The Prevalence of Exposure to Hidden/Undeclared Wheat When Dining in a Restaurant or Other Foodservice Establishment

Text: Research Outcome: To quantify the prevalence of exposure to undeclared/hidden wheat when dining in a restaurant or other foodservice establishment. Methods: An online survey with 34 questions was developed and online food allergy organizations, online forums, and allergy clinics were contacted to have their members or clients voluntarily complete the survey. Participants had to have a wheat allergy or intolerance or (a) child(ren) who had a wheat allergy or intolerance. Minimum age for participants was 18 years old with no maximum age, and the target number of participants was between 300 400 people. Results: This study showed that exposure to undeclared/hidden wheat is prevalent in the foodservice industry, especially within the restaurant industry. Results indicated that though 74.4% (n 58/78) spoke with the server, 52.6% (n 41/78) spoke with the cook/chef, and 59% (n 46/78) relied on the menu description, 48.5% (n 33/68) still experienced at least one adverse reaction to wheat in one month. Conclusions: This study suggests that foodservice workers require additional training on food allergens and ingredients in order to serve safe meals to their customers.