Today, on almost every menu we see “gluten free”, “dairy free”, “nut free”, “low calorie”, “fat free”, “meat free”… and so on. With clean eating so “in”, it is considered to be on trend to make dietary demands.
Is this Dublin food business owner really just being extra cautious about gluten free and gaining publicity as a result? His non-PC approach certainly seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people…
Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gluten which are proteins found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. The disease affects 1 in 100 people.
The only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Establishments providing food to the public have to be extremely careful over what they call gluten free, especially when they are preparing foods in a kitchen where there is gluten rich food, the best example being regular bread.
The gluten free fad has become challenging for food outlets. The owner of The White Moose Café openly took to Facebook:
Does this sound like bad customer service? Perhaps, but does he have a valid point?
A coeliac sufferer’s reaction to gluten can be severe, and perhaps his reasoning is actually quite simple and obvious.
As his kitchen prepares and serves food that has gluten ingredients, he cannot guarantee that no cross contamination will occur, and therefore he cannot serve coeliac sufferers 100% guaranteed gluten free food.
Better safe than sorry, particularly when it comes to your customers’ wellbeing!
