The Evaluation of Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes of Hotel Service and Kitchen Staff in İzmir

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge and attitudes of service and kitchen staff about food allergy working in hotels in Izmir. In this context, data were collected through a questionnaire from 808 service and kitchen staff who is working in 4 and 5 star hotels in İzmir. Within the scope of the study, the service and kitchen staff were compared according to their knowledge and attitudes about food allergies. As a result of the comparison, it was determined that the kitchen staff had more knowledge about food allergies than the service staff. The majority of the participants were able to distinguish the main food allergens, but this rate decreased when the participants knew the difference between food allergy and food intolerance. In particular, it was revealed within the scope of the research that the participants had a lot of wrong information about dealing with customers who showed a food allergy reaction. The result show that service and kitchen staff need a comprehensive food allergy training.