3 ways restaurant staff & customers can communicate to prevent food allergy reactions

By Timothy Wingate, Joshua Bourdage, Malika Khakhar, and Samantha Jones Public health researchers have called food allergy reactions “a growing public health epidemic in Canada” affecting around one in 13 Canadians and one in five Canadian households. Dining out can be risky and stressful for people with allergies, in part because many restaurant employees lack […]

Subway Canada rolls out gluten-free bread

Subway is the first national quick service restaurant to carry gluten-free bread across Canada Press release Looking to meet the evolving dietary needs and preferences of Canadians, Subway now offers a gluten-free bread option in its restaurants across Canada, for a limited time. Subway is the first restaurant in the quick service category to carry gluten-free bread […]

Food allergies and restaurants: It is a public health issue

By Laurie Harada and Carla Da Silva The arrest of a waiter at a Sherbrooke, Que. restaurant earlier this year, prompted by a customer’s severe allergic reaction, has triggered a spirited public discussion into where responsibility lies in protecting Canadians with food allergies. For individuals with food allergies and their families, stories like this hit […]

Staff training is key for the safe handling of food allergies

By Kevin Freeborn Allergies are coming back into the picture in a big way. In 2015, one of the largest surveys conducted on the subject revealed that one in 13 Canadians has a serious food allergy – 7.5 per cent of children and adults. Conscientious restaurateurs, foodservice operators and chains already have some systems in […]