Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
Allergy Action, St Albans, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Nov 15;18(1):1263. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6117-y.
Eating outside the home is challenging for consumers with food allergy (FA) and intolerance (FI) and lack of allergen information provision in eating out venues can lead to unnecessary restrictions. Following European legislation (2014) designed to improve allergen information provision, little is known about differences in information provision experienced by consumers seeking to avoid particular allergens, or how this impacts on their eating out experiences. This study compared the information provision that consumers with FA/FI to different allergens experience when eating out.
Using mixed methods, participants were recruited from across the UK and took part in self-report surveys or in-depth interviews. Surveys were completed by 232 participants avoiding either gluten (n = 66), nuts (peanuts/tree nuts) (n = 94), or milk (n = 74), and responses were subject to quantitative analyses. Interviews were carried out with 49 participants avoiding either gluten (n = 13), nuts (n = 14), milk (n = 13) or a combination of these allergens (n = 9), and analysed using the framework approach.
Although general improvements in information provision following the legislation were reported, variations in provision between allergen groups led participants seeking to avoid milk to conclude that their dietary needs were less well-understood and seen as less important. These perceptions were reflected in a reluctance to involve eating out venue staff in deliberations about the potential for milk-free meal options.
The provision of visual indicators of the presence of milk and of staff trained in allergen-awareness would improve the eating out experiences of consumers seeking to avoid milk. Medical professions can play a key role in encouraging these patients to pursue their right to make enquiries about allergens in order to avoid accidental milk ingestion when eating out.
对于患有食物过敏（FA）和不耐受（FI）的消费者来说，外出就餐具有挑战性，而外出就餐场所缺乏过敏原信息供应可能会导致不必要的限制。根据旨在改善过敏原信息供应的欧洲法规（2014 年），对于试图避免特定过敏原的消费者所经历的信息供应差异或这如何影响他们的外出就餐体验，我们知之甚少。本研究比较了 FA/FI 消费者在外出就餐时避免不同过敏原时的信息供应情况。
使用混合方法，从英国各地招募参与者，并让他们参与自我报告调查或深入访谈。有 232 名避免食用麸质（n=66）、坚果（花生/树坚果）（n=94）或牛奶（n=74）的参与者完成了调查，并且对调查结果进行了定量分析。对 49 名避免食用麸质（n=13）、坚果（n=14）、牛奶（n=13）或这些过敏原组合（n=9）的参与者进行了访谈，并使用框架方法进行了分析。
尽管报告了法规实施后信息供应的总体改善，但不同过敏原群体之间的供应差异导致试图避免牛奶的参与者得出结论，认为他们的饮食需求了解不够，也不被认为很重要。这些看法反映在他们不愿意让外出就餐场所的员工参与关于无奶餐选择的讨论。
提供牛奶存在的视觉指示和受过过敏原意识培训的员工将改善试图避免牛奶的消费者的外出就餐体验。医疗专业人员可以在鼓励这些患者行使询问过敏原的权利方面发挥关键作用，以避免在外出就餐时意外摄入牛奶。
