Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Contamination ControlManagementSupply ChainTesting & AnalysisTrainingAllergensAllergensFoodservice/Retail

Training Is a Key Component in Serving Patrons with Food Allergies

August 1, 2012

When most people think of food safety, they think of keeping the mayonnaise cool or using proper handwashing techniques. While these practices protect against foodborne pathogens, there’s another dimension to serving customers meals that won’t send them to the emergency room (ER) for dessert. Commercial foodservice operations increasingly need to be aware of patrons with food allergies and intolerances.

Approximately 9 million American adults (4% of the population over 18) and 6 million children (8% of those under 18) are allergic to one or more foods. The numbers rose about 18% between 1997 and 2007, the most recent year for which figures are available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Reactions to triggering foods can be severe—the CDC reported that food allergies account for nearly a quarter-million ER visits every year and are the most common causes of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting. The most common food allergens are milk, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs.

Think about all the places on any menu these items could lurk, not just as featured items but also in condiments or the like. Was that salad dressing finished with eggs for a better consistency? Or maybe a dash of soy sauce makes the beef gravy more flavorful? It takes a complete breakdown of every ingredient in every dish to know exactly what a kitchen is serving its customers.

Armed with that knowledge, servers or managers can confidently respond when diners ask if a dish contains a specific ingredient.

“We are definitely getting more questions than we did 5 or 6 years ago,” says Mark Herman, CEO of Dion’s, which serves pizzas, salads and sandwiches in 17 quick-serve locations in New Mexico and Texas. “People are more aware, and they have more access to information. They want to know more.”

From Knowledge to Action
Knowledge may be power, but there are two more steps beyond menu analysis an operator must take to safely accommodate diners with food sensitivities. The first affects the back of the house; the second involves the entire operation, from owner to bussers.

Cross-contamination of dishes prepared without offending ingredients can occur anywhere in the production process, through shared cutting boards or utensils or grease particles flying from grills. That’s why any kitchen that offers special dishes to sensitive diners must develop specific protocols to keep the meal away from triggering ingredients all the way from cooler to table (see “Tips for Foodservice: Setting Up a Gluten-Free Kitchen”).

The recent dust-up over Domino’s pizza it calls gluten-free illustrates the problem. While the chain spent lots of money developing—and marketing—a crust made without wheat flour, it did nothing to ensure the non-wheat crust would not pick up gluten from the other pies in the kitchen. In fact, by sharing baking benches and ovens with wheat crusts and not following proper food allergen protocols, Domino’s more or less guaranteed that what started out as gluten-free would reach the carryout box as only gluten-not-so-much. At least the stores now post a disclaimer to the effect that its “gluten-free” pizza is not suitable for those who need to follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons.

“Because of how we produce food in our kitchens, it’s impossible to offer a 100 percent gluten-free product,” Herman says. “I’d rather not have it on the menu than to make someone sick.”

Dion’s also doesn’t offer options such as dairy-free cheese because of limited demand, but if diners want to bring in special ingredients, the kitchen would be happy to use them on a pie or in a sub.

Herman sends all his managers to ServSafe® training and all staff to basic food-handling classes. In April, he sent about 40 managers and staff through our Kitchens with Confidence AllerTrain™ training. Now he plans to add the food allergy training to the other educational pieces for everyone from order takers to managers.

“The webinar was the kickoff to see where we have to get better at what we do,” Herman says. “What we learned was that we need to have clear processes in place that are followed at every step.”

This is the second step to keeping your patrons out of the ER. Everyone on staff should be aware of any diner with an allergy or intolerance to any food. If possible, the host should make a note of it when a reservation is made and/or flag the party when they are seated. Servers should always listen to and respect the diner’s request and answer truthfully about what’s in a dish—even if they’re otherwise upselling the special macadamia-crusted prawns in creamy ponzu custard. If a server is unsure, a manager should be available to answer any questions without guessing.

The most critical part of the equation is for the server to communicate the need for a special meal to the kitchen. Once the uncontaminated plate leaves the kitchen, it should be uncovered only in front of the diner. The server should confirm that it meets the patron’s specifications and check back often to be sure.
“We were just trusting that people were listening to customers when they took the order, but once staff understood how important food allergies are, they were really positive about the training,” Herman says. 

Everybody on the Same Page
Once all the kitchen protocols are in place and all the staff has been trained, that should be enough, right? Not necessarily. Constant follow-up is vital.

Students with severe food allergies have been covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act since 1973, which means they are entitled to appropriate substitutions in school lunches. The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 took the requirements further, authorizing the federal departments of education and health and human services to develop voluntary food allergy management guidelines for schools.

Because peanut allergies can be life threatening, many schools now allow allergic students to carry their EpiPens rather than lock them up in the nurse’s office. Some have created nut-free zones in their cafeterias from which the humble peanut butter and jelly sandwich and PayDay® bars are banished. But even these good intentions can go awry.

For example, the parents of a kindergartner followed the American Dietetics Association rules and told the school nurse about their daughter’s peanut allergy; her doctor provided a dose of epinephrine to have on hand. The girl knew she couldn’t eat peanuts, but when she forgot her lunch at home, a cafeteria worker gave her a peanut butter sandwich—and insisted she eat it. Turns out the nurse never communicated the girl’s allergy to the cafeteria, and that oversight sent a 5-year-old to the hospital in anaphylactic shock.

“[The 1946 National School Lunch Act, which requires schools to provide nutritious lunches to children in need] does not impose a statutory duty on the state to identify students with special di-etary needs, develop a flagging regimen or otherwise guard against individual exposure to food allergens,” wrote the appeals court judge in a ruling that let school officials off the hook for the incident.

That—the awareness and ability to identify and accommodate students with dietary sensitivities—is exactly what I hope the FSMA food safety guidelines on food allergy management will provide, even if they are voluntary. A good resource on the subject is available from the National School Boards Association, “Safe at School and Ready to Learn: A Comprehensive Policy Guide for Protecting Students with Life-threatening Food Allergies.” The report can be downloaded in PDF format at www.nsba.org/foodallergyguide.pdf.

As more schools look to outsource foodservice in the face of severe budget cuts, operations like Dion’s may have the opportunity to provide lunches to students. It’s not clear how the federal food allergy rules will apply to them.

“We do some deliveries to high schools for resale in their snack bars,” Herman says. “Mostly we’ve been concerned about keeping things at the right temperature, but when it comes to food allergies, we make sure we have our proper ingredients list available.”

Betsy Craig is the chief executive officer and founder of Kitchens with Confidence LLC and brings more than 25 years of foodservice industry experience to her company MenuTrinfo LLC. Her goal is to ensure her clients meet or exceed new labeling regulations. 

>
Author(s): Betsy Craig

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Testing & Analysis
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Facilities
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Contamination Control
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

FoodSafetyMattersFinal-900x550-(002).jpg

Ep. 195. Dr. Christopher Daubert: The Value of a Food Science Education

Students returning their lunch trays in a cafeteria

California Bill Would Remove Ultra-Processed Foods from School Lunches

Corporate manager talking with factory employees

Turning Resistance into Opportunity: Motiving Change in the Food Industry

Events

June 26, 2025

How to Design and Conduct Challenge Studies for Safer Products and Longer Shelf Life

Live: June 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn how to conduct challenge studies for microbial spoilage and pathogen growth, including the common challenges encountered, laboratory selection, and use of predictive models.

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • employee training

    Comprehensive training is key to food safety efforts

    See More
  • Stylized image of planet Earth with the FAO/WHO World Food Safety Day logo

    Funding Food Safety Training Is a Public Health Imperative

    See More
  • rfxcel John McPherson

    Why data is key to complete supply chain traceability in food & beverage

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781138070912.jpg

    Trends in Food Safety and Protection

  • food-safety-making.jpg

    Food Safety: Making Foods Safe and Free From Pathogens

  • 9781498721776.jpg

    Handbook of Food Processing: Food Safety, Quality, and Manufacturing Processes

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Responsible Training

    Established in 1999, our company has been at the forefront of setting industry standards for online food safety training courses. With multiple ANSI accreditations, we are dedicated to streamlining the employee training processes. Our commitment to customer satisfaction, exceptional training, competitive pricing, thorough certifications, and steadfast reliability are all geared toward ensuring your success.
  • EAS Consulting Group, a Certified Group Co.

    EAS Consulting Group is a global leader in regulatory solutions for industries regulated by FDA, USDA, and other federal and state agencies. Our network of 200+ independent consultants enables EAS to provide comprehensive consulting, training, and auditing services, ensuring proactive regulatory compliance for food, supplements, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, tobacco, hemp, and CBD.
  • BD Food Safety Consultants LLC

    We are a Food Safety Training and Consulting firm located in Naperville, IL. Our primary goal is to provide with effective training and consulting solutions for Food Manufacturing and Distributing companies. Our training services include the following: FSPCA PCQI classes, IAVA Courses, IHA Accredited HACCP classes, FSVP Courses and Internal Auditor Training classes. We also offer Learning Management System for food manufacturing industry. Our LMS provides effective training solutions and easy training reporting system. Consulting service we offer includes complex assistance with preparations for SQF, BRC & FSSC audits, other 3rd party audits, FSMA (PC, FSVP, IA), HACCP, Dietary Supplements compliance & more. We serve our clients worldwide.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing