CAS junior Giulia Gallo’s food allergies have been severe since childhood. In fact, Gallo’s peanut allergies could kill her within 20 minutes.

“You have to wrap your head around the fact that a sandwich can kill you,” Gallo said.

Gallo also has potentially life-threatening allergies to tree nuts, shellfish and soy.

On average, two students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States have food allergies, said Eleanor Garrow, vice president of education and outreach at the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. When those students with allergies go to college, they often enter an environment of increased risk, especially in dining halls.

NYU first formally recognized food allergies with a 2008 policy that acknowledged the risk of cross-contamination of food and the potential inability to address all students’ needs. Since 2008, perspectives on food allergies have evolved, and Gallo thinks NYU’s approach should, also.

Owen Moore, assistant vice president for operations at NYU, said he has only heard of few severe cases at the university’s dining halls.

“I can honestly say in my 14 years, I have been notified of three reactions,” Moore said.

One of those incidents occurred in October of this year when a student had an allergic reaction to tuna fish.

“To one individual, it was obvious that this had tuna in it. To another, it wasn’t,” Moore said. “Do we remove it from salad bars? From the delis?”

Lisa Sasson, clinical associate professor of nutrition and food studies at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, said she has noticed a general increase in food allergies recently, particularly nut allergies.

“People need to make themselves known to the food staff,” Sasson said, noting that ingredient lists should be readily available to students.

LSP freshman Claudia Zapata, who has a severe peanut allergy, agreed.

“It is terrifying never knowing if something will cause an allergic reaction,” Zapata said.

There are already signs posted in NYU dining halls that provide nutritional information, but Zapata thinks signs should also include allergen information. Even without eliminating nuts from dining halls, some students feel that additional allergen-specific information is necessary, and marking foods that contain nuts or that may contain nuts could facilitate a safer experience for students with severe allergies.

Both Zapata and Gallo have experienced nut-related allergic reactions in NYU dining halls, but neither incident was reported to staff.

Victor Caruso, executive chef at Weinstein dining hall, said it is possible for a dining hall to be entirely nut-free.

Caruso said the decision to be nut-free would be a joint decision between NYU and Aramark, the food service contractor that the university uses.

College campuses across the country are introducing nut-free dining halls.

Boston University, which also uses Aramark, has maintained a nut-free dining hall system since 2005, according to the university’s dining services department.

NYU alumna Kayla Flaherty, who transferred to NYU from BU, said she felt safer eating in nut-free dining halls at BU.

“NYU was clear that they could not control cross-contamination, so I opted to eat off campus,” Flaherty said.

Moore said if students report their allergies to NYU, the dining staff is better able to address specific needs.

“In this atmosphere, communication between all is one of the most important steps,” said Edward Nagy, executive chef at Palladium dining hall.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Nov. 8 print edition. Claire Knebl is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].