October 4th, 2024

Allergy Training for Restaurant Staff

Allergy Training

In today’s culinary landscape, the importance of allergy training and awareness in restaurants and cafes cannot be overstated. Proper education about this for front-of-house and back-of-house staff is essential for customer safety and satisfaction.

The statistics speak volumes about the prevalence of food sensitivities in our society. In the United States alone, coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people, with up to 6% of the population experiencing gluten sensitivity. Similar figures are reported in Australia and New Zealand – it’s a global issue. These are not just data points, but real people who rely on restaurants to provide safe dining experiences.

As @arestaurant_guy stated on social media, ‘For our General Managers, the number one training topic needs to be allergies. Everything else in a restaurant can be learned, but if an employee isn’t 100% confident in how to serve or cook a coeliac’s meal, they can’t work in our building.’

Why is Allergy Training and Awareness Important?

– Customer Safety: Proper training helps staff understand the severity of food allergies and how to prevent cross-contamination, essential for protecting customers with allergies.
– Legal Compliance: Many jurisdictions require restaurants to have staff trained in food allergen awareness and management.
– Customer Service: Well-trained staff can confidently answer questions about ingredients and preparation methods, improving the dining experience for customers with allergies.
– Risk Management: Adequate training reduces the risk of allergic reactions, which can lead to medical emergencies and potential lawsuits.
– Brand Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to allergy awareness can enhance a restaurant’s reputation and attract customers with dietary restrictions.

Common Food Allergies

The most common food allergies that restaurant staff should be aware of are:
– Peanuts
– Tree nuts (including almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts)
– Milk (dairy)
– Eggs
– Fish
– Shellfish (including crustacea like prawns and lobster, and molluscs like oysters and calamari)
– Soy (soya, soybeans)
– Wheat
– Sesame
– Lupin
– Gluten-containing cereals (including barley, oats, rye, and wheat)13

These allergens account for around 90% of food allergic reactions. Even trace amounts of these allergens can cause severe reactions in highly sensitive individuals.

Allergen Training for Front of House Staff

Menu Knowledge: Staff should be thoroughly familiar with the ingredients in all menu items, including hidden allergens in sauces, garnishes, and cooking oils.
Communication Skills: Training on how to effectively communicate with customers about their allergies and how to relay this information accurately to kitchen staff.
Allergen Advice: Understanding how to provide clear allergen advice to customers, including potential cross-contamination risks.
Symptoms Recognition: Recognising the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Emergency Procedures: Knowledge of what to do in case of an allergic emergency.

Allergen Training for Kitchen Staff

Ingredient Awareness: Deep understanding of all ingredients used in the kitchen, including pre-prepared items and cooking oils.
Cross-Contamination Prevention: Thorough training on avoiding cross-contamination during food preparation, including:
– Proper hand washing.
– Cleaning and sanitising equipment and utensils
– Proper food storage
– Use of dedicated preparation areas and equipment for allergen-free meals.

Allergen-Free Meal Preparation: Specific procedures for preparing allergen-free meals, including communication with other kitchen staff.
Labelling and Documentation: Proper labelling of ingredients and maintaining up-to-date allergen information.
Substitutions and Modifications: Understanding the implications of ingredient substitutions and how to safely modify recipes for allergen-free requests.
Hidden Allergens: Awareness of less obvious sources of allergens, such as garnishes, gravies, and sauces.
Oil Usage: Understanding the importance of using appropriate cooking oils for allergen-free meals.
Contamination Risks: Awareness of often-overlooked contamination risks, such as tea towels and shared utensils in buffet settings.

How an Adelaide Pub Group Handles Allergy Training and Awareness

The Duke of Brunswick and Port Admiral Hotel in Adelaide, South Australia are proudly gluten-free. ‘We’ve gone above and beyond in creating an amazing dining experience that caters not just to everyone but specifically those with allergies; particularly our Coeliac family! We make sure every dish served is 100% gluten-free – so no matter what your order is, there’s no nasty gluten hiding under this roof!’

This has created a powerful point of difference and made them a destination for not just coeliacs but many others who want to be careful with what they eat. They shared with us their approach to allergy training and awareness:

‘Our management team works closely with the chefs to ensure they are on the front foot when providing information to the Front and Back of House.

During the interview process, we establish a baseline when employing new staff, explaining our core values and target clientele. We also explain that we have 100% coeliac-certified venues and how important it is to provide our customers with a safe environment.

All new employees must complete a food safety awareness course and a Coeliac Australia short quiz before their first shift – both are in our staff induction book. We also provide and make a menu allergen matrix available to all staff and customers, updated with every menu or product change. Our chefs and management have completed the current Australian Food Safety Supervisor certificate, which establishes a great foundation for food allergies and safety.

The kitchen team is trained to check food ingredient labels and report any change or substitution with stock and deliveries. We have a food safety program within our venues to help document and an in-house Slack channel to share the information quickly to all employees.

We also use the services of Foodini within our venues. This involves lengthy and in-depth onboarding with a certified dietitian who focuses on allergens in our menu. Foodini uses a QR code for our customers to log on and filter out their preferred allergies, providing them with safe menu choices.

Coeliac Australia has also accredited us through an audit process, including lab sampling. We are primarily certified as a coeliac-safe venue and offer many other allergy-free options.’ Many thanks to Simone Douglas and Tiffany Hughes for sharing this.

Allergy Training

Australia:
Food Allergy Training by Food Allergy Aware
All About Allergens by Food Allergy Training Australia
Free Food Safety and Food Allergy Training by North Sydney Council

New Zealand:
Food Allergy and Intolerance Resources by Ministry for Primary Industries
Allergy New Zealand Training Resources
Food Safety Training by New Zealand Food Safety

United States:
Food Allergy Training by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)
ServSafe Allergens Online Course by National Restaurant Association
Food Allergies: What You Need to Know by FDA

United Kingdom:
Food Allergy Training by Food Standards Agency
Allergy Awareness Resource for Restaurants & Takeaways by Food Standards Agency
Allergen Training by Anaphylaxis Campaign

Handling Staff Lapses in Allergy Training

The key to managing food allergies in a restaurant is creating a culture of awareness and responsibility among all staff. Regular training, clear protocols, and consistent enforcement are essential to maintaining a safe environment for customers with food allergies. This means:

– Ongoing Training: Restaurants should provide regular refresher courses on food allergy management to keep the information fresh in staff members’ minds.
– Clear Protocols: Establish written procedures for handling food allergies that staff can easily reference if they forget specific details.
– Supervision: Managers or experienced staff should oversee the preparation of allergen-free meals to ensure proper procedures are followed.
– ‘No Guessing’ Policy: Staff should be instructed never to guess about allergen information. If unsure, they should check with a manager or chef.
– Allergen Menu Matrix: Maintain an up-to-date allergen menu matrix that staff can consult for accurate ingredient information.
– Standardised Recipes: Use standardised recipes to ensure consistency in ingredients and preparation methods. Many venues use digital recipe costing and management systems – does yours also include allergen information?
– Communication Systems: Implement clear communication systems between front-of-house and back-of-house staff to relay allergy information accurately.
– Designated Allergen Experts: Have designated staff members who are well-versed in allergen management to assist when others are unsure.
– Immediate Correction: If a staff member makes a mistake or forgets proper procedures, address it immediately and provide on-the-spot retraining.
– Consequences for Non-Compliance: Establish clear consequences for staff who repeatedly fail to follow allergy protocols to emphasise the seriousness of the issue.

Allergy Training

Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…

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