FSA launches chef cards for allergy sufferers
The cards, which can be downloaded from the FSA website, are designed to be filled out by sufferers and handed to restaurant staff to make chefs aware of their condition.
Research by the FSA has shown that 10 people in the UK die every year from food allergies, and most sufferers felt there was not enough information or help available to them when they eat out.
“I think the allergy cards are a great idea, particularly in bigger hotels where the communication between the kitchen and the restaurant might be more fractured," said Scott Goss, Head Chef of The Swan in West Malling, Kent. "If a person with multiple allergies is dining in a big group it is also a discreet way for them to communicate the foods that can cause them very real harm. However, for a Michelin-listed brasserie such as The Swan I feel the cards would be less relevant."
The FSA believes the chef cards will help increase the general awareness of food allergies within the trade and help sufferers communicate clearly to waiting staff the foods they should avoid.
Guidance from the FSA also suggests avoiding cross-contaminating food, and paying attention to advisory labelling on products.
What do you think about the chef cards? Will they be useful and prevent possible incidents, or will they simply slow chefs down when verbal warnings are enough?
