Quebec food allergy case an important reminder for P.E.I. restaurants

The case of a Quebec waiter arrested after serving salmon tartare to a man with a severe seafood allergy serves as an important reminder for those in the industry, says a Charlottetown restaurant owner and past president of Restaurants Canada.

Liam Dolan noted hisown staff have been talking about the case but they're trained on how to handle orders from people with food allergies.

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"You can always do more andI don't think anybody can sit back and say we're all doing it perfect," said Dolan.

"I know I take it very seriously because it is my livelihood and I tell the servers it is their livelihood too. If you serve somebody wrong and hurt them, then it's not good for the business and it's not good for them."

A guide for staff

Restaurants Canada has afood allergies guide on its website for members and staff to use to ensure there aren't any problems, said Dolan.

"It is just making sure that our members are going to that website and using that guide."

Dolan saidhe has noticed a dramatic increase in recent years in the number of his own customers who have food allergies.

Given the millions of customers that are served in restaurants and pubs across Canada, Dolan said there are very few instances like this though he notedeven one is one too many.

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