The problem
You have a guest who announces they suffer from coeliac disease - an increasingly common and permanent condition that causes the surface of the small intestine to be damaged by gluten. How do you cater for this guest, and what do you need to know about their health?
Expert advice
The challenge for caterers is to produce a strictly gluten-free meal, as the gluten-free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease. It is not a diet of choice, but of necessity. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, so dishes need to be created that do not carry any trace of these cereals.
Any catering operation offering meals prepared from fresh ingredients will have no difficulty in finding gluten-free alternatives, such as unprocessed meat, fish, eggs, dairy produce, vegetables, nuts, oils and fruits. Permitted carbohydrate foods can include potatoes, rice, cornmeal, polenta, pulses, pulse flours, cornflour, potato flour, arrowroot, sago, tapioca and sweet corn.
The law
While there is no law dictating what operators should do, the HCIMA has drawn up a brief on catering for coeliac sufferers. It includes guidelines on what actions caterers should take to address the issue; what people with coeliac disease can eat; and foodstuffs to be treated with caution. The potential for cross-contamination is also examined. For example, cutting boards which have been used for ordinary bread should not be employed for gluten-free bread.
It is also recommended that caterers should have a specific operational procedure and train their staff to ensure the correct response when customers make their coeliac disease known. Serving staff must not guess the contents of dishes and give potentially false assurances about the absence of gluten.
It is important to recognise that many coeliac customers may feel embarrassed about revealing their condition and prefer to see if they can find a meal suitable to their requirements by searching the menu. Management and front-of-house staff can help to ease the problem by having a card on the table, or a note on the menu, saying: "Any customer with special dietary requirements is invited to make them known to the server, who will relay the request to the appropriate member of staff." This could also become part of the routine followed when taking a table reservation.
The best source of information about what customers can and cannot eat is the customers themselves. If they are consulted on meal content and become part of the decision-making process, then many of the perceived problems cease to exist.
Check list
Foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet:
- Any food containing wheat, barley, oats or rye.
- Bread, rolls, pasta, crispbreads.
- Beer, fish and chips, pizza, sausages.
- Breakfast cereals.
- Gravies, sauces, breadcrumbs, batter.
Beware!
Many starches and fillers in foods are derived from wheat. Packaged foods, like grated cheese and oven chips, may have anti-caking agents, which can be wheat-based. Processed foods - such as sausages - usually contain wheat. Dry-roasted nuts and flavoured crisps may also have added wheat.
Contacts
HCIMA Brief No 47 on Coeliac Disease - What The Caterer Needs To Know can be purchased for £5 by non-HCIMA members by contacting the information department at HCIMA, Trinity Court, 34 West Street, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1SH; tel: 020 8661 4901; or e-mail: library@hcima.co.uk.
HCIMA members can download the brief from the association's website, www.hcima.org.uk.
Coeliac UK
PO Box 220, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 2HY
Tel: 01494 437278
Helpline: 0870 444 8804
Web: www.coeliac.co.uk
Coeliac UK has a comprehensive publications list, including:
Gluten-Free Food and Drink Directory (£5)
The Basic Guide to the Gluten-Free Diet (£2)
Gluten-Free Notes For the Food Service Sector (free)
UK Butchers Shops Guide