Spring break and summer vacation are fast approaching, which means prime family travel season. Yet for all of this anticipation, 1 in 13 families approach it with anxiety as their children have food allergies.

These allergies can range from mild to life-threatening. They can occur from eating a forbidden food, or even simply smelling it. The question is how do we, in the lodging and hospitality industries, become adept at taking care of these families and marketing our services?

From a business perspective, the overriding question is: "Is it worth it?" The answer is, yes. The typical food-allergy family is extremely loyal to brands they can trust, spending over $1.7 billion each year on food products. Their income is typically above average, and they pass trust to others through word-of-mouth conversations.

There are 15 million people who have allergy special needs in the U.S. alone. Of these, 5.9 million are children. Interestingly, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food allergies have increased almost 50 percent from 1997 to 2011, with 30 percent of children having multiple allergies.

What is food allergy?

A food allergy is when the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein — an allergen — as a threat and attacks it. According to Food Allergy Research Education (FARE), the allergies are most commonly found from the following foods:

  • Peanuts
  • Milk
  • Wheat
  • Fish
  • Tree Nuts
  • Eggs
  • Soy
  • Shellfish

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology describes the signs of a food allergy as:

  • A rash or red, itchy skin
  • Stuffy or itchy nose, sneezing or itchy and teary eyes
  • Vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea
  • Rapid swelling of the airways
  • Swelling on the skin surface (hives)
  • Hoarseness, throat tightness or a lump in the throat
  • Wheezing, chest tightness or trouble breathing

Uncommon food allergies have the same symptoms, and include such items as chicken, beef, pork and corn. Other nonfood culprits that can trigger an allergic reaction include latex, mold, pet dander, dust, insect stings and some medications.

Some people with food allergies can have a serious reaction called anaphylaxis (trouble breathing), which can be life-threatening. Others misunderstand the difference between food allergy and food intolerance. With a food intolerance, the customer's digestive system will be upset, but it is not life-threatening.

What can we do?

A savvy hotelier or food-and-beverage manager will understand and know how to maintain safety and safely market to these allergies.

For lodging managers, this entails training of housekeeping to be alert for peanuts or other wrappers in trashcans. A room can be sanitized with an aseptic wipe before the next patron checks into the room. This goes for restrooms, exercise rooms, the pool and other common areas, too. Include training housekeeping on the dangers of pet dander, dust and mold.

For restaurateurs, this entails a complete knowledge of the ingredients in your menu items. There should also be a comprehensive training program for back-of-the-house and wait staff to avoid cross contamination of cooking utensils and surfaces, with an emphasis on hand-washing.

For both hotel and food and beverage, savvy allergy families are alerted to monitor the tone and confidence by which your personnel answer allergy-related questions about your establishment. If they are hesitant or do not know the answers, the potential customer will probable choose another location.

Check out these resources to help your company be able to safely take care of your clientele:

  • Ming.com provides a great resource with Ming Tsai, whose mission/passion in life is assisting others to become more adept in serving persons with allergies. This website identifies the eight steps that Ming's restaurant, Blue Ginger, does to assure an allergy free experience.
  • Lodging and hospitality personnel can stay abreast of allergy alerts and issues by subscribing free to FARE's newsletters or to their bi-monthly email.
  • ServeSafe Allergens Online Training Course: This is a partnership between FARE and the National Restaurant Association.
  • AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo is another comprehensive resource.
  • SafeFARE Training Program. This icludes sample policies, chef cards, suggested menus and best-practice guides.

So as you prepare for the family travel season, I hope you will consider using some of these tools to develop the "halo effect" so those who live with allergies can visit your establishment being assured of not only their health but of their enjoyment. Also, if be sure to market these services, as they will be appreciated.

Technical information for this article came from a presentation at the 2014 National Restaurant Association Show with featured presenters, Mike Spigler, former vice president at FARE; James Beard, award-winning chef, restaurant owner and TV personality; and Chef Ming Tsai.