Know Your Food Allergens

Allergens are an important aspect of nutrition basics. Learn the types of common food allergens and how they can affect your diners and restaurant.

Major Food Allergens

Food allergy cases can be caused by a number of common food allergens. Here’s a list of the common food allergens:

1. Milk and dairy products
2. Eggs and egg products
3. Fish
4. Shellfish
5. Tree nuts
6. Peanuts
7. Wheat
8. Soy and soy products

You can get a FREE Food Allergens Checklist here.
 

Signs of food allergy

Knowing and recognising these signs can help you manage food allergy cases properly in your restaurant. Here are the common signs of food allergy:

1. Swollen lips/tongue, or itchy lips
2. Stomach cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea
3. Hives, rashes or eczema
4. Wheezing and difficulty in breathing
    

Avoiding allergies in restaurants

1. Prevention is a lot easier and less costly than treating a food allergy case. Knowing the signs of food allergy and the major food allergens is just the first step – it’s our responsibility to prevent any allergic reactions occurring to our diners. Here are suggested steps for prevention and immediate actions to take during a diner’s allergic reaction:
2. Have detailed menu descriptions and lists of ingredients, especially those from the eight major allergens.
3. Educate service staff on how to let diners know about the ingredients used in dishes.
4. Train staff to answer questions on allergens.
5. Point out dishes prone to allergic reactions to staff and teach them to recommend other dishes for diners.
6. Keep the emergency numbers of nearby hospitals and clinics in case of an emergency.
7. Train service staff on which menu items are healthier choices and teach them to recommend them to diners.