CALL FOR RESTAURANTS TO USE COLOUR-CODED PLATES FOR DINERS WITH ALLERGIES
Ruth Hickey died in 2014 after by chance being served dairy in a cafe meal. The beloved grandmother had ordered shakshuka eggs without goat’s cheese, however, was given an incorrect meal due to a breakdown in communication between the kitchen and waitstaff. She suffered an anaphylactic response and died inside 45 minutes.
Mr Hickey stated he needed restaurant house owners to perceive the hurt that might be induced if they failed to put in place techniques to forestall errors.
If a colour-coded plate system had been in operation on the cafe that served Ruth, he stated, “I would not be talking to you today”.
A federal Senate inquiry is analysing the causes, impacts and prices of anaphylaxis, a critical allergic response that may be deadly, together with the adequacy of meals security processes.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, which represented Mr Hickey after his spouse’s dying, stated in a submission to the inquiry that hospitality coaching programs ought to train “double-checking mechanisms that make it impossible for the wrong plate to be served to the wrong person”.
Principal lawyer Dimi Ioannou stated this might embrace colour-coded plates to point out that a meal “has been prepared to satisfy a particular dietary requirement”, and a rule that each such meal “must be taken to the customer on its own” and be “checked again at the time of serving”.
However, Restaurant and Catering Industry Association chief government Wes Lambert stated mandating colour-coded plates can be “absolute madness”.
“Colour-coded plates would mean that if someone ordered an allergy-free item and the restaurant had run out of the coloured plate, they wouldn’t be able to serve the item,” Mr Lambert stated.
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia chief government Maria Said stated coloured plates have been only one choice to differentiate meals made to fulfil dietary necessities, saying clients might print out allergen playing cards to give wait employees to move on to the chef.
“The card should come back to you with your meal,” she stated.
“Anyone with a food allergy, you should be taking their plate out to the customer and confirming, on its own – not with other plates.”
This technique ought to be taught in allergy coaching to all meals service staff, she stated, including that the course ought to be obligatory – identical to accountable service of alcohol.
Ms Said additionally needs each food-service outlet to have a devoted meals security adviser.
A spokesman for Food Standards Australia New Zealand stated it was reviewing meals security laws and “working closely with the food industry, consumer groups and government … to look at ways to manage the risks associated with food allergens”.
