For consumers with food allergy, eating out remains one of the highest-risk environments. Through a survey of over 300 food business operators across 19 Brazilian cities, researchers have explored allergen knowledge and decision-making, as well as the psychological factors that influence allergen management behaviours. An additional environmental assessment tested food-contact utensils in ten establishments that considered themselves prepared to serve customers with food allergy.
The results revealed a mixed picture. Participants correctly answered an average of 71 per cent of allergen knowledge questions, and around 77 per cent said they would seek immediate medical assistance if a customer experienced an anaphylactic reaction. However, important knowledge gaps remained. Only 28 per cent correctly distinguished lactose intolerance from cow’s milk allergy, and just 61 per cent recognised that allergens could be transferred via hands.
The environmental assessment also highlighted some gaps between perceived readiness and actual practice in catering for customers with food allergy. While the vast majority of the 50 allergen tests carried out were negative, four positive results were detected on routinely cleaned food preparation equipment, with residues of egg and gluten detected on shared blenders.
Perhaps the most novel finding was that guilt, rather than regret or shame, emerged as the strongest emotional driver of intentions to adopt allergen management practices. Operators who better understood the consequences of allergen incidents were more likely to feel a personal moral obligation to act, and anticipated guilt strengthened this relationship.
Notably, operators working in jurisdictions with allergen disclosure regulations did not demonstrate higher knowledge or stronger intentions than those in unregulated areas. The authors conclude that menu labelling alone may be insufficient, and that more comprehensive approaches incorporating training, allergen management systems and cleaning verification are likely to be needed to improve food allergy safety in Brazil’s food service sector.
The National Allergy Council has many useful resources for managing allergen safety in food service https://nationalallergycouncil.org.au/programs/food-service
Reference: Vicentini et al. Allergen safety among Brazilian restaurant food business operators: guilt, rather than regret or shame, links cognitive responsibility to intentions. Food Research International. 2026;241:119706. Available with Open Access at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2026.119706
