Food allergy sufferers sick of hoteliers’ lack of knowledge
A new survey has revealed that UKhoteliers do not sufficiently cater for those with food allergies, meaning that they could lose out on up to £100m of revenue this summer.
DS-gluten free (dietary specials), the UK’s leading gluten and wheat free brand, carried out a study of its customer panel of coeliacs, those who are gluten intolerant, and those who choose not to eat gluten and wheat as a lifestyle choice, in June.
It found that 84 per cent had no confidence that UKhotels understand what it means to be gluten free, in spite of the fact that 64 per cent said that they call the accommodation in advance to discuss their requirements.
Worse still, more than half said that they have become ill when on holiday due to eating food that either contained gluten or had been cross contaminated with gluten.
This means that to ensure holidays are not ruined due to sickness, 75 per cent of DS-gluten free customers pack their own food to take on holiday and 42 per cent always choose a self-catering accommodation.
Only five per cent of those questioned said that gluten free diets were well catered for in hotels.
However, this provides hoteliers with a real opportunity as 94 per cent said that they would be more likely to stay in a hotel if the choice and quality of gluten free food was better.
Coeliac UK estimates that by not catering for this market the catering industry could be missing out on up to £100m in revenue.
Michelle Shinn, Retail Brand Manager for DS-gluten free, said: “It’s really quite shocking that hoteliers are still in the dark when it comes to catering for those with food allergies and that so many of our customers have become ill due to what they have been served.
“AllergyUKestimates that up to 45 per cent of people in theUKnow have a food allergy or intolerance, with one in 100 estimated as having coeliac disease – a condition only controlled by cutting gluten out of the diet.
“Hoteliers have a real opportunity here to do better and ensure that they can cater for everyone. A few simple changes, such as having gluten free bread, pasta and cereal on standby, can make all the difference and mean that those who need a special diet can enjoy their stay.”
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition which is triggered by gluten found in wheat, rye and barley and is estimated to affect around one in every 100 people in the UK. It can cause a variety of symptoms including diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal pain, bloating, excessive wind, constipation and tiredness.