From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's December 2024 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
A lack of transparency on food preparations, along with the scarcity of food options for those with dietary restrictions, leaves affected students unable to consistently eat on campus.
The District Pickle, an on-campus deli that provided kosher options, closed, leaving students with limited alternatives. Students said the kosher nook in the Terrace Dining Room is their only option, but it’s not enough.
Ezra Williams, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of AU Chabad noted that the TDR provides options, but “it is just impossible” to eat at on-campus restaurants. He chose the All Inclusive Premium plan, the highest meal plan option, “expecting to be able to eat at a kosher restaurant.”
The District Pickle closed because the renovations in TDR allowed for “significant improvements for Kosher service,” according to Elizabeth Deal, the assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer. Deal also said Eagle Express provides kosher sandwiches and salads.
There are certified halal options outside of TDR, such as Halal Shack and Baba’s Pizza. Since there is no halal nook inside TDR, all the chicken in TDR has been certified halal, according to Deal.
Aiza Arif, a sophomore in CAS, became dependent on dining options that did not include meat during her freshman year as a result of miscommunication with staffers about what is considered halal and a lack of visible certifications surrounding halal food. These issues caused her to forgo a dining plan sophomore year.
According to Deal, AU Dining had certification signage, but it was not posted until Nov. 12 at the cashier area in TDR.
Kayton Stanton, a freshman in School of Public Affairs, said she stays away from gluten because she has juvenile arthritis and gluten can cause inflammation and flare-ups, mainly
in her hands. Stanton recounted an experience in TDR where she got chicken that was labeled “avoiding gluten,” but the sauce it was in did contain gluten and ended up making her feel unwell.
Students said issues with a lack of education given by AU Dining dietitians to dining workers have left them double-checking their meals and seeking off-campus alternatives.
The University’s dietician, Juliana Sampaio, is a registered and licensed professional who passed a national exam on all dietary restrictions, according to Deal. Deal said employees who work in the Delicious Without and Avoiding Gluten station have gone through an additional training program.
“It’s a bunch of restrictions on [halal] students for what they can eat and a lot of the times they are like, ‘We’re going to take their word for it; if it is halal then it is halal,’ but then again you don’t even know because [AU] doesn’t even know what’s halal,” Arif said.
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Maya Cederlund, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ariana Kavoossi, Emma Brown, Ella Rousseau, Charlie Mennuti, Nicole Kariuki and Sabine Kanter-Huchting. Fact Checking done by Sasha Dafkova and Hannah Paisley Zoulek.
