Do you have a food allergy policy? Do you need one?

Yes! You do!

A food allergy policy sets the ‘culture’ of safety around managing food allergies for hospitals and residential aged care facilities. Having and implementing a food allergy policy means everyone from executive and leadership to clinical, care and support staff can work together to reduce the risk to patients and residents with food allergies. It is different to a clinical anaphylaxis policy or procedure as it encompasses risk management across the whole organisation.

Who is responsible for developing a food allergy policy?

Ensuring the organisation has a food allergy policy in place is ultimately the responsibility of hospital management and executive. But the policy could be initiated or led by nursing, medical, food services/catering or support services, dietetics or even consumers. Development of the food allergy policy should be a collaboration between all of these groups, because staff across each of these disciplines, at all levels, are involved in this important aspect of patient or resident safety.

What are the essential elements of a food allergy policy?

Your food allergy policy should include:

-              An overarching statement or principle that patients or residents with food allergy will be provided with appropriate and nutritious food.

-              A commitment to accurately collecting food allergy information from patients or residents when they are admitted, and who is responsible for collecting this data.

-              How allergy information is documented and by whom.

-              How food allergy information is communicated to staff who need to know – medical, nursing, dietetics, food service or support staff.

-              How food allergies are managed by the food service, including how food allergies are documented in the menu ordering system (manual or electronic), food ordering and supplies, storage, cleaning and preparation of food allergy meals, and delivery to the point of service.

-              How food allergies are managed on ward pantries.

-              How patients with food allergies receive meals – for example, a 3 point ID check.

-              How after hours meals are managed for patients with food allergies.

-              Education and training requirements for staff.

The policy should include which staff are responsible or involved in each of these steps to make sure that the policy developed will support patient safety and  be achievable. Including these elements allows the different departments to develop more detailed procedures so they can comply with the policy.

Will a food allergy policy really help?

Yes! Particularly if a good process has been used to develop it and staff know that it is exists!

A food allergy policy gives staff a strong message that food allergy is a serious safety issue for many patients and residents. Food allergy is not just a food service issue; it is a clinical issue as well. Nursing and care staff are often involved in serving food when it is delivered, and they may prepare food from ward pantry areas or beverage bays between meals or out of hours. Having clear policies and procedures helps staff keep patients and residents safe and gives them confidence in knowing what to do in various situations.

Your food allergy policy can also be used during hospital accreditation as it provides evidence towards NSQHS Hospital Standards 1, 5 and 6 (Clinical Governance, Comprehensive Care  and Communicating for Safety). For residential aged care, your food allergy policy helps meet the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards 2, 3, 5 and 6 (The Organisation, Care and Services, Clinical Care and Food and Nutrition).  

Need to develop or review your food allergy policy?

Lucky for you, with our food service working group which included members from hospitals and residential care facilities, we developed a food allergy policy template that you can use as a starting point to develop a food allergy policy. If you already have a policy, you can use it to check you have all the important elements covered and add to it if you need to. You can find it on our All about Allergens resource hub:

Food allergy policy template for hospitals

Food allergy policy template for aged care  

If you would like to discuss any aspect of food allergen management, come see the National Allergy Council at our stand at the IHHC conference in Melbourne. We will have some exciting updates about our courses and resources!