Food allergies hit more city kids

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Food allergies and special dining needs are rising, so it's important for restaurants to learn how to cater to this growing demographic.

Top 5 things we didn't know we should be afraid of - part I

by Suzy Badaracco — President, Culinary Tides Inc

A study found that only 8 to 12 percent of gluten-free consumers said they bought gluten-free products because they or a member of their household has celiac…

Could be deadly, but essential for restaurant operations

If you have CO(2) fill ports or storage tanks in tight enclosed quarters, lower levels, or have older systems or systems that have not been inspected by…

Do you really offer gluten-free dishes?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Identifying and avoiding potential contamination starts with the very basics in the kitchen.

Would YOU resist a robber?

The young manager knelt in front of the safe, a thousand thoughts cluttering his head. His fingers were nearly frozen with fear as he fumbled with the…

Gloves! The Controversy Continues - Part 3

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

If glove use is going to be effective, several factors should be considered when designing a disposable glove program. Size is vitally important to ensure the…

Live from New York

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

The International Restaurant and Foodservice Show, set for the first weekend in March, will include a new Healthy Solutions Pavilion this year.

Gloves! The Controversy Continues – Part 2

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

There is a general agreement that hand sanitation is a problem, but how that problem is best addressed is not always clear. The arguments to wear gloves and to…

As serious as a heart attack

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

It's a good idea to designate a senior member of the waitstaff or a manager to be the point person when dealing with diners with allergy concerns.

What else can I get you?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Listen to your customers before -- and after -- tweaking your menu options, and teach your staff how to sell something new.

What’s on your kids’ menu?

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

About 8 percent of all Americans under the age of 18 have some kind of food allergy.

Gloves! The controversy continues – Part 1

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

To glove, or not to glove, that is the question. It’s a debate that has raged in foodservice circles for years and centers on the question of whether hand…

The most gluten-free meal of the day

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Some of the simplest sweets can become gluten-free with simple substitutions, like chocolate chip cookies made with non-wheat flours.

Philosophically Speaking

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

On occasion, I enjoy listening to the words of philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates or theologians such as Wesley or Spurgeon. But, hands down, the deep…

A Big Apple surprise – restaurateur shows concern for food allergies

by Paul Mcginnis — Vice President, Marketing, Ecolab Food Safety Specialties

I jumped out of the cab and just stood there taking it all in – the smell of roasted peanuts, the constant honking of taxis and the bright lights of hundreds…

Hot gluten free mess of new products

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

WestEx was a hot gluten-free mess of new products everywhere you turned.  

Of mice and men and pizzerias

Business ethics, or lack of them, apparently has made its way into the world of pizza in a Philadelphia suburb. A pizzeria owner had a problem with mice that…

Excessive exposure results in sunburn, frostbite, violent robbery

Exposure to the elements for any length of time can lead to devastating consequences. Skin unprotected from the sun may result in serious sunburn.  With…

Keep your customers out of the ER For dessert

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Does it seem to anyone else that almost out of nowhere, all of a sudden, people are expressing food allergies in amazing numbers? 

Be allergy aware: A quick guide to the most common food allergies

by Betsy Craig — pres, menutrinfo.com

Eight foods are responsible for 90% of food allergic reactions. I've assembled this guide to help you (and your kitchen) be on the lookout for a food allergy.