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[compdoc]

The new department I am in (yay, tt position!) is very into feeding its constituents. Unfortunately I have really extreme food allergies which are not simple. It's not just a single thing but an entire family of things that requires significant vigilance to avoid.

Is there a way of finding out what is going into foods without annoying everyone? Or should I just bring something to snack on for all day affairs and plan on eating before or after for single meal meetings?

I'd love some advice for this.

[systeme_d_]

Your first stop should be the department's administrative assistant.  In person.  Tell her/him about your allergies, in some detail, framed by the question "Should I bring my own food to meetings, or is there a way for the university catering people to accommodate my allergies?"  You can certainly ask whether the catering folks can provide ingredient lists and nutritional information, but don't count on it.

[barred_owl]

Compdoc, does your department have its meetings catered, or is it a "whose turn is it to bring food?" sort of place?

If the former, then systeme_d_'s advice is quite sound.  If it's the latter, you might have two options:  bring your own snacks/lunch OR offer to provide a dish-to-pass (or two) that you can eat.  Either way, you'll have something to eat. 

Over time, as you get to know your departmental colleagues, this situation might level out a bit (depending on the department, of course--YMMV), and your colleagues might take your allergies into consideration.  At my original TT school, a department colleague had severe cat allergies, for instance (and I had two cats).  Whenever said colleague was invited to my place, it was always in the summer or early fall when I could host activities outside and my friend didn't have to endure exposure to the dander.  I wouldn't have known about his cat allergies if he hadn't told me, but it took a few months or so (and an indoor Halloween party at my house--he left early, barely able to see or breathe) to find out. 

[peppergal]

I second System_D's advice, as someone in the same boat.

I was pleasantly surprised when starting my new position to receive a qustionnaire to fill out regarding food allergies.  I guess they've dealt with this before?  At any rate, they have a list of everyone's allergies, and all food at department events is labelled with ingredients.

[compdoc]

Oh wow, peppergal, that is very encouraging.

Our dinners are catered. Sometimes I can figure out what I can eat. Sometimes I have to pass on everything because it might have allergy foods included.

I will definitely approach the administrative assistant, as soon as we get one. Our treasured one just abandoned us for a different department.

[ucprof]

I agree with all of this.  But you have to watch the caterer like a hawk if you have complex allergies.  I still remember the time I said "no wheat" and they served me couscous.  I tried to explain that couscous are a pasta and thus made out of wheat but they did not get it.  Caterers may not be the ultimate experts in food allergies.

[lizzy]

I agree with all of this.  But you have to watch the caterer like a hawk if you have complex allergies.  I still remember the time I said "no wheat" and they served me couscous.  I tried to explain that couscous are a pasta and thus made out of wheat but they did not get it.  Caterers may not be the ultimate experts in food allergies.

I'll second this cautionary note, especially if your allergies can be life threatening. My brother has very serious (and extensive) food allergies, and has been almost killed a couple of times by food service workers who were either careless or simply unaware.

[compdoc]

Thanks for the heads up on the caterers too. So far they haven't known anything about the food they were serving, so I've had to go with my gut.