The NDSU Dining Team has strict labeling standards and considerations:

• Cooking Spray: NDSU Dining uses a nonstick cooking spray to prevent foods from sticking during cooking and baking. This spray contains sunflower oil and canola oil. 
• Fried Foods: Please note that deep fryers are used to cook many foods that may contain food allergens and/or meat products including (but not limited to) milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat and gluten. Students and guests with severe allergies or specific dietary needs should exercise caution when choosing to eat deep-fried foods due to the risk of cross-contact. 
• Baked Goods: NDSU Dining uses a centralized production bakery that bakes food containing major food allergens including (but not limited to) milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. Peanut and tree nut ingredients are stored separately from all other ingredients and the bakery works hard to avoid cross-contact. Students and guests with severe allergies should exercise caution when choosing to eat foods from the bakery due to the risk of allergen cross-contact. 
• Precautionary Labeling: Advisory statements are sometimes provided by a manufacturer. These include statements such as “manufactured in a facility that also processes [allergen]” or “may contain [allergen].” These statements are voluntary and not required by the FDA. In the presence of these statements, NDSU does not mark a food product to contain the specified allergen. NDSU only identifies allergens listed in the ingredients. If you have concerns about items being made in a facility that also processes a specific allergen, please contact an NDSU Dining Dietitian for additional details.
• Gelatin: Gelatin is a common ingredient used as a food thickener. It is most often obtained from pigs and cows. NDSU never marks an item containing gelatin as vegetarian or vegan. Items containing gelatin will be marked as containing pork. 
• Coconut: Since the FDA recognizes coconut as a tree nut, so does NDSU. Foods that contain coconut are flagged as containing nuts. At times, there are exceptions involving highly refined coconut oil. If you have concerns, please contact an NDSU dietitian for further assistance.
• Honey: Honey is commonly classified as an animal product due to the fact it is produced by bees. For this reason, NDSU does not mark any food item containing honey as an ingredient to be vegan. Vegetarian products may contain honey. 
• Yeast Extract: Yeast extract is a food flavoring additive. It can be derived from the same yeast used to make bread and beer, meaning it would contain gluten. Yeast extract can also come from sugar beets, a gluten-free source. When yeast extract is listed as an ingredient, NDSU makes every effort to clarify the source with the manufacturer.  
• Modified Food Starch: This food additive can be made from corn, potato, or wheat. The FDA requires manufacturers to disclose on the label if the source is wheat. Therefore, NDSU is able to accurately determine if a product containing modified food starch is gluten-free.

For additional information, questions, and/or support, please contact Dining Services at 701-231-7222 or email ndsu.dining.diet@ndsu.edu.