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Tips for Food Service Professionals

If you’re in the food service industry, you’re probably encountering more and more food-allergic customers.   And with food allergies on the rise worldwide, you can expect to serve even more in the years ahead.

Serving food-allergic customers is an important responsibility.  There is no cure, and no medication can prevent a potentially fatal reaction, so strict avoidance of problem foods is the primary treatment.   For some people, even a minuscule amount of the wrong food can trigger a dangerous reaction.  That’s why food allergy training is crucial, whether you work in the front of the house or the back.

A 2007 survey of 100 restaurant managers, chefs, and servers, conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, illustrates this need.  Most of the respondents believed that their establishments could provide safe meals to allergic patrons. Yet, 24% said that consuming a small amount of an allergen is safe; 25% thought that removing an allergen from a finished meal (taking nuts off the food, for example) makes the dish safe; and 35% believed that fryer heat destroys allergens.  Any of these misconceptions could lead to a medical emergency. 

Not surprisingly, only 42% of the personnel surveyed had received any food allergy training.  But remembering a few basic tips can help save a life:

• Never guess.  If you don’t know whether a dish contains a particular allergen, check.  If you’re still not sure, tell the customer.
• Keep an up-to-date list of all the ingredients in every dish you serve, including packaged or ready-made foods. Inform every staff member of any changes.
• Avoid cross-contamination:  Carefully store ingredients. Clean all equipment, utensils, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water and wash your hands thoroughly before preparing dishes for food-allergic diners.  Never cook with oils that have been used to cook other foods.
• Keep the food-allergic customer’s meal separate from other dishes before serving.
• If a customer has a severe reaction, call 911 immediately.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Food Allergies: Challenges and Opportunities for Food Service is a comprehensive online training program, offered free of charge by the Culinary Institute of America.
• Welcoming Guests with Food Allergies is an in-depth training manual for food service professionals that you can download free of charge.  Developed by the National Restaurant Association and the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network with support from FAI, this 60-page guide includes case studies, best practices, up-to-date research, food labeling information, and practical strategies for avoiding cross contact, as well as suggested procedures for keeping guests safe and steps to prepare for an allergic emergency.
• The U.K. government’s Food Standards Agency offers a guidance document that outlines best practices for food service operators, along with an informative brochure and poster.
• Restaurant cards, available in multiple languages, help food-allergic guests communicate their needs.