VN N$ $ SCIENCE
8e6 ++e::
Food Allergy Policies and Procedures in Independently Owned Restaurants in the Orlando Metropolitan Area, Florida
Nelson M. Placa, PhD Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University Anirudh Naig, PhD Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University
tamination. Gupta et al. (2019) suggested training restaurant managers and employ- ees about food allergies, including how to communicate food allergen information to consumers. Food service employees might have access to menu ingredient informa- tion and/or know about food allergy risks to accommodate customers who have food allergies (McAdams et al., 2018), but this might not always be the case. Wen and Kwon (2016) suggested improving commu- nication between employees and consumers can help reduce risks by enabling employees to provide accurate information to custom- ers about allergens in menu items. Shaw (2019) suggested food service opera- tions should be willing to modify menu items, use alternate ingredients, and use separate equipment to accommodate cus- tomers who have food allergies. Lee and Xu (2015) found food service employees willing to modify recipes to accommodate customers who have food allergies. Providing allergen- free foods to consumers who have food aller- gies, however, remains a challenge (Wen & Kwon, 2016). Challenges include hid- den allergens, food preparation techniques, lack of resources (e.g., gloves, space, time), untrained employees or lack of employee knowledge about food allergies, and cost. Of note, Harris (2017) found chain restaurants followed food safety practices more often than independently owned restaurants. Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michi- gan, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and two U.S. cities (New York City, New York, and St. Paul, Minnesota) have legislation for train- ing food service employees about food aller- gies to safeguard customers who have food allergies (FARE, 2024). Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants requires all food operators and employees to know and name
b:;r)+; Preparing and serving allergen-free meals continue to be challenging for food service establishments due to the associated costs and complexity of menu items. Our study assessed food allergy policies and procedures in independently owned restaurants ( n = 103) within the Orlando metropolitan area in Florida. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation HR 5030-038 from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants requires all food service managers and employees to know and name the top 8 major allergens and describe common food allergy symptoms. In total, 71 restaurants accommodated customers who have food allergies. Further, 25 restaurants reported having written food allergy policies and procedures, 63 did not, and 5 did not know. Approximately one half (49) of the owners, operators, and managers did not receive food allergy training. Of the training provided, 27 restaurants oered training in English and 20 restaurants oered training also in Spanish. Food service establishments will benefit from developing and implementing food allergy policies and procedures to serve food safely to customers who have food allergies. Keywords: food service, food allergy, policies and procedures, independently owned restaurant
Introduction A food allergy is an immune system reaction to proteins in food and can cause life-threat- ening situations. Food allergies aect 33 million individuals (Food Allergy Research & Education [FARE], 2023). A food allergy is considered a disability under the Ameri- cans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (U.S. Depart- ment of Justice Civil Rights Division, 2020). The U.S. food service industry accounts for 50% of the dollars consumers spend on food (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2022). Pro- viding safe food is the responsibility of all food service establishments and is essential to protect public health. Providing safe food
also prevents lawsuits, financial losses, and business closures. Lee and Sözen (2016) found a lack of knowledge and training regarding food allergies among employees at indepen- dently owned and chain restaurants, includ- ing front-of-house (e.g., host, server) and back-of-house (e.g., kitchen) sta. Despite employee interest in learning about food allergies, 63% of employees had not received food allergy training. A study by Soon (2018) found food service employees in takeout restaurants lacked an understand- ing of the dierence between food allergies and food intolerances, as well as food han- dling practices needed to avoid cross-con-
8
Volume 87 • Number 3
Powered by FlippingBook