Serving customers with food allergies
Tuominen, Ella (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023120433905
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023120433905
Tiivistelmä
The main objective of this product-based thesis was to create a guidebook to help with training front-of-house staff about food-related allergies and intolerances. In recent years, the prevalence of allergies has significantly increased affecting a more extensive portion of the population. As a result, it has become more important to offer sufficient training on the subject to ensure a safe and allergy-free dining experience for all customers.
This thesis consists of three main theoretical parts. The first part is about the most common allergies and intolerances in Finland. Food allergies are immune system reactions that occur after consuming foods that contain allergens. When someone has a food allergy, their immune system identifies specific proteins in the food as unsafe and releases chemicals to attack them. These proteins are usually not harmful for most people, making the reaction unnecessary. This immune response can lead to various symptoms, ranging from mild and manageable to severe. Symptoms can be anywhere from itching, swelling of the tongue and stomach issues to, in severe cases, anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. The most common food allergies on adults in Finland are milk, wheat, nuts, legumes, fish, and shellfish.
The second part focuses on customer service and highlights the most critical points of communication regarding serving allergic customers. Lastly, the third part focuses on training servers both in general and in relation to serving allergic customers. The theoretical part as well as the guidebook resulted were created with literature on the subject as well as current legislations regarding information about allergies.
The final product of this thesis is a guidebook specifically tailored to serving people with food related allergies. The guidebook is created with the graphic design tool Canva. It contains essential information on the most common allergies and intolerances. It also provides instructions on how to effectively serve customers with allergies to ensure their safety when visiting a restaurant. Lastly, the guidebook describes the symptoms of anaphylaxis as well as a step-by-step guide on dealing with allergy related emergencies.
This thesis consists of three main theoretical parts. The first part is about the most common allergies and intolerances in Finland. Food allergies are immune system reactions that occur after consuming foods that contain allergens. When someone has a food allergy, their immune system identifies specific proteins in the food as unsafe and releases chemicals to attack them. These proteins are usually not harmful for most people, making the reaction unnecessary. This immune response can lead to various symptoms, ranging from mild and manageable to severe. Symptoms can be anywhere from itching, swelling of the tongue and stomach issues to, in severe cases, anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. The most common food allergies on adults in Finland are milk, wheat, nuts, legumes, fish, and shellfish.
The second part focuses on customer service and highlights the most critical points of communication regarding serving allergic customers. Lastly, the third part focuses on training servers both in general and in relation to serving allergic customers. The theoretical part as well as the guidebook resulted were created with literature on the subject as well as current legislations regarding information about allergies.
The final product of this thesis is a guidebook specifically tailored to serving people with food related allergies. The guidebook is created with the graphic design tool Canva. It contains essential information on the most common allergies and intolerances. It also provides instructions on how to effectively serve customers with allergies to ensure their safety when visiting a restaurant. Lastly, the guidebook describes the symptoms of anaphylaxis as well as a step-by-step guide on dealing with allergy related emergencies.