BRINGING GLUTEN AWARENESS AND ACCOMMODATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Abstract

With the increase in college students diagnosed with celiac disease, it has become difficult for students to find gluten-free options on their campuses. This project-based thesis was created to improve the awareness of this disease as well as provide more gluten-conscious restaurants. Three restaurants on campus were selected for this project as well as a convenience store. The restaurants were monitored in their food preparation processes and later trained employees thoroughly on how to prevent cross-contamination and properly prepare non-gluten foods that are safe to consume for those with celiac disease. Additionally, the university’s convenience store was rearranged and labeled in sections that contained non-gluten products. As a result, although the student population did not have accurate results on whether the efforts on the three locations and convenience store were effective, the employee results showed that there was an increase in awareness on how to handle non-gluten orders.