Apr. 18, 2011 A new study published in Clinical & Experimental
Allergy reveals that there is no association between a
restaurant worker's knowledge of food allergy and his or her
confidence in being able to provide a safe meal to a food
allergic customer. Food allergies are common, affecting 2% of
adults and as much as 8% of children in the UK alone. Allergic
reactions can cause a wide variety of symptoms, the most serious
being anaphylaxis, which can cause death. Led by Professor Helen
Smith of Brighton & Sussex Medical School, UK, researchers
telephoned 90 table-service restaurants in Brighton to assess
staff knowledge of food allergy and determine how comfortable
they felt providing meals to food allergic customers. Responses
demonstrate apparent gaps in restaurant staff's knowledge of
food allergy. In one out of three kitchens, common food
allergens (e.g. eggs, peanuts, wheat, milk, nuts, fish) were not
separated from other foods. One in five staff members thought
that an allergic customer consuming a sma