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Identify the 9 major allergens
Identify common areas of cross-contact
Understand FASTER Act of 2021
Recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction
Describe what to do when a customer informs you of a food allergy

To provide you with an understanding of food allergies so you can better serve your customers with food allergies.

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Purpose:

Objectives:

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FOOD

A food allergy happens when the body's immune system overreacts to a harmless food protein- an allergen

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ALLERGIES

Best Practices to Approaching Food Allergies

Defined

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How many Americans have a food allergy?

Pop Quiz

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32,000,000

Whoa! That’s a lot of people

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THE BIG NINE

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THE BIG NINE

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Wheat vs Gluten

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FASTER ACT of 2021

Expanded the definition of ‘major food allergen’
Required sesame to be labelled allergen
Requires Department of Health to report on data related to food allergies

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The pathway to the FASTER Act of 2021 started in 2004 when President Bush signed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) which defined major food allergen and established specific labeling requirements for products containing milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans

In addition to labeling sesame, the FASTER Act mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services report to Congress on the prevalence, severity, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and management of food allergies. This report, to be delivered in late 2022, will also propose strategies to acquire accurate food allergy prevalence data and make recommendations toward developing and implementing a framework to label new major food allergens.

Per current data, there are more than 1.5 million people living in the U.S. are allergic to sesame

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Common Foods that Often Contain Sesame

Hummus
Falafel
Bagels
Breads
Bread crumbs
Breadsticks
Hamburger buns and rolls

Marinades
Seasonings
Soups
Sushi
Tempeh
Vegetarian burgers

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Allergic Reaction: Common Symptoms

Tingling in the mouth
Hives, itching or eczema
Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other parts of the body
Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting

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Allergic Reaction

Symptoms can occur within minutes or can be delayed such as two hours after the individual has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic

Symptoms can vary from person to person

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What is Anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe, potentially fatal, systemic allergic reaction that can involve various areas of the body
Symptoms can include: swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, lower blood pressure and unconsciousness
Symptoms usually appear rapidly (within minutes) and can be life threatening

Call 911 if a person experiences these symptoms

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Menus and Allergen Claims

If you make an allergen claim, such as, “peanut free” you would have the independent obligation to determine whether the finished menu item would still qualify after cooking and combining with other ingredients

Safeguards need to be in place from point of purchase to point of service

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Steps to Take when a Customer Presents

with a Food Allergy

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Check for the Allergen/Food Item in Question

Recipes

Check each ingredient

Food Labels- Always check the label

Must identify the top 9 allergens
Major food allergens are listed in two ways

In parentheses following the name of the ingredient. Example: “lecithin (soy),” flour (wheat),” and “whey (milk)”
Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a “contains” statement. Example: “contains wheat, milk and soy”

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Check for Hidden Ingredients

Examples

Milk- Many restaurants put butter on steaks after they have been grilled to add extra flavor. The butter is not visible after it melts

Fish- Caesar salad dressings and often steak or Worcestershire sauce often contain anchovies

Eggs- Have been used to create the foam or milk topping on speciality coffee drinks and are used in some bar drinks

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Cross-Contact vs Cross-Contamination

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Cross-Contact

Common Areas

Preparation
Cooking
Serving
Dining Area
Cleaning
Storage

Myth: Small amounts of an allergen is safe

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Cross-Contact

Preparation

Do NOT touch an allergen friendly food with a glove/hand that was handling a potential allergen

Question: Is it safe to remove an allergen such as peanuts from a prepared dish and serve the dish?

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Cross-Contact

If possible, designate a separate area of the kitchen to prepare specific allergenic foods

Separate equipment, utensils, cookware, cutting boards, cooking areas/counters may be needed

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Cross-Contact

Fryers

A clean fryer with new oil is needed or use of a separate fryer to safely serve customers with any of the Big 9 Allergens

Ovens

Convection ovens use circulated, heated air which can displace food particles within the oven

Toasters

Separate toasters are a must if toasting gluten free or wheat free bread… crumbs count!

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Cross-Contact

Separate cleaning buckets

Have a separate bucket for cleaning your allergen-free areas to ensure food particles are not deposited in your bucket

All equipment, utensils, cookware, cutting boards, cooking areas and counters need to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized

Don’t forget- tables, chairs and trays

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Answer any additional questions the customer may have
Report findings back to customer
Remember- if there are any doubts about a food, do NOT serve it.

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Allergic

If a Customer is Having an

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Reaction

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Call 911 immediately
Alert management
After the customer is taken care of, follow up with staff and document
Conduct necessary training

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Additional Resources

Resources

Foodallergy.org

Additional GFS Resources:

https://experience.gfs.com/resources/food-allergen-awareness

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Thank you.

If you have questions,

Please contact the Nutrition Resource Center at:

1.800.968.4426

nrc@gfs.com