Carleton’s recent move to label vegan, gluten-free, halal, and kosher foods is a great thing for our campus. Food is an important part of any culture, and labeling food appropriately for dietary restrictions means that Carleton’s campus becomes more inclusive and ultimately more welcoming to all cultures, religions, and people.
The labelling system increases the access to freedom of religion at Carleton as well as the visibility and acceptability of various religions. International students who are part of religious minorities may feel disoriented when they arrive in Canada and can’t determine what they can and cannot eat.
Having a labelling system could help these students feel more at home, helping them adjust by having one less thing to worry about. When I travel, I miss my culture’s food, and adding a dietary restriction on top of that would make it even less accessible when abroad.
Finding food with or without certain ingredients can be difficult. In fact, a lot of the time it’s easier to bring your own lunch. That can be healthier and most cost-efficient, but by introducing a complete labeling system, it will take that responsibility off the students in a place they spend a lot of time—on campus. It’s about giving the students that option.
This is particularly positive for those who are new to their dietary restrictions because they can adjust easier. Someone who has had celiac disease since she has been eight years old already has a good idea of what she can and cannot eat, but someone else who recently became vegan might struggle without an exact ingredient list at the ready.
Labelling foods is a smart business move for Carleton’s Dining Services as they are effectively tapping into a market of people who eat on campus less regularly than other students.
As for the students who live on campus and eat at the Fresh Food Company regularly, it makes them feel more included and less likely to eat meals in their rooms. Indirectly, this can improve the mental health of students with dietary restrictions on campus. They can easily access a well-balanced diet and a social sphere, because there are more options for them and because a great way to meet friends on campus is through food.
Maybe a successful labelling program will even inspire some without dietary restrictions to try it for a couple of days, fostering higher levels of empathy on campus.
Knowledge is power, and with a food labelling program, Dining Services is putting that power back in the students’ hands.
