‘Food allergy? Ask before you eat’: Current food allergy training and future training needs in food services

Soon, Jan Mei

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107129

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Although there is legislation (The Food Information Regulations 2014 (“FIR”) [ 7 ] and The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019) [ 8 ] requiring all operators to disclose food allergens, there is no mandatory catering training for special dietary provision. Evidence suggests that there are significant knowledge gaps regarding special diets among the employees of the UK hospitality industry [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. The workforce in restaurants often consists of young employees, some of whom are undertaking their first job, and there may be high employee turnover with low engagement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hungry for Change: The Experiences of People with PKU, and Their Caregivers, When Eating Out

et al. 2022

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For patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), stringent dietary management is demanding and eating out may pose many challenges. Often, there is little awareness about special dietary requirements within the hospitality sector. This study’s aim was to investigate the experiences and behaviours of people with PKU and their caregivers when dining out. We also sought to identify common problems in order to improve their experiences when eating outside the home. Individuals with PKU or their caregivers residing in the UK were invited to complete a cross-sectional online survey that collected both qualitative and quantitative data about their experiences when eating out. Data were available from 254 questionnaire respondents (136 caregivers or patients with PKU < 18 years and 118 patients with PKU ≥ 18 years (n = 100) or their caregivers (n = 18)). Fifty-eight per cent dined out once per month or less (n = 147/254) and the biggest barrier to more frequent dining was ‘limited choice of suitable low-protein foods’ (90%, n = 184/204), followed by ‘no information about the protein content of foods’ (67%, n = 137/204). Sixty-nine per cent (n = 176/254) rated their dining experience as less than satisfactory. Respondents ranked restaurant employees’ knowledge of the PKU diet as very poor with an overall median rating of 1.6 (on a scale of 1 for extremely poor to 10 for extremely good). Forty-four per cent (n = 110/252) of respondents said that restaurants had refused to prepare alternative suitable foods; 44% (n = 110/252) were not allowed to eat their own prepared food in a restaurant, and 46% (n = 115/252) reported that restaurants had refused to cook special low-protein foods. Forty per cent (n = 101/254) of respondents felt anxious before entering restaurants. People with PKU commonly experienced discrimination in restaurants, with hospitality staff failing to support their dietary needs, frequently using allergy laws and concerns about cross-contamination as a reason not to provide suitable food options. It is important that restaurant staff receive training regarding low-protein diets, offer more low-protein options, provide protein analysis information on all menu items, and be more flexible in their approach to cooking low-protein foods supplied by the person with PKU. This may help people with PKU enjoy safe meals when dining out and socialising with others.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hungry for Change: The Experiences of People with PKU, and Their Caregivers, When Eating Out

et al. 2022

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“…Endres et al , 2021; McAdams et al , 2018; Wen and Kwon, 2019). The growing prevalence of food sensitivities, and the high profile cases of negative incidents reinforces the need invest in stronger foodservice practices (Soon, 2020). These encompass multiple operational domains including transparent menu labelling, improved procedures for food handling, preparation and service to reduce risks and investment in training to improve risk-related knowledge and communication (Carter et al , 2020).…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a global rise in food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease, and their impacts on management often arise from negative incidents when individuals have been harmed due to service failures (Soon, 2020). This study has shown that their impacts on consumer experiences and experience management are negatively loaded.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The event experiences of attendees with food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease: risk loaded value-creation/destruction

Weber

Lugosi

2021

IJEFM

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PurposeFor attendees with allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease, accessing safe, nutritious and good quality food and drink is a vital but challenging dimension of events. This study sought to capture and analyse the lived event experiences of individuals with a variety of food-related health, wellbeing and safety needs.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted an inductive approach, using semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data from participants with various food allergies and intolerances or coeliac disease.FindingsAttendees had low expectations regarding food choice, quality and value, which stemmed from past event experiences. Poor information about suitable food and drink, coupled with frontline staffs' perceived knowledge, responsiveness and care were frequently seen as sources of service failures. The data stress how exposure to potentially harmful foods and food avoidance influenced attendees' experiences. The findings also help to appreciate consumers' agency, identifying various coping strategies used by affected individuals to anticipate risks, engage in compensatory behaviours and mitigate the effects of unsuitable food and drink.Originality/valueThis study is unique in examining the event experiences of individuals with food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease. It demonstrates how practices in the crucial domain of food and drink provision can affect the overall event experience, with potential consequences at, across and potentially beyond the venue and occasion. From a theoretical perspective, the study conceptualises intersections of risk, value-creation/destruction and experiential consumption. It shows the “episodic” and “perpetual” impacts of “risk loaded” consumption, while arguing that diverse value-creation/destruction practices mediate pathways leading to different experiential outcomes.

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“…Sogut et al (2014) unearth that the rate of correct answers to a survey on food allergy was the lowest among foodservice managers. Although some good food allergy management practices, such as providing on-the-job training for staff (Soon, 2020), or customised food on special dietary requests (Pratten and Towers, 2004), have been acknowledged, staff and managerial training on food allergies remains ineffective. Trained food servers demonstrate no greater knowledge (Bailey et al, 2011) and indicate "their preference for self-paced training programs that use real-world examples and simple language" (Lee and Sozen, 2016, p. 52).…”

Section: Descriptive Overview Of the Reviewed Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A recipe for sustainable development: assessing transition of commercial foodservices towards the goal of the triple bottom line sustainability

Bui

Filimonau

2021

IJCHM

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Purpose This study aims to critically evaluate the factual triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability performance of commercial foodservices as featured in peer-reviewed academic publications. Design/methodology/approach The commercial foodservices’ sustainability performance-related articles were collected for a systematic review. An inductive thematic analysis was applied to the eligible articles. Findings The contribution of the commercial foodservice sector to the TBL sustainability is highlighted through eight themes: food waste management; food safety and hygiene; food allergy management; provision of healthy meals; local food use; employment of the disadvantaged; well-being of (non)managerial personnel; and noise level management. Originality/value The critical evaluation of the actual TBL sustainability measures adopted by commercial foodservice providers highlights the feasibility of the measures, thus calling for their broader industry uptake. Research gaps and issues for future investigations are accentuated for scholars to support the industry in its progress towards the goals of the TBL sustainability.

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‘Food allergy? Ask before you eat’: Current food allergy training and future training needs in food services

Cited by 14 publications

References 27 publications

Hungry for Change: The Experiences of People with PKU, and Their Caregivers, When Eating Out

Hungry for Change: The Experiences of People with PKU, and Their Caregivers, When Eating Out

The event experiences of attendees with food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease: risk loaded value-creation/destruction

A recipe for sustainable development: assessing transition of commercial foodservices towards the goal of the triple bottom line sustainability

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