EM Food Policy

Experience Mission would like people with dietary restrictions to feel comfortable participating on a mission trip. While we cannot completely accommodate all dietary limitations here is what we can provide in support of these unique needs. In addition to the food items we offer, we recommend that team members with dietary limitations, bring any additional foods they would like, to supplement their daily meals. Below you will find a food policy for our international and domestic communities.

INTERNATIONAL TRIPS - FOOD POLICY

In our international locations and Puerto Rico, food options are limited. We cannot guarantee that we will have access to specialty foods for those who participate in a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle or those with gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance and/or other severe allergies. For those with Celiac disease, our staff are not able to eliminate possible cross-contamination with gluten. Also due to the limitations of food in many of our international locations we can not guarantee a peanut-free trip.

If you have a serious allergy and are hoping to join an international mission trip, please contact us directly so we can discuss whether this trip will be safe for you. We want as many people as possible to be able to participate in our trips, but we also want to be honest about what we can and cannot accommodate to avoid the possibility of unintended harm to our volunteers’ health.

U.S. TRIPS - FOOD POLICY

Peanut Allergies: If there is a team member who has a peanut allergy we will serve anything with peanuts on a separate table. This includes the Peanut Butter and the granola bars and anything else the team member feels might not be safe to come in contact with.

Vegetarians: We will provide a meatless alternative at meals serving meat. This will include tofu hot dogs and veggie burgers. meatless pasta sauce, meatless burritos. Peanut butter and Jelly for lunches in place of lunch meat and cheese.

Lactose Intolerance: We will provide either soy or almond milk at breakfast. The lunch and dinner menu should provide sufficient options for those with lactose intolerance.

Gluten intolerance: We will provide gluten-free cereal for breakfast and gluten-free pasta noodles and if possible, gluten-free granola bars for lunch. As there are many preferred varieties of gluten-free bread, we ask team members to bring their own bread of choice for use at all meals.

If we have prior knowledge of a gluten intolerant team member, our staff will be sensitive to taking care not to cross-contaminate foods and cooking utensils. We will also look to utilize gluten-free products wherever possible provided they are readily available for meals like pasta sauce or BBQ sauce or hot dogs, taco seasoning, mixed seasoning packets, etc. If a team member needs to cook separately we will make our kitchen and refrigerator available wherever possible.

*It is important to note that our pans, utensils, dishes, etc. will have been used for foods containing gluten in the past.

Upon arrival our field staff will take time to talk with the Team Leader about any special dietary limitations present on the team and share what special considerations have been put in place. They will discuss the menu alternatives provided at each meal, where they can find them and any additional precautions that need to be taken to help accommodate these dietary needs.