Within food service, it is vital to be able to identify food allergies and the potential severity of allergies food allergies higher than those of other adverse reactions to food. It is estimated that three out of four cases of anaphylactic shock occur in a restaurant.

Food allergies are reactions hypersensitivity whose symptoms appear quickly after exposure to the allergen (from minutes to 1 or 2 hours). They are mediated by a specific class of antibodies, immunoglobulin E. They are triggered by very low (trace) amounts of allergenic food.

Bad food allergens These are proteins that are present in different types of food, there is a group called the big 8 that causes the greatest number and severity of allergic reactions: cow’s milk and others, eggs, fish, soy, peanuts, shellfish, dried fruit and wheat.

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Ecological footprint in plant-based menu planning for catering services

Definition ecological footprint It is this ecological footprint that is defined as a way of measuring the impact that humanity has on the planet. This footprint is distributed in different aspects of daily life in crops, in gas emissions, in transport, in crops that participate in providing food and sustenance in daily life.

The minimum quality conditions required in serving food must take into account nutritional, organoleptic and hygienic-sanitary aspects. These processes are guaranteed at all times throughout the production chain. Therefore, quality does not only refer to technical aspects, but also to the experience that the user has with the products.

As part of the webinar: I FOODSERVICE technical conference: “Training to add quality to Food Services”, Diana María Orozco Soto, coordinator of the group SANCTIONED (Management of food and nutrition services to communities), explained that some quality features should be taken into account: material (product, processes, inputs, personnel); intangible assets (product, service, personnel).

Minimize food waste

Within food services, it is essential to implement actions such as prevention, raising awareness and minimizing food waste. There is currently a consultation for the United Nations where there is an operational dashboard losses and sustainability in Argentina.

And in the region, 223 kg is thrown away per inhabitant annually; more than 50% of fruit and vegetable production. The impact of prevention food waste in food service you:

• 2 to 8% return on the cost of food purchases
• Kilograms of food
• Liters of water saved
• Emissions that have been avoided
• It is important to understand the consumer, the reasons why food is wasted.

Contribution to Carbon footprint It is 20%, and there are also many figures that give an idea of ​​the magnitude of this problem. Measurement is important for diagnosing prevention, reduction and awareness.

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