Gluten-Free Food Service

Rewind to 1974 when the gluten-free diet wasn’t yet a fully formed concept and certainly had not yet been hailed an official diet plan. If you wanted rice flour you would grind it yourself. You could only buy xanthan gum in large 50lb bags, and you may have made ketchup and other condiments at home. ✊ Those days have long since passed and the amount of positive change that’s taken place in the last 50 years for the gluten-free community is insurmountable! 😁 Brands have taken to gluten-free safety and hit the production lines with commitment and dedication to keeping everyone living gluten-free safe - we can’t say thank you enough for that. 🙏 Not only is it Celiac Awareness Month but it’s officially our 5Oth year of promoting gluten-free education. We’re hosting a celebration this September in Charlotte, NC to honor our 50 years with the gluten-free community and we want you to be there! 💚 💜 We’re looking for sponsors to help make these activations a success: 👉Inspirational Speakers: Important voices that have been instrumental in our journey. 👉 Interactive Activities: Showcasing our ongoing commitment to education and support. 👉 Recognition Dinner: A special evening dedicated to recognizing those who have made a difference in our gluten-free community over the last 50 years. 👉 Gluten-Free Teen Summit: Fostering the next wave of gluten-free advocates. 👉 Safe and Delicious Gluten-Free Food Is that you? If so, reach out to us at marketing@gluten.org and we'll send you a sponsorship packet.

Introducing... Chef To Plate (CTP)! 🍽️ CTP is the entry-level participation in our GFFS program and our answer to dining without fear! 😀 👍 Please join us in welcoming this NEW awareness and education effort. CTP provides exposure for restaurants offering a gluten-free menu and information for the community when searching for new restaurants to try! Participants of CTP must meet GIG's minimum expectations for serving gluten-free food. Stay tuned as we will be announcing our first participants very soon! 👩🍳 To learn more about the criteria for becoming a CTP partner visit the link below: https://gluten.org/ctp/

Did you know that around 1% of the global population has celiac disease? Throughout the world, many individuals must adhere to a strict gluten-free diet to prevent short and long-term health effects. Learn more about the gluten-free diet via the link below. https://lnkd.in/eax7anT #celiacawareness

It is Celiac Awareness Month, and our 50th Year bringing awareness to Celiac disease and other gluten intolerances. 💚 💚 💚 When GIG was founded back in 1974, Celiac disease was considered a rare disease, thought to affect about 1 in 1000 people, mostly of European descent. Awareness of the gluten-free diet was very low and gluten-free products were virtually non-existent. Our Founder, Elaine Hartsook, Ph.D., RD, (RIP), wrote the first gluten-free diet at the time. Today, Celiac disease is considered one of the most common autoimmune disorders, affecting people of all races and ethnicities around the globe. In the past 20 years, we've seen both true prevalence, as well as detection and diagnosis, greatly increase. How times have changed! Knowledge among the medical community has increased. Education on the gluten-free diet is abundant. Social support is available - we ourselves have groups meeting across the country. Safe gluten-free food is now widely available - shout out to Gluten-Free Certification Organization brand partners and Gluten-Free Food Service dining establishments!! 🙌 There is still so much more to do! The movement to spread awareness and make change happen came from people just like you! Let's work together to move the needle further this month! Follow along as we shine a light on Celiac disease. 🕯️ 💡 🔦 ✨ #CeliacAwarenessMonth #50YearsGIG

Whether you're a small locally-owned bakery, a restaurant franchise, a hospital, university, food truck, or anything in between, being able to serve gluten-free patrons confidently is important. 🍽️ Working with us will help your business establish trust with your community, build confidence in your staff's ability to take care of customers, and opens doors to new patrons. 🙌 Interested in learning more? Reach out to us at the link below 🔗: https://gffs.org/contact/

Restaurants, listen up - when your gluten-free customers are getting ready to dine out, here are the 7 steps that help them to determine where to eat 🍽️ 👉Historically quick-service restaurants are known to have little time to thoroughly check ingredients. If that’s you, you may be overlooked. There are things you can do to fix that and becoming GFFS validated is at the top of the list! 👉Customers are going to be warry of food service where language may be a barrier to communication. They want to know that their dietary restrictions are going to be clearly understood. 👉Customers will call ahead - to make sure you’re prepared to answer their questions. They’ll likely want to chat with the chef. 👉It’s common for gluten-free guests to dine before or after the busiest mealtime when they believe they’ll have more of your attention, make sure to give them the attentiveness they’re looking for. 👉They will clearly explain their dietary needs and expectations - don’t be offended by this. The more you provide them with a safe experience they can trust, the more you’ll earn their business and probably their friends business too. 👉They’ll want to know if breaded and gluten-containing foods have been cooked on the same surface beforehand. If you don’t have dedicated spaces, use tin foil and thoroughly wash in between preparation. 👉It’s not uncommon for gluten-free guests to double-check with you that you served them the correct meal and followed their instructions to avoid gluten.

"Loyalty is an outcome, not a program" - love this! The only thing we would add is that it's often more than just preference that drives behavior, it's also a medically driven necessity! And yes, informed decisions can and will truly boost overall business performance. https://lnkd.in/gyygNrnP

GFFS Validation Perks! Here's how our Gluten-Free Safe Spot Validation translates to more business for your establishment. 👉Expand Your Customer Reach 👉Enhance Reputation & Credibility 👉Marketing Opportunities 👉Positive Reviews & Word of Mouth Recommendations

Here's a few tips for documenting gluten-free practices & procedures 📝: 👉 Decide on a single place all documentation will be written, reviewed, & stored. 👉 Assign a kitchen staff member to follow the chef & document important procedures as they come up. 👉 Once written, ensure kitchen staff are properly trained in all established policies. 👉 For additional help, reach out to learn more about how we can help you & your staff develop effective polices & procedures!

Prepare your dining staff to thoroughly understand the gluten-free accommodations that your establishment has put in place. It can be especially challenging to enjoy a meal somewhere new when you have gluten-related disorders. Some patrons may ask very specific questions while other may ask open-ended ones such as these. The better your hospitality team is able to address any concern regarding gluten, the more likely you are to earn new forever guests! Click here to get in touch: https://gffs.org/contact/