Allergen Order During a Busy Lunch
At 12:20 pm on a Saturday, a customer tells you they have a severe peanut allergy and asks whether the satay chicken skewers can be made safe. You are the student running the grill section. The satay sauce is made in-house and contains peanut butter. The same grill is used for the satay skewers, and the tongs are shared. The fryer is also used for crumbed prawns. The kitchen has a written allergen matrix, but the satay sauce is not listed on it. Your supervisor is off the floor taking a delivery. The customer is polite but anxious and says even a small amount makes them ill.
1. What should you do first, and can you promise the customer a safe satay dish?
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First, do not promise anything. Tell the customer you need to check with the supervisor and the allergen information, and that you take the allergy seriously. The satay sauce contains peanut, which is a known allergen, and the shared grill and tongs create a real cross-contact risk. The allergen matrix is incomplete because the satay sauce is not listed, so you cannot rely on it. You should not serve the satay chicken as safe. The correct action is to escalate to the supervisor, update or query the allergen information, and offer an alternative dish that can be prepared with clean equipment, separate utensils, and no peanut contact.
2. Describe how you would prepare an alternative dish to reduce cross-contact risk.
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Choose a dish that does not contain peanut and can be made away from the satay station. Wash hands and put on clean gloves. Use a clean board, clean knife, and clean pans. Use separate tongs that have not touched the satay skewers. If using the grill, clean and sanitise the area first, or use a separate cooking surface such as a clean frypan or oven tray. Avoid the fryer if it shares oil with crumbed prawns, because prawn is also an allergen and the oil may carry residue. Plate on a clean plate, cover or mark the dish clearly, and tell the customer exactly what was done. Record the allergen request and the controls used.
3. The supervisor returns and says the matrix is 'close enough'. How do you respond professionally?
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Respond calmly and factually. Explain that the satay sauce contains peanut and is not on the matrix, so the matrix is not accurate for this dish. Point out the shared grill, shared tongs, and fryer oil as cross-contact risks. Suggest the matrix be updated with the satay sauce ingredients and that the dish be flagged. Ask the supervisor to confirm the alternative dish is safe before it goes out. If the supervisor insists on serving the satay dish without controls, you should refuse to serve it and report the matter through the appropriate channel, because serving a known allergen without warning could seriously harm the customer. Document the conversation and the decision.