Food allergy (FA) and mass catering: How to better accommodate allergic schoolchildren? Taking stock of an experience conducted in Franche-Comte, France

Catering for children with food allergies in school canteens falls entirely within the ambit of the Individualised Meal Project (PAD. Although national educational staff enjoy the support of medical personnel, canteen staff to prepare and occasionally package meals, are employed by local authorities and thus only rarely undergo training in good practices in catering for children with food allergies. The Franche-Comte and Ecology Network (Menu d'allergologie de Franche-comTe RAFT) has created and now proposes training for such staff. The present article sets out the methodology of the course, the tools developed, and its evaluation. To date, 23 training sessions have been conducted in the region, and have enabled training of 439 staff members, from institutions dealing with small children to secondary schools. The evaluation questionnaire comprising 11 questions enabling the collection of spontaneous comments, was sent out to 127 of the primary school staff who underwent training. Sixty-one questionnaires (48%) were completed. The majority of staff answering the questionnaire indicated that they had acquired new knowledge, in particular regarding allergen labeling. They have a greater working knowledge of the procedures recommended under the PAI. They felt themselves to be better prepared in catering for children with food allergies. They had a better understanding of the various people involved and after their training, they were able to cater more successfully for children with food allergies without offering separate meals for this population. The success of this project was partly due to the creation of a training course developed over time, with the complete involvement of the actors concerned and within an institutional framework. Further training sessions have been scheduled, and these will be given by RAFT staff members. A partnership programme will soon enable this action to be extended to the entire Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region. It is our hope that the experience acquired in this project may soon be utilised by other regions. (C)2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.