Quality Awards & Honors
Since 2006, we have been honored to receive 20-plus quality innovation awards from key industry organizations for our Let's Eat Out series of language translation guides, cards, books and a mobile app including:
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Best Gluten Free / Food Allergy App (5 industry competitions)
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Best Health Book of the Year (3 industry competitions)
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Best Travel Guide (2 industry competitions)
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Best Language Guide and Best Health & Diet Book
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Best App for Food Education and Restaurant Foods
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Best App for Food & Cooking
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Quality, Excellence and Design for eBooks (QED)
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Digital Publishing Innovation Award
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Best Healthy Eating & Cooking Book
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Best Non-Fiction and Best Classic Reference
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Best Health, Wellness & Nutrition Book
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Best First Book Non-Fiction
Examples of our Impact in the International Marketplace
Serving Gluten-Free Requires Staff Training, Education
During the Protein Innovation Summit at Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, presented by HOTELS along with sister publications Plate and Meetingplace, a panel discussion that included chefs and allergen-free food processors examined the opportunities and challenges of providing food for this niche segment.
In a keynote address before moderating the panel, Kim Koeller, author and founder of Allergy Free Passport noted that market research shows 92% of gluten and allergy free people would return to a restaurant they had a safe, positive experience at while 87% would not return to a restaurant they had a negative experience from eating food at.
A smartphone app is helping customers eat and shop safely outside the home.
“I wanted gluten-free followers to have the information they needed in their hands wherever they went so they could feel comfortable and safe,” says Kim Koeller, creator of www.GlutenFreePassport.com, a site that offers an app to help people navigate food options for different cuisines while traveling abroad. Koeller says her products, which are geared toward consumers, are now attracting the attention of cookbook authors, chefs and manufacturers who want to create gluten-free recipes for their gluten-free followers.
Safe Dining when Food Operators Follow the Big 7
Safe dining is vital for the millions of people living with food allergies. Kim Koeller teaches food operators seven simple ways they can cater to this growing segment:
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Educate staff about special diets
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Identify ingredients & preparations for modifications
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Understand guests’ dietary needs and discuss menu
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Facilitate accurate understanding of the order
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Ensure fulfillment of special order
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Deliver and confirm that meal meets requirements
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Follow up with guests to ensure safe experiences
“Let’s Eat Out! is a wonderful resource for both consumers and food service operators who are concerned about gluten & food allergens... Well-organized, easy to read, and first book I have seen that extensively addresses food allergies within the context of education, food preparation, popular cuisines, potential sources of allergens, menu suggestions and detailed ingredient lists. I believe that food service owners, operators, chefs, and staff will find Koeller’s book extremely helpful. It is a tremendous resource for those who want to have allergy-free options in their dining centers and open up food possibilities for those with food sensitivities.” —Katherine Ingerson RD, LD, NACAS and College Services
“Let’s Eat Out! is a visa of sorts, giving diners with common allergies including gluten and nuts, access to a full range of information about major restaurant cuisines, ingredients and preparations... instruct and arms diners with a checklist of menu considerations… Thorough and comprehensive, the book might do well in the hands of operators as well. It gives an important overview of the seriousness of allergies–and how common allergens are in many foods, even those that don’t immediately seem suspect.” —Jamie Popp, Restaurants & Institutions Magazine
Gluten and Allergen-Free Food Demand Offers Opportunities
"There is a learning curve associated with special dietary requirements for manufacturers, restaurants, hotels and even consumers, which includes 3 key steps: awareness, education and knowledge," according to Kim Koeller, founder of AllergyFree Passport and GlutenFree Passport and author of the Let's Eat Out! series. Koeller discussed this topic as a keynote speaker at the Protein Innovation Summit. Her presentation included data on worldwide market drivers for special diets, a look at the exploding demand for gluten-free and allergy-friendly products, ingredient and food preparation considerations and business opportunities when catering to special diet customers.
Uncharted Treat Territories: Go Gluten-Free and Watch Profits Soar
Proprietary research contained in the report Understanding Gluten and Allergen-Free Experiences Worldwide indicate 62% of hospitality & food service respondents view afflicted guests as a new and profitable consumer segment. "Once gluten and allergen-free guests feel safe and satisfied with their eating experience, more than 80% return, reflecting an extremely loyal and repeat customer base," says Kim Koeller, GlutenFree Passport President and CEO.
“Let’s Eat Out! instructs travelers with food sensitivities or allergies how to eat what they want, where they want and when they want. The book addresses seven ethnic cuisines—and covers more than 175 specific menu items as well as hundreds of breakfast, beverage, snack and airline tips.”
