Restaurants should post all ingredients to prevent allergic reactions.

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Is it necessary for restaurants to mention all the ingredients on the menu to prevent their customers from having any allergic reactions? What are other guidelines they should follow? Read on to know all about it.

Restaurants Should Post All Ingredients to Prevent Allergic Reactions

Allergies can be severe and dangerous and thus, can pose a threat to the customers while damaging the restaurant’s reputation. It would be better if restaurants posted all the ingredients they use on the menu to prevent such issues. Proper food allergy training in restaurants can go a long way in enlightening restaurant owners, chefs, and customers.

As per foodallergy.org, more than 15 million people deal with food allergies, i.e., around 4% of the population. There are around 150-200 deaths per year that occur due to food allergies.

Preventing an allergy reaction from food is the responsibility of both customers as well as the restaurant. Though it may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be like that.

Here are some food allergy guidelines which restaurants must follow.

Arrange for food allergy warning
Perform a food allergy training for the entire staff
Use separate areas and equipment
Food allergy notice on the menu
Promote front-of-house conversations

Understanding the risk of food allergies

One of the primary food allergy training in the restaurant includes taking precautions to protect the customers.

Here are some of the most common food allergies seen in children and adults.

Cow’s milk and its products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, and ice cream
Eggs
Peanuts
Soy
Wheat
Tree nuts
Fish
Shellfish
Sesame

Even a trace amount of the above foods can trigger an allergic reaction that can be mild, severe, or even cause death. Spreading awareness of food allergies goes a long way to protecting a restaurant and its customers.

Perform a food allergy training for the entire staff

Every staff member must have basic training to prevent any allergic reaction and how to handle any such mishap that happens at the restaurant. Food allergy training in restaurants must include information such as:

Ingredients in pre-purchased or pre-packaged foods
Throw light on some misconceptions, such as cooking in high heat will destroy the allergens as it won’t work
Most common allergens and their food groups, such as peanuts, are not nuts and are legumes
Looking up gluten-free, soy-free, and other allergen-free foods and menus

Use separate areas and equipment.

Many restaurant owners use separate utensils and have a particular area reserved for food-allergic customers. One area is for the public and one for those with food allergies.

Food allergy notice on the menu

Many restaurants use food allergy notices that are printed on the menu.

Food prepared in our restaurant may contain the following ingredients:

Milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts.

If you are allergic to any of the ingredients, please inform the server. Thank you.

Promote front-of-house conversations

Front-of-house systems are a great way to enlighten the customers about the foods and vice versa. Customers can tell the restaurant staff about the food they are allergic to and accordingly prepare food. When a menu with an allergic food customer is entered in some restaurants, the computer will pick an allergen-alert button. This allergy is printed in red letters to alert the chef to the customer’s order.

Conclusion

In most cases, your customer will be aware of the food they are allergic to and will carry an EpiPen in hand to fix any issue themselves. However, it is always best to have your staff follow the above guidelines to prevent any mishap that can be detrimental to the customer as well as your restaurant. A small step can go a long way to ensure the proper health and satisfaction while raising your restaurant’s name.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is a fault in your immune system when it mistakenly identifies food as something harmful and is called hypersensitivity. It releases histamine and other body chemicals, which causes allergic reactions in the body such as sore throat, itching sensation, hives, etc. Some allergic reactions are not only uncomfortable but life-threatening too.

2. Whom to inform when a customer is having an allergy attack?

Immediately call the rescue service (112 in India) if your customer has an allergic reaction.

3. Can restaurants get sued for feeding you allergic food?

Yes, if you get allergic reactions to food even after informing the restaurant about your allergy, you can sue them.

4. Is there a permanent cure for food allergies?

Currently, there is no cure for food allergies. The only way to avoid allergic reactions is to completely avoid the problematic food.

5. What are the visible symptoms of allergy?