Demi
Thu, Feb-24-05, 03:40
Restaurants losing out by failing to cater for allergies and diets
The Scotsman, UK
24 February, 2005
JOHN INNES
TWENTY million dieters and allergy sufferers are getting a raw deal from British restaurants which fail to serve up the right food on their menus, a survey shows.
Up to one in six adults believes restaurants should offer low-fat and low-calorie meals with almost one in ten looking for low carbohydrate options.
Some 15 per cent of the public are keen to know where the ingredients come from, while one in ten would like to see the nutritional content and ingredients of meals displayed on restaurant menus, according to the Mintel survey of 1,730 people.
As many as 12 million Britons now suffer from a food allergy or intolerance - a figure expected to double over the next decade.
A further 8.3 million adults are currently on a diet. Fewer than three in ten (28 per cent) have never tried a diet and never will do - which leaves about three-quarters of adults who will at some point be on a diet.
Linda Haden, a catering analyst, said: "When eating out, consumers desire choice - a choice not only of dishes to fit their dietary needs but also a choice of exactly what goes into their dishes.
"A large number of customers also want to know where their food comes from in order to make informed decisions. It seems people today are looking to tailor their meals when at a restaurant - something that has been commonplace in the US for quite some time."
In 2004 the market for diet and special dietary needs in restaurants was worth almost £5 billion - but the report says much of its potential remains untouched.
Up to two million dieters and allergy sufferers are not eating out as often as they would like because of the lack of restaurants catering for special needs, the report said.
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=207492005
The Scotsman, UK
24 February, 2005
JOHN INNES
TWENTY million dieters and allergy sufferers are getting a raw deal from British restaurants which fail to serve up the right food on their menus, a survey shows.
Up to one in six adults believes restaurants should offer low-fat and low-calorie meals with almost one in ten looking for low carbohydrate options.
Some 15 per cent of the public are keen to know where the ingredients come from, while one in ten would like to see the nutritional content and ingredients of meals displayed on restaurant menus, according to the Mintel survey of 1,730 people.
As many as 12 million Britons now suffer from a food allergy or intolerance - a figure expected to double over the next decade.
A further 8.3 million adults are currently on a diet. Fewer than three in ten (28 per cent) have never tried a diet and never will do - which leaves about three-quarters of adults who will at some point be on a diet.
Linda Haden, a catering analyst, said: "When eating out, consumers desire choice - a choice not only of dishes to fit their dietary needs but also a choice of exactly what goes into their dishes.
"A large number of customers also want to know where their food comes from in order to make informed decisions. It seems people today are looking to tailor their meals when at a restaurant - something that has been commonplace in the US for quite some time."
In 2004 the market for diet and special dietary needs in restaurants was worth almost £5 billion - but the report says much of its potential remains untouched.
Up to two million dieters and allergy sufferers are not eating out as often as they would like because of the lack of restaurants catering for special needs, the report said.
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=207492005