Welcoming Guests with Food Allergies
With one in 25 Americans reporting a food allergy, restaurants are increasingly likely to have customers who require a special meal. Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies provides tools to train restaurant staff to safely prepare and serve food to guests with food allergies.
Available for free, this comprehensive program is an updated and revised version of an earlier training program published by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). 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. Restaurants can use this guide as a basis for their food allergy management programs. It is also available in Spanish.
FAAN originally developed this program in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and its members. According to the NRA, nearly half of the money Americans spend on food is spent in restaurants.
FAAN also worked in collaboration with FAAN Ambassador Who Cares Ming Tsai to develop a video to train restaurants in Massachusetts. In 2010, Massachusetts enacted the Food Allergy Awareness Act, which requires restaurants to display a food allergy awareness poster in the staff area and place a notice on the menus asking patrons to inform their servers about any food allergies before placing an order. The law also included training for food protection managers, who will view the restaurant video. This is a great free online tool for restaurants nationwide -- forward the information to your local restaurants!
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