Have you ever been in a situation where a customer eats food that he or she is allergic to and you had to call an ambulance for healthcare support? Of course, calling an ambulance is always the right choice, but it is very important to be extra careful and provide safe, allergen-free meals once you are informed of a food allergy by customers. This is even easier when you have a team of professionals having food handlers certificate as the course helps professionals better prepare for safe food handling.
In case you cannot provide an allergen-free meal, it is very important to notify the customer as such. Hiding things can lead to great trouble for the customer as well as the business owner. So, the first step any business must take is to take a food handlers certificate online test to prevent any such situation. Training for obtaining a food handlers certificate is especially important to ensure all staff are aware of their obligations and are capable of fulfilling them.
When training your staff with members in allergen management, it is very important for business owners and managers to ensure that the team:
- Has a good understanding of common food allergens.
- Is aware of food items that can be an allergen for customers.
- Knows what must go in the food items that are being prepared in the kitchen as well as which items contain allergens.
- Is equipped with the skills to carefully avoid cross-contamination by following safety guidelines like washing hands and changing gloves regularly.
- Is comfortable reading ingredients or seeking clarification.
- Is able to communicate clearly with the concerned staff member when informed that a customer has an allergy
For a business owner, it is important to provide training for food handlers certificates so that the team member is able to recognize the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. The training programs are also aimed at helping food handlers to act immediately if a customer has a serious allergic reaction.
The importance of prevention
As we all understand that prevention is better than cure, it also applies ensuring to provide allergen-free food to customers. The reason here is that most fatalities related to a food allergy occur when eating outside the home, which makes it important for food handlers and other team members to be ready to take the right action on time as well as ensure prevention to avoid the situation.
- Business owners or managers must have an effective process in place for preparing food for customers with food allergies.
- The team must know how to communicate with customers about potential food allergies, such as the information they need to provide and how to ask customers about food allergies.
- Staff must be trained to follow the best food safety practices to prevent cross-contamination.
- Food makers and handlers must be prepared to handle emergency situations if there is a need.
