Ensuring Safe Dining for Food Allergy Customers: Key Insights from the Allergy Show
The recent Allergy & FreeFrom Show in London provided an excellent platform for engaging with food allergy customers and businesses alike. At Food Allergy Aware and Hospitality Allergen Support UK (HASUK), our mission is to support food businesses in catering safely for diners with food allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease.
Auditing for Safety and Compliance
Caroline Benjamin, founder of Food Allergy Aware, played a pivotal role at the Allergy & FreeFrom Show by auditing stands selling food and drink. It was a great opportunity to engage with stands and attendees to gather valuable insights that can improve allergen safety across the food service industry.
Caroline’s role was to ensure that all stands adhered to strict allergen management and food safety guidelines, safeguarding attendees from potential allergic reactions. It was essential to confirm that all products were accurately labelled and that businesses were taking the necessary precautions to protect allergy customers. After all, your safety is of the utmost importance when planning an event like this.
Key Themes from the HASUK Stand
This year, HASUK a collaboration with Jacqui McPeake’s Jacs Allergen Management and Food Allergy Aware had a stand at the event. We were excited to engage directly with allergy consumers and gather their insights on dining out with food allergies. With over 250 visitors to our stand, we received a wealth of feedback through our interactive ‘Post-it note opinion wall.’
The opinion wall highlighted two key areas: pet hates when dining out and a wish list for better practices. Here is some examples of what we learned:
Pet Hates – Common Issues When Dining Out with Food Allergies:
- Lack of choice for diners with food allergies and intolerances
- Poor staff knowledge and training on dietary requirements and allergens
- Insufficient information on allergens beyond the common top #14 allergens
Wish List – Best Practices for Allergy-Friendly Dining:
- Enhanced processes to minimize cross-contamination risks.
- Improved staff training on allergens and dietary requirements to reduce stress and anxiety for allergy customers.
- Expanded menu options that cater to a range of dietary needs, particularly at grab-and-go venues, festivals, and corporate events.
- Clearer allergen labelling, including allergy-free options labelled on the menu, or separate menus for specific allergens like dairy or gluten.
The Importance of Reporting Near Misses
One of the key initiatives we promoted at the event was our new ‘Report It’ tool, designed to help consumers report near misses and issues when dining out with food allergies. Our research from last year revealed that 60% of hospitality staff do not feel confident in catering for diners with allergies, which can lead to unreported issues. Without this feedback, hospitality businesses miss opportunities to improve their allergen management.
We encourage all attendees to make use of the tool, which allows for anonymous reporting and provides links to report issues to the relevant authorities. You can access the tool here and help us ensure that your dining experiences are safe and enjoyable.
Congratulations to Our Prize Winners!
We are also thrilled to announce the winners of our free prize draw, sponsored by Just Love Cakes, which took place at the HASUK stand. The winners are:
- One Aldwych Dinner for Two: Denise Spencer from Bromley, Kent
- £50 Waitrose Voucher: Vivek Chopra from Greater London
- £50 Waitrose Voucher: Mohammed Sharif from London
- £50 Waitrose Voucher: Rosalind Freedman from Surbiton
Congratulations to all our winners! We hope you enjoy your prizes and thank you for visiting our stand.
Moving Forward Together
As we continue to advocate for better allergen management in the hospitality industry, we invite you to stay connected with HASUK and Food Allergy Aware. If you know of any businesses struggling with allergen management, please direct them to our website at HASUK.co.uk, where they can find resources and support. Together, we can make dining out a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone.
For further updates and information, sign up for our newsletter, and don’t forget to report your dining experiences to help improve the industry!
Caroline Benjamin MSOFHT
Director – Food Allergy Aware
“Certified Food Allergy Awareness Training for the Food Service Industry”