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Table 6 Disparities in the provision of allergen information

From: Comparing the eating out experiences of consumers seeking to avoid different food allergens

1)

‘I’ve definitely seen it [allergen information] a lot more about. It’s kinda really visible in a lot of places which is alright… I think it is just a few of them [allergens]… Just nuts and gluten.’ (A32, FI: Gluten)

2)

‘… they have an entirely separate menu so I feel very comfortable going there… my preference is a separate gluten free menu but I realise it’s probably unrealistic to expect everywhere to do that so I guess, if I’m going into a place I know doesn’t have a gluten free menu it just makes things 10 times easier if they’ve got a little symbol… the little symbols and then a key under every dish. Just printed those symbols and then it’s done, easy.’ (A13, FI: Gluten)

3)

‘… going out it normally says on the menu now. It will have a little ‘N’ next to it or something... Is that a new thing? It’s getting better since I last saw you. Most places do it now and they do it for gluten free and things… It will say if it’s got nuts in. It makes it easier for them because they’re not having to answer your questions all the time. You can read the menu and say “that has got nuts in”.’ (A58, FA: Peanuts & tree nuts)

4)

‘In my experience it’s [the legislation] been ineffective for his condition and I have actually been in a restaurant with a friend that was presented with a gluten free menu for breakfast and I was so impressed that they could do that with the gluten free but [it] wasn’t available for dairy- and in fact the same restaurant was able to present a different menu for [healthy weight loss] diets which I thought was amazing- that they could go to that effort but yet it wasn’t available for something that seems to effect a lot of people.’ (P7, FI: Milk)

5)

‘… mainly vegetarian and vegan, yep, and gluten free and they were the main ones. But not dairy? Not dairy, nothing. I haven’t come across a single place that talks about dairy free. But I think it’s because it’s not very well understood.’ (A51, FI: Milk)

6)

‘On the menu where you see the ‘V’ or the ‘G’ and all that business, to have a ‘D’ for dairy so that covers any type of dairy then at least you could say, actually for me, I would rule it all out…’ (A44, FI: Milk)