In a day and age where allergies to ingredients are becoming more and more common, being able to track these ingredients along with their nutritional information from prep to product is essential. By doing this, you’ll be able to safely, and accurately, list dishes properly on your menu; this in turn makes it easier for your customers to order dishes they can eat, and recommendations your staff can make based on customer allergies.

Nutritional information is important, as it gives chefs the ability to create not only health-conscious options, but also options that fulfill different diets such as Atkins or Keto, or those with Celiac Disease. It is important for a restaurant to say, with certainty, that those ingredients are in the recipe, or are not in the recipe.

The tools offered in Optimum Control allow you to track allergens through recipes and preps effectively and efficiently. By allowing you to print nutritional labels, you know exactly what you’re using, and what the nutritional value is. If you previously had a system in place, or no system at all, you would be flying by the seat of your pants. This is not a safe or reliable method for restaurants, as it only creates the potential to harm your customers by giving them ingredients or dishes that they may be allergic to unknowingly.

In order to make the most of these tools, you’ll need to ensure your entire kitchen is on board, as this will be an ongoing process that requires the investment from all staff. Labels should be placed in the same location on each container, box, and bag to ensure consistency and efficiency when locating ingredients and preparing the final products. If you’re changing suppliers or brands, you’ll need to ensure that the nutritional information and allergens listed on the label still match your information on file. If even one ingredient is different, the entire recipe could be incorrectly categorized, leading to potentially disastrous consequences for all involved.

You’ll also want to ensure that the system is appropriate for your operations. If you’re running a small pop-up with a minimal menu, and little to no regard for allergy accuracy or nutritional information, then you’ll see little to no benefit from being able to track them. Is nutritional information and allergy tracking really that important? It depends on how important this information is to your customer base. If you do need these features, Optimum Control has a solution for you, regardless of your organization’s size.