Serving People with Food Allergies: Kitchen Management and Menu Creation

An increasing number of people have food allergies or require special diets, and they are dining out more often. As a food service professional, how do you accommodate the needs of these customers? Serving People with Food Allergies: Kitchen Management and Menu Creation brings together a vast store of knowledge and practical advice for people working in the food service industry.This handy reference contains tools for cooks, managers, and chefs to help them create and modify recipes that meet the needs of people afflicted with multiple food allergies. It discusses the special dietary needs of those with autism, celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, and phenylketonuria (PKU), as well as diets for people who are vegetarian or vegan.The former manager of Product Development and Special Diets for Walt Disney World® Resort and an experienced trainer, the author goes through step-by-step processes for the kitchen and front of the house. Reviewing the main foods that cause allergic reactions—eggs, milk, peanuts and tree nuts, fish and shellfish, soy, wheat, and corn—he explains how to identify the ingredients, by-products, and derivatives in food labels. The author provides information on specialty products to enhance menu offerings and reduce liability issues. He also offers ideas on reviewing kitchen procedures to identify ways to prevent cross-contact and cross-contamination of food.Written for large food service corporations and hotel and restaurant chains to use when training their staff, this book contains information on cooking for and serving those with food allergies and special dietary needs. Using basic terminology, this book is suitable for home cooks as well.

About the Author

Joel J. Schaefer is a Certified Chef de Cuisine and Certified Hospitality Trainer, and president of Allergy Chefs, Inc., specializing in food allergy and special diets training and product development. Along with running his own business, Schaefer is the Research & Development Chef for AllergyFree Foods and consulting chef for the Cafe at Virginia College and San Jamar/Chef Revival. His past experience includes manager of Product Development and Special Diets for Walt Disney World Resort; culinary nutrition instructor at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida; and chef instructor at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2009, he received the Michael Ty Endowment Fund, an American Culinary Federation national award, for his educational work with children and the food service industry in the areas of nutrition and food allergy awareness.