in their restaurant. Most participants ( n = 72, 69%) accommodated customers who have food allergies, while nearly one third ( n = 31, 30%) did not. Of the participants, less than one half ( n = 41, 40%) identified allergen-free menu items for customers with a food allergy, whereas more than one half ( n = 68, 59%) did not. Further, nearly two thirds of participants ( n = 63, 61%) indicated their restaurant had no written food allergen policies and proce- dures. Participants at food service establish- ments with written food allergy policies and procedures indicated having policies and pro- cedures in place for 1–3 years ( n = 20, 19%). In our study, more than one half of par- ticipants had received formal food allergy training. Specifically, 62% of owners, opera- tors, and managers ( n = 64) and 54% of back- of-house employees ( n = 56) had received formal food allergy training. Additionally, more than one half of the participants ( n = 60, 58%) had some food safety certification. The Florida DBPR has adopted the 2017 ver- sion of the Food and Drug Administration Food Code (FDA, 2022). Section 381.0072 of the Florida statutes requires all food ser- vice establishments to have a certified food manager at the food service establishment (Florida DBPR, 2024). More than one half ( n = 53, 52%) of participants had not received any food allergy training, and most ( n = 80, 78%) were not certified in food allergy train- ing (Table 1). The Florida DBPR does not require food service operations to provide thorough food allergy training to operators and employees but requires that employees know and be able to name the top 8 major allergens and recognize common food allergy symptoms (Florida DBPR, 2015). Of the participants, more than one half ( n = 66, 64%) responded no to having food allergy training offered in multiple lan- guages. Participants who answered yes to having training available in multiple lan- guages selected Spanish ( n = 20, 19%) as the second-most common language after Eng- lish. More than one half of participants ( n = 55, 53%) had designated individuals (e.g., manager, host, server, cook) who could explain allergen-free menu options to cus- tomers with a food allergy. Owners, opera- tors, and managers ( n = 43, 42%) usually were the designated person to communi- cate allergen-free menu options to custom- ers who have a food allergy, followed by the
TABLE 2
Food Safety Policies and Procedures for Independently Owned Restaurants ( n = 103)
Policy and Procedure
#
%
Does your restaurwant accommodate customers with food allergies? Yes
71 31
68.9 30.1
No
Do not know 1.0 If yes is selected, which of the following food allergy-free menu items do you have available at your restaurant? Select all that apply.* Gluten-free 37 35.9 Peanut- or nut-free 29 28.2 Milk-free 18 17.5 Soy-free 16 15.5 Shellfish-free 20 19.4 Egg-free 20 19.4 Other (e.g., corn-free) 5 4.9 Does your restaurant currently have written food allergen policies and procedures in place? Yes 35 34.0 No 63 61.1 Do not know 5 4.9 If yes is selected, how long have these written food allergen policies and procedures been in place? (years) <1 5 4.9 1–3 20 19.4 4–6 6 5.8 >6 7 6.8 Not answered 65 63.1 Does your restaurant currently have formal food allergy training? Select all that apply.* Yes 19 18.5 No 66 73.8 Do not know 17 16.5 Owner or manager 64 62.1 Front-of-house (e.g., host, server) 29 28.3 Back-of-house (e.g., cook, chef) 56 54.4 In which language(s) is the training available? Select all that apply.* English 27 26.2 Spanish 20 19.4 Portuguese 1 1.0 Haitian Creole 3 2.9 Chinese 1 1.0 Does your restaurant have a designated individual (e.g., manager, host, server, cook) who can explain allergen-free menu options to customers who have a food allergy? Yes 55 53.4 No 45 43.7 Do not know 3 2.9 1
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October 2024 • our6)l o. 6=1ro6me6;)l e)l;0
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