Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes of Owners and Managers of Independently Owned Restaurants in Metro Orlando, Florida

Abstract

Owners and managers (n = 102) of independently owned restaurants in Metro Orlando, FL, completed a web-based questionnaire that assessed food allergy knowledge and attitudes. Participants were confident in their knowledge of food allergens (4.28 ± 0.63). The attitude item with the lowest mean score was “not all restaurants needed to comply with food allergy policies” (2.70 ± 1.26), suggesting participants believed compliance with food allergy policies was critical in all restaurants. Eighty (78.4%) participants correctly answered all 10 knowledge questions. The mean knowledge score was 7.7 of 10 possible points. Florida requires foodservice workers to be knowledgeable about food allergies but does not mandate food allergy training or certification. It is in the best interest of foodservice establishments to train workers on food allergies to safeguard customer health.