LunchLink workplace catering guide
Office catering dietary requirements checklist
Dietary coordination works best when requirements are collected consistently and passed to the selected provider without vague shorthand. A preference, religious requirement, intolerance, and medically diagnosed allergy are not interchangeable.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Collect requirements privately and consistently
- Do not promise allergen-free handling without verification
- Confirm labels and substitutions
- Keep the onsite distribution plan aligned
Collect the right information
Ask attendees to identify the requirement and any relevant cross-contact concern in their own words. Avoid asking for unnecessary medical detail, and limit access to the people who need the information for ordering and distribution.
Set a response deadline that leaves time to verify the proposed menu.
- Vegetarian or vegan preference
- Religious or cultural requirement
- Ingredient intolerance
- Food allergy and stated cross-contact concern
- Required individual label
- Person responsible for final clarification
Verify instead of assuming
A dish without an obvious ingredient is not automatically safe. Recipes, suppliers, preparation surfaces, fryers, storage, and packaging can affect suitability.
LunchLink does not describe a kitchen as allergen-free, gluten-free, or halal unless the relevant current status is confirmed for the proposed option.
Protect the handoff onsite
Even a carefully prepared meal can be misdistributed. Decide where labelled meals will be placed, who will receive the delivery, and how the correct attendee will identify their meal.
Keep ingredient or verification information available during service when the provider supplies it.
