Importance of Catering for Food Allergies at Corporate Events
Food allergies and dietary restrictions are on the rise all over the world, with no signs of stabilisation. Guests are also becoming more health conscious and standing strong in their religious or personal beliefs on how food should be prepared.
All these things need to be taken into account when planning the catering for an event.
Why is it important to cater for dietary requirements?
Event organisers need to be familiar with dietary needs and can make adjustments to suit those guests. Food plays a central role in meetings, association conferences and events, and it is extremely important that the event planner addresses dietary requirements safely and professionally.
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What Are The Most Common Type Of Allergies?
The Top 14 Allergens Are:
Celery
Cereals containing gluten
Crustaceans
Eggs
Fish
Lupin
Dairy
Molluscs
Mustard
Tree nuts
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Soybeans
Sulphites
Consideration For Food At Events
Food is often a critical component (& well remembered!) when it comes to planning corporate events and can often be the biggest challenge.
It is also very important that delegates don’t feel alienated or feel like they are missing out because they have a dietary requirement. As well as being very common, certain ones can be potentially dangerous.
Make Yourself Aware Of Dietary Requirements
Dietary concerns should be discussed in advance of the event. The best time to collect any meal specific information is when the delegate registers for the event to allow time for it to be catered for.
It is also a responsibility of the guest to advise event organisers of any requests and alert them of their dietary needs. It is also advisable to communicate and highlight with the on-site staff.
What Are Food Allergies?
A food allergy is a reaction the body has after eating a specific food. Reactions depend on the severity of the allergy and the amount of the food consumed.
You have to be incredibly careful when dealing with food allergies as those with severe allergies can have a life-threatening reaction to a tiny amount of the food.
What Are Dietary Restrictions?
A dietary restriction limits what a person can eat. While some are spurred by allergies, others are based on social and cultural choices, lifestyle changes, and health crazes.
The Most Common Dietary Requirements Are:
Vegetarian
Gluten Free
Vegan
Nut Free
Lactose Free
Paleo
Kosher and other Religious and cultural needs.
Best Practices
At the event if there is a buffet, ensure that all the dishes are clearly labelled so the delegates can easily choose their dishes according to their requirements.
Our advice would be to share your list of dietary requirements with the venue well in advance of the event, and provide updated lists as the event gets closer. This gives them ample time to prepare. As an event planner, the more information you can provide the better.
Inevitably there is always the one delegate who has previously failed to advise you of a dietary requirement but hopefully with careful menu planning they will be catered for!
Why not ask guests with dietary requirements to provide feedback on how well they felt catered for? This can assist an event organiser in the future for menus to be more inclusive and appealing to guests with dietary needs.
Guests with dietary needs who feel listened to and well catered for are far more likely to provide positive feedback and tell others!
Our View
DeSouza Associates can assist you in all aspects of your corporate event.
Alongside our free venue finding service we can also offer our Event Support service. So not only can we help you to source a venue but can also assist further with the planning and execution of your event.
Contact
Get in touch to discuss your next event
9:00 AM – 5:15 PM
DeSouza Associates Ltd,
70a Castle Street,
Farnham,
Surrey, GU9 7LP
United Kingdom
