Food service

Any business selling food to the public needs a control in place so that information about ingredients is accurate. If you mislead a customer about ingredients or if you sell something which is not ‘of the substance’ which the customer requested, then you may commit an offence in food safety law.

Make sure that all staff are aware of the importance of telling the truth about everything on sale, both its ingredients and any possibility of cross-contamination by allergens. If necessary, the chef should talk directly to the food-allergic customer, even showing him/ her the original package or product information.

Serving staff should be encouraged to ask a customer avoiding a particular food whether their symptoms could be severe and whether they need to avoid even the tiniest trace of the food. Ideally, there should be a designated person on duty during each shift who is prepared to answer questions about ingredients; however, if no one knows for certain whether an allergen is in an item, admit that and recommend ordering another item.

The key message is: Tell the truth. Never guess.

Jamie should have been trained about the need to give accurate information. In practice, he might have been advised to call a supervisor more able to supply product information.

Just by creating one appetizer, dessert and entrée that is free of the main allergens, a restaurant could meet the needs of their allergic customers.

Using highlighter pens on the order for the food-allergic customer gives a clear visible signal to all those involved in preparing the dish that extra care needs to be taken.