Allergy & Food Preparation Policy

​Camp Lilac takes dietary needs, food safety, and accommodations of all kinds seriously, including the preparation of gluten free foods for individuals with gluten sensitivities and Celiac disease. 

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Our food preparation follows all ServSafe guidelines on allergen cross contamination. Some specific steps we take to highlight our commitment to food safety are:

• Washing and sanitizing surfaces, utensils, cutting boards, cutting tools, equipment, pots and pans, grill and griddle tops after each use.

• Team members wash hands and change gloves every time they are switching tasks.

• All food products are stored in sealed clearly labeled containers, in designated food storage areas.

• All food products we use have had all potential major allergens (Big 9) identified and recorded in our internal recipe systems. 

• We have elected our menus and facilities to be free from peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. This includes all provided foods as well as food brought from home by staff and campers.

  • Attendees with anaphylactic allergies must bring an epi-pen.

  • We cannot guarantee our ability to accommodate severe airborne allergens outside of those listed here. Such allergies will be assessed on a case by case basis and may require a written agreement and waiver of liability - please contact us. 

• All foods brought in by campers and staff (offered on a limited basis as an accommodation) must be declared in a pre-arrival form. Food must be in unopened original packaging with FDA ingredients and nutritional labels present. Upon check-in, all food brought in by program participants must be stored in an airtight container labeled with participants name and presented to a kitchen staff member at check-in, who will check each individual food item to confirm that it meets all previously stated standards, including being free from major allergens we have elected to be free from.

• Most of our menu items are prepared from scratch in our kitchen facilities, strictly following chef created recipes. All recipes and allergen information for all food items (including pre-prepared foods, e.g., yogurt, cheese, chicken nuggets) are available upon request. Email kitchen@camplilac.org for more information or to request menus or brands used. 

 

On top of these standard precautions for food allergies, we also follow guidelines set by the National Celiac Association for food service:

 

• All staff and program participants (volunteer and camper) that are involved in food preparation for others in the program are provided with training on the safe handling of food for gluten free food service.

• A single dedicated staff member will prepare the entirety of a gluten free meal during each meal service.

• All food preparation surfaces, equipment and utensils will be cleaned and sanitized before use for gluten free food preparation

• All equipment and utensils used are NSF Certified (any equipment that is deemed hard to clean such as colanders and sieves, used in the preparation of gluten free foods will be dedicated to only gluten free use). We do not use any equipment made from porous materials such as wood spoons.

• Single-use aluminum foil will be used to prepare gluten free foods in addition to cleaning and sanitizing equipment when using non dedicated equipment such as a grill.

• Gluten free foods will be cooked in ovens separately from gluten containing foods always and without convection.

• All gluten free products will be stored separately and above any items containing gluten.

• Gluten free foods are served separately from gluten containing foods, and will be clearly labeled. Only program participants with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities are allowed to take food from the dedicated gluten free station.

 

For any questions regarding this policy, or for more information, please reach out to kitchen@camplilac.org or to the Food Service Director directly (Rosemarie - rosemarie@camplilac.org).