Case Study
Chartwells Develops Custom Diet for Student
with Phenylketonuria
Summary
Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services employs
multiple strategies for addressing student health and
wellness on our client campuses. Managers on each
campus work with Chartwells’ Director of Nutrition and
regional dieticians to develop customized approaches for
students dealing with a number of health-related issues.
At the College of the Siskiyous in northern California, this
philosophy was skillfully applied when the management
team worked hand-in-hand with a student to manage his
metabolic disorder through diet.
The Challenge
There is no “one size fits all” method for addressing the
variety of dietary and health needs facing today’s young
adults, but Chartwells provides managers with the tools,
training, and support required. Chartwells’ National
Restaurant Association award-winning Balanced U®
platform, for example, focuses on foods that meet specific
criteria for balanced nutrition or maintaining a vegetarian/
vegan diet. Additionally, Chartwells’ network of registered
dieticians also supports individual units with everything
from education sessions to personal nutrition consultations
and diet management.
The College of the Siskiyous is a public two-year community
college with an enrollment of just over 2,400 located at
the base of Mt. Shasta in northern California. The small
size means Chartwells’ dining services team gets to know
most of the students individually and can address dietary
concerns one-on-one. In July 2013, Chartwells’ foodservice
director at the College of the Siskiyous, Wayne Harris, was
approached by a student with phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU
is an autosomal genetic metabolic disorder characterized
by a gene mutation that destroys an enzyme needed to
metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine (PHE). This results
in an accumulation of phenylalanine in the body. PHE is a
cellular building block contained in all proteins, but high
levels of PHE in the body associated with PKU can produce
brain abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction.
PKU poses a particular challenge because proper dietary
management of this serious metabolic disorder requires
eliminating all foods high in protein (meats, eggs, nuts
legumes, soy, pasta, and dairy).
“Chartwells had the right team at the right
time to meet this challenge. Working closely
with the unit director, we resolved the dayto-day obstacles to prepare for this student’s
highly specialized diet. The partnership
between Chartwells and the College of
the Siskiyous passed the test, and we are
prepared to meet all of our students’ unique
dining needs.”
-Doug Haugen, Ph.D.
Director of Student Life, College of the Siskiyous
The Solution
“Initially, the student was concerned,” said Wayne Harris.
“But after working closely together in consultation to
educate ourselves about the lifestyle this student required,
his fears diminished.” The student helped create menus
that aligned with the dining services’ classic cycle menus by
combining pre-made products especially designed for PKU
diets with common items and ingredients already in use by
Chartwells’ chefs at the college. The student also provided
contact for several specialty companies that allowed
Continued...
Chartwells Develops Custom Diet for Student with Phenylketonuria
continued
Chartwells’ managers to set up an ordering matrix for a
five week cycle. Many foods used to address PKU must be
shipped via refrigerated parcel service which necessitated
purchasing as many foods as possible for the menu cycle
up-front.
Chartwells’ chefs at the college had been exposed to
alternative dietary lifestyles through Chartwells’ training.
They also had the opportunity to apply concepts learned
at a series of summer camps that required several specialty
considerations including celiac disease, gluten sentitivities
and strict vegan diets.
The Results
Chartwells’ managers at the College of the Siskiyous
successfully created a personalized five-week menu cycle for
the student that included both specialty and common foods
for managing PKU through diet. The program ran parallel to
the regular menu cycle, which meant the student could eat
on campus without feeling dissimilar from his peers.
About Chartwells Higher Education
Dining Services
Chartwells is the recognized leader in contract foodservice
management, hospitality and award-winning guest service
within 270 college and university dining environments
throughout academic institutions across the U.S. Chartwells’
new brand mantra, “Where Hungry Minds Gather,” signifies
its commitment to re-inventing the dining experience for
the next generation of students and beyond. Our nutritious
cuisine not only satisfies the unique appetites, lifestyles
and dietary needs of every guest dining on campus, but it
also brings people together to promote the high-intensity
relationships that will prepare students for the future.
For more information, visit Chartwells’ websites at
www.ChartwellsHigherEd.com, www.ChartwellsMagazine.com,
www.DineonCampus.com, and our social media pages at
www.Facebook.com/ChartwellsHigherEd,
www.Twitter.com/ChartwellsHE and
http://www.YouTube.com/ChartwellsHigherEd.
Network with Chartwells at
http://www.linkedin.com/company/chartwells-highereducation-division-.
Or call toll-free at 1-855-9-Gather (855-942-8437).
For Additional Information Contact:
Kristine Andrews
Communications Director/Media Relations
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (914) 935-5437
Case Study