National Restaurant Association Joins Food Allergy Buddy to Raise Awareness of Food Allergy Safety
http://californiawineandfood.com/articles/164/1/National-Restaurant-Association-Joins-Food-Allergy-Buddy-to-Raise-Awareness-of-Food-Allergy-Safety/Page1.html
CWF Sources
By CWF Sources
Published on 07/21/2005
(Washington, DC) The National Restaurant Association today
announced its recent collaboration with Phil Lempert, NBC's
"Today" Show food editor also known as the "Supermarket
Guru," to promote the Food Allergy Buddy (FAB) Dining Card
program. This program underscores the restaurant industry's
continuing efforts to meet the needs of its customers and
promote its proactive commitment to food allergy safety.
The FAB Dining Card is a unique public service tool for consumers to easily communicate any specific food allergies to restaurant staff and chefs when dining ...
The FAB Dining Card is a unique public service tool for consumers to easily communicate any specific food allergies to restaurant staff and chefs when dining ...
National Restaurant Association Joins Food Allergy Buddy to Raise Awareness of Food Allergy Safety
(Washington, DC) The National Restaurant Association today announced its recent collaboration with Phil Lempert, NBC's "Today" Show food editor also known as the "Supermarket Guru," to promote the Food Allergy Buddy (FAB) Dining Card program. This program underscores the restaurant industry's continuing efforts to meet the needs of its customers and promote its proactive commitment to food allergy safety.
The FAB Dining Card is a unique public service tool for consumers to easily communicate any specific food allergies to restaurant staff and chefs when dining in one of the nation's 900,000 restaurants. With the summer season in full swing, many Americans on vacation or traveling throughout the country may be visiting restaurants with unfamiliar menus or menu items. The FAB Dining Card can help put many food-allergic customers' minds at ease.
"The restaurant industry has long been committed to providing consumers with options when dining out at their favorite restaurants. Whether it is to customize menu items or alter food preparation methods, restaurants regularly accommodate customers to meet their lifestyles, tastes and health restrictions, including food allergies," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the Association. "We are pleased to join with Phil Lempert in promoting this unique service for the more than 11 million Americans who suffer from food allergies, and we look forward to working with him in educating consumers about this service to ensure they have a safe and enjoyable dining experience."
The FAB Dining Card is available for free online by visiting www.foodallergybuddy.com. By simply logging onto the Food Allergy Buddy web site and with a few clicks of the mouse, customers can print out personalized ingredient cards - at no charge - that can be presented to a restaurant's staff and chef, detailing specific ingredients or foods to which they are allergic so that the restaurant can alter recipes accordingly. The Association also encourages restaurant operators to review the FAB web site and post a link to foodallergybuddy.com on their web site to provide this resource to their patrons.
"The FAB card is a win-win for restaurants and patrons because it gives restaurants the opportunity to better serve customers' needs and create an environment that is not only safe, but comfortable, for food-allergic customers," said Phil Lempert, creator of the Food Allergy Buddy Dining Card. "The National Restaurant Association has long been recognized for its efforts in food safety and food allergy training and education within the industry, and this collaboration builds upon the success of those existing programs and initiatives that not only benefit restaurant operations, but more importantly, their customers with special dietary needs."
The National Restaurant Association and the restaurant industry pride themselves on having a well-informed, trained and educated staff on all aspects of food safety, including food allergy safety. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (NRAEF) ServSafe Food Safety Training Program - the leading food safety training program recognized by more federal, state and local jurisdictions than any other program and that has certified more than 2.5 million foodservice professionals - includes a section on food allergy training.
The Association also, in partnership with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), created the Food Allergy Training Program for Restaurants and Foodservices to provide foodservice professionals vital training on food allergies and how to handle potential situations.
The Food Allergy Training Program - a two-part set with video (Spanish and English versions) and manual (English only) - contains information for both front- and back-of-the-house staff. In addition to providing important allergy information, the video offers clear visual scenarios illustrating strategies for handling food-allergic customers from the moment they review the menu, place the order and receive their food.
The FAB Dining Card is a unique public service tool for consumers to easily communicate any specific food allergies to restaurant staff and chefs when dining in one of the nation's 900,000 restaurants. With the summer season in full swing, many Americans on vacation or traveling throughout the country may be visiting restaurants with unfamiliar menus or menu items. The FAB Dining Card can help put many food-allergic customers' minds at ease.
"The restaurant industry has long been committed to providing consumers with options when dining out at their favorite restaurants. Whether it is to customize menu items or alter food preparation methods, restaurants regularly accommodate customers to meet their lifestyles, tastes and health restrictions, including food allergies," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the Association. "We are pleased to join with Phil Lempert in promoting this unique service for the more than 11 million Americans who suffer from food allergies, and we look forward to working with him in educating consumers about this service to ensure they have a safe and enjoyable dining experience."
The FAB Dining Card is available for free online by visiting www.foodallergybuddy.com. By simply logging onto the Food Allergy Buddy web site and with a few clicks of the mouse, customers can print out personalized ingredient cards - at no charge - that can be presented to a restaurant's staff and chef, detailing specific ingredients or foods to which they are allergic so that the restaurant can alter recipes accordingly. The Association also encourages restaurant operators to review the FAB web site and post a link to foodallergybuddy.com on their web site to provide this resource to their patrons.
"The FAB card is a win-win for restaurants and patrons because it gives restaurants the opportunity to better serve customers' needs and create an environment that is not only safe, but comfortable, for food-allergic customers," said Phil Lempert, creator of the Food Allergy Buddy Dining Card. "The National Restaurant Association has long been recognized for its efforts in food safety and food allergy training and education within the industry, and this collaboration builds upon the success of those existing programs and initiatives that not only benefit restaurant operations, but more importantly, their customers with special dietary needs."
The National Restaurant Association and the restaurant industry pride themselves on having a well-informed, trained and educated staff on all aspects of food safety, including food allergy safety. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (NRAEF) ServSafe Food Safety Training Program - the leading food safety training program recognized by more federal, state and local jurisdictions than any other program and that has certified more than 2.5 million foodservice professionals - includes a section on food allergy training.
The Association also, in partnership with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), created the Food Allergy Training Program for Restaurants and Foodservices to provide foodservice professionals vital training on food allergies and how to handle potential situations.
The Food Allergy Training Program - a two-part set with video (Spanish and English versions) and manual (English only) - contains information for both front- and back-of-the-house staff. In addition to providing important allergy information, the video offers clear visual scenarios illustrating strategies for handling food-allergic customers from the moment they review the menu, place the order and receive their food.