos. “We don’t discourage anyone
Gluten-Free Lemon Pound Cake who might want a gluten-free product from taking the product,
but we put a notification up there that
the product is available for people with
Ingredients: 5. Scale batter into loaf pans. gluten intolerances.”
2 pounds granulated sugar 6. Bake 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 min- Generally, the gluten-free items are
2 pounds unsalted butter utes or until done when inserted toothpick just modified versions of the other baked
2 pounds whole eggs comes out clean. goods offered. “We want to make sure
1 tablespoon vanilla that they are getting the same products
2 pounds gluten-free all-purpose flour Yield: 32 slices
1 teaspoon salt that other students on campus are getting,
4 lemons, both juice and zest so we are matching our cycle menus
½ teaspoon lemon extract and producing the same products,” said
Dobson-Maliangos. “That doesn’t hap-
Preparation: pen in its entirety, because there are some
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping products that we can’t do gluten free,
bowl 2-3 times. so we will just create another dessert
2. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix completely. item in place of that. If there is a peanut
3. Mix the flour and salt together then add to butter swirl brownie on the menu, we
the creamed mixture.
4. Add lemon juice, zest and extract. are making a gluten-free peanut butter
swirl brownie, as well.” —OCH

20 | APRIL 2017 ON-CAMPUS HOSPITALITY