Food Allergies
and the Food Service Industry
Jane Doe
March 22, 2012
Introduction:
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, there are approximately 50 million people in the U.S who suffer from an allergy of some type (“Allergy Facts and Figures”). Yet many restaurants have let allergies fall under the radar possibly because of added costs that may accompany additional training. Restaurants have overlooked the potential returns investing on specialized allergy training could bring. The ability to accommodate patrons with allergies can improve customer relationships and draw in a larger client base. Learning about specific allergy training can help restaurants make an informed decision on whether they should implement such training and which employees should have the training.
Problem/Background:
There are currently 12 million people in the United States alone who suffer from some kind of food related allergy (Ajala et al. 1318). Allergic reactions vary in severity with the most serious and life-threatening being anaphylaxis. An anaphylactic reaction can cause the throat to close, or it can cause the stomach to convulse and the lungs swell up; this reaction to food can cause death in as little as a few minutes (Rappaport). With such serious consequences, allergies are becoming harder for restaurants ignore, yet many restaurants are behind the curve. Allergies are prevalent and unrelenting. It is imperative for those working in the restaurant industry to understand the dangers allergens can pose to consumers and to have specialized training programs in place.
For a fast food customer in Toledo, Ohio, an anaphylactic reaction from food obtained at a restaurant proved deadly. Dennis ordered fried chicken off of the restaurant’s drive-thru menu and took it home. Dennis’s neighbor found him a covered in hives and unresponsive just a few hours later. Dennis’s fatal anaphylactic reaction was thought to be caused by trace shellfish proteins absorbed in the breading of the chicken he ordered. Consumers who have food allergies are required to trust the knowledge of the restaurant staff to provide accurate information (Leavitt 963). Incomplete information or education about food allergies can lead to similar circumstances. In order to avoid these situations, restaurants need to ensure sufficient allergy education is complete and all restaurant staff understands how to communicate clearly with a customer over their dietary needs.
The underlying problem with the food service industry and allergic-consumers is not a lack of allergy awareness; the problem is the lack of specialized food preparation training. Many restaurant workers and managers feel they can provide allergy-friendly meals to customers. However, according to a recent study done in the United Kingdom, only thirty-three percent of restaurant workers reported that they had specific food allergy training. In that same test group, eighty-one percent said they were confident they could provide a safe meal to a customer who had allergies. The number of people who actually received allergy specific training was much lower than the number who felt confident that they could prepare a meal that was safe. This information suggests that restaurant staff may have an inflated assurance in their ability to prepare an allergy-friendly meal and that customers may be deceived into thinking their meal is safer than it actually is (Bailey et al. 714). A study done in 2007 in the United States had similar finding as the study completed in the United Kingdom, but the U.S. study also demonstrates the degree of misunderstanding of safe food preparation techniques for consumers with allergies. Only twenty-two percent of the respondents in that study could answer all of the food preparation technique questions correctly. Suggesting that there is a definite fallacy between the restaurant workers beliefs about their allergy knowledge and what they actually know and are able to execute (Ahuja and Sicherer 345).
Part of the reason there is very little specialized training is because there is scarcely any regulation in the United States for food allergy training (Leavitt 989). As a result, very few restaurant personnel have the training to handle special orders for customers with allergies. Misconceptions as a result of deficient training for preparing and handling food for customers who have allergies could result in the hospitalization, or even death, of their customers. However, this does not necessarily have to happen. The food service industry can implement changes without regulations. The serious consequences make it imperative to address the issue of food allergy training for those in the food service industry regardless of government regulation requirements.
Solution:
The solution for fast-food and low cost focus restaurants is two-fold. Restaurants should implement specialized training to each of their staff and they should also prepare a master list of all foods the restaurant uses in their dishes. The training will teach the employees the proper way to handle food that is to be prepared for customers with allergies. The second portion of the solution will provide a quick reference of the items the store has that can be made for people who have certain allergies. These two courses of action taken together can be very effective in becoming more accommodating to customers who have food allergies.
The first part of the solution is the most important. It will teach the employees the proper methods for readying the prep area, grills, and fryers for making an allergy-friendly meal. A master list of all ingredients in each food item will not be very helpful to a customer who has special dietary needs if the cooks and front of house staff do not know the proper way to handle and prepare food so that it does not contain any contaminates.
Training should be done by an outsider who specializes in the safe preparation of food. For fast-food restaurants and low price focused chain restaurants that are budget conscious, sending the managers of each store to a seminar can be a cheaper option than sending the whole staff. The company would only incur extra costs for the managers to attend the seminars or classes. The company should then require the managers of each store to teach the employees who have a part in the preparation, cooking, or serving of food. This approach to training places a lot of pressure on the managers to retain the information presented in the seminar, but it does cut the costs considerably in an industry where employee turnover is high. Because employee turnover is high in this industry, sending managers to a class or seminar is much more feasible and worth the investment than if the company sent their entire workforce. In many restaurants, it is up to the manager or on staff certified trainers to teach the new hires how the restaurant is run and what is expected of them. The training managers receive at the seminar could be easily incorporated with the existing training programs for new hires. Current employees could be briefed over a period of a few days on the information the manager learned at the seminar.
The second part of the solution will not improve the employees’ knowledge on the preparation specifications, but it will provide a quick reverence for the employees to check for allergens in dishes and sauces that the restaurant serves. The portfolio would contain all labels from every type of food item they use. To be extremely effective, they could separate the portfolio by foods that were “gluten-free” and “nut-free” so that employees could easily check what items can be made to fit special dietary requirements.
Conclusion:
The allergy prevalence in the United States calls for the food service industry to make better measures in preparing their staff to accommodate patrons who have special dietary needs. Training the staff members so that they are aware of the precautions that must be made to ensure the customers are not exposed to allergens can help improve the customer relationship with the restaurant. If the restaurant is making extra provisions for their customers who have allergies, it is more likely that the customer will continue to come to the restaurant. The portfolio will also improve customer relations by allowing the front of house staff to be more effective in communication with customers who have allergies. Being more aware and accommodating to customers who have allergies will cost the company a little more, but it will improve customer relations and encourage the customers to come out to eat at the establishment more often.
Works Cited
Ahuja, Ryan, and Scott H. Sicherer. “Food Allergy Management from the Perspective of Restaurant and Food Establishment Personnel.” Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 98.4 (2007): 344–48. ScienceDirect. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.
Ajala, Aline et al. “Food Allergens: Knowledge and Practices of Food Handlers in Restaurants.” Food Control 21.10 (2010): 1318–21. ScienceDirect. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.
“Allergy Facts and Figures.” Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - Information About Asthma, Allergies, Food Allergies and More! Web. 19 Mar. 2012.
Bailey, S. et al. “Restaurant Staff’s Knowledge of Anaphylaxis and Dietary Care of People with Allergies.” Clinical & Experimental Allergy 41.5 (2011): 713–17. Academic Source Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2012
Leavitt, Sydney Knell. “Death By Chicken: The Changing Face of Allergy Awareness in Restaurants and What to do When Food Bites Back.” University of Toledo Law Review 42.4 (2011): 963–89. Academic Source Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.
Rappaport, Liz. “Finding Food Allergy Allies --- Schools, States, Restaurants Take Steps; Beyond the Peanut-Free Table” The Wall Street Journal (2012): D.1. Print.