I Can’t Eat That! Managing Dietary Needs of Guests Do you often wonder whether the event attendees who ask for special meals are just picky eaters or on one of the latest fad diets? You’re not alone. There are millions of people who have chosen to follow a specific diet or just don’t like a specific food (I personally dislike cucumbers and melons), but there are millions of others who have food allergies, celiac disease, heart disease or another disease that requires them to eat a specific way to stay safe and healthy. At Catersource 2012 in Las Vegas, Tracy will…
In the latest Fresh Ideas from the ICA in Catersource’s Get Fresh newsletter, Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC talks about how to manage the dietary needs of guests in “Tolerating Intolerance.” She says its important to be proactive in your planning – ask guests about their needs in advance, update your recipes so they can be prepared multiple ways to accommodate different needs. Its also important to pay attention to cross contamination in the kitchen and on the buffets.
Being an event planer with food allergies can be both a blessing and a curse. As a food allergic person, I want to be able to eat safely at events. As a planner, I understand the intricate details that go into creating and executing an event while ensuring everyone’s needs are met, especially when it comes to planning menus.
This amazes me. It’s kind of the like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon phenomena but with food allergies, intolerances or preferences.
Walking to Save a Life! On Saturday, October 1, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) held its Walk for Food Allergies Atlanta to raise funds for food allergy research, education, advocacy, and awareness. As one of 46 walks held across the country this year, the Walk for Food Allergy Atlanta drew more than 500 walkers from across the city and raised more than $55,000! An estimated 12 million Americans, including three million children, have a food allergy – that’s one in 25. Food allergies are a potentially life-threatening medical condition, and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) food…
The health of your event, your attendees and our nation is a great responsibility that meeting professionals must embrace I never thought I would be quoting from Spider-Man (although my nephew would be proud), but the meaning behind Uncle Ben’s statement — “Remember, with Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” — to Peter is truly why I started my company and now this blog. When I found out eight years ago I had an allergy to yeast, you would have thought I’d be traumatized – I had to stop eating anything that contained yeast, sugar, vinegar, dairy, white flour and…