Exploring Consumer and Restaurant Employee Perspectives Towards Food Allergy Risk Communication Strategies

Our research studies aim to gain a better understanding of how restaurants communicate risk to people with food allergies from the perspectives of customers and restaurant staff. We seek to understand what methods are used to communicate risk, what methods are most effective, and what strategies restaurants take to make the public aware of the risks and risk-mitigation efforts at their restaurant. This study is being conducted in partnership with May Contain, a startup incubated at Ryerson University which aims to make eating at restaurants easier for people with food allergies through a mobile application. The information gleaned from these studies will accelerate May Contain’s work to better serve the food allergy population.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nick Bellissimo

Student:

Nathan Battersby;Reeda Mahmood

Partner:

Science Discovery Zone

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Service industry

University:

Ryerson University