Foodservice Case Study: The University of Winchester Providing free-from allergen meals to young adults in a university setting Presented by: David Morton Catering Manager David.Morton@winchester.ac.uk www.facebook.com/foodoncampuswinchester @UoWcatering
Background In preparation for the introduction of the new EU regulations a working group was set within the catering team. It was felt the best way to do this was to engage staff who already had personal experiences of allergies through themselves, family or friends. The group included; The Assistant Manager, a senior Chef, Front of House Supervisor and the department s Trainer who organised the training The department had limited knowledge of allergens but regularly included details of well known allergens on menu as well other ingredients that customers tended to be intolerant to such as onions, garlic, chillies or alcohol.
Background Menu cards were used to give an overview of price, a dish s ingredients as well as some of the most common allergens These proved successful and helped customers avoid common allergens such as gluten, dairy, celery, nuts and mustard. In addition to the our normal offer we regularly supplied a variety of alternative products for those with specific allergies including; breakfast cereal, soya milk, breads and wraps, cakes and biscuits, soya spread.
Challenges at the Outset Large variety and style of dishes and menus across the various catering outlets Inconsistent recipes and production methods across the whole department The need to provide consistent training for both permanent and casual staff Providing a suitable location for gluten free/free from production areas Sourcing suitable replacement products to help reduce allergens in dishes and help reduce potential stigma for those students and staff with allergies Increasing range the free from products to retail outlets which are VFM
Aims To ensure full compliance with the forthcoming legislation we organised training sessions at the university and these had specific aims; Create a wider understanding for staff of the issues of allergens in food and drink Avoid the potential for causing discomfort, harm or possibly death for a customer Respond to the growing need for allergen free food and provide the relevant ingredient detail so customers can make an informed choice. To provide a fully inclusive offer for all our students, staff and visitors To help the department meet two of the University s missions and values; We delight in diversity and Individuals Matter
Training Prior to the formal training we asked staff to do the on line training available from the FSA website which takes between 30-60 minutes depending on interaction http://food.gov.uk/enforcement/enforcetrainfund/onlinetraining/allergytraining Caroline Benjamin, from the Food Allergy Aware Training Consultancy organised a session at the university which brought together a cross section of catering staff. It gave an overview of the allergens, handling procedures, avoiding cross-contamination, recipes and methodology, storage and service. It also discussed labelling and menus The workshop encouraged all staff to actively engage in the training and encouraged them to ask questions and share ideas
Training Brainstorming sessions allowed input from each section of the department and offering suggestions on how to improve what we do across the department The group interaction also allowed greater understanding of what the different teams needed to do in their own area and what they need to do together
Working with Suppliers We audited product specifications to check allergen detail of products and now only use suppliers who can provide accurate, up to date allergen detail. Ensuring suppliers fully understood the needs of our differing business mix Identifying alternative cost effective free from products across the menus Stricter ordering process with restrictions on what staff can order including suitable replacement products when original is out of stock Increased use of Fretwell Downing s Saffron back office system for recipes and menu databases. This has provided much greater control across the department
Solutions Following a series of experiments we made some key changes to dishes Changed to gluten free flour in white sauces Used more coconut milk and less cream in Asian style dishes Introduced gluten free breadcrumbs for dishes Introduced rice noodles for stir fries on Taste of the World area Increased the number of allergen free meals on daily menus Introduced sealed storage containers for storage Created a gluten and dairy production area with separate equipment Changed certain cooking methods to avoid cross-contamination when frying Still use the menu cards on the counter for immediate impact
Veg VEGAN Celery Cereals containing Gluten Crustaceans Eggs Fish Lupin Milk Molluscs Mustard Nuts (Tree) Peanuts Sesame Soya Sulphites Solutions A grid showing the various allergens for each outlet and separate menu was created This allows staff and customers to see if any allergens are contained in that day s menu Menu Item Notes Sausage r r g r g g g g g g g g g g g g Bacon r r g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Fried Egg g r g g g r g g g g g g g g g g Baked Beans g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Tomatoes g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Hash Browns g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Mushrooms g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Scrambled Egg g r g g g r g g r g g g g g g g Poached Egg g r g g g r g g g g g g g g g g Quorn Sausage g r g r g r g g r g g g g g g g Toast g g g a g g g g g g g g g g g g Gluten Free Bread Croissant g r g r g r g g r g g g g g g g Porridge g r g r g g g g r g g g g g g g Yogurt g r g g g g g g r g g g g g r g Granola g g g a g g g g g g g a a g g g Manufacturer says 'may contain' Seeds g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Sultanas g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g r Apricots g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g r Fruits of the Forest g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Fruit Salad g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Fresh Berries g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g Pancakes g r g r g r g g r g g g g g g g Free Flow Cornflakes g r g r g g g g g g g g g g g g Free Flow Cocopops g r g r g g g g g g g g g g g g Free Flow Gluten Free Cereal g g g g g g g g g g g a a a g g Manufacturer says 'may contain' Cross contact Issues (internal use only In addition to the paper grid a large dry wipe wall grid has been mounted in the main Food Hall kitchen so that any additional recipes for daily specials can be put on there by the chefs to communicate to everyone what s in the new dishes. Both grids also detail whether the dishes are suitable as vegetarian or vegan meals Recognised that some dishes just cant be changed because of taste issue
Promotions - Activities Social Media Website, Twitter and Facebook Open day Orange wig day Street food van
Promotions - Activities Social Media Website, Twitter and Facebook We plan to run a questionnaire for customers this academic year and publish the result so we can see if the changes have been successful and see if there is more to do
The Future Improving communications and use technology more widely across the campus; Interactive web site for customers allowing access to all the recipe detail Increase two way contact with our customers including new generic email for all customers as well as Freshers so we can answer their questions before they arrive Better links with suppliers for increasing range for wholesale products New in-house sandwich offer planned for the university with allergen free options Where possible provide more free from as standard offer (no gluten in sauces) Individual free from meal packs for long life storage for one off events Potential training for student teachers to become fully aware of allergens in schools At the university of Winchester we like to think that along with vegetarian and vegans meals, allergy free food is an option, not an afterthought..!!
Thank You for listening Any Questions? FoodAllergyAware@winchester.ac.uk