{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T16:29:29Z","timestamp":1790958569599,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,23]],"date-time":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729641600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Food allergies, often triggered by minute amounts of certain foods, affect people of all ages and frequently occur in dining-out settings. Previous research in Saudi Arabia has not investigated the extent of restaurant workers\u2019 knowledge of food allergies and their role in protecting patrons from allergic reactions. This descriptive study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of restaurant staff regarding food allergies in Qassim, Saudi Arabia between January and March 2023. Interviews and observations were conducted in four stages, and data were analyzed using the Environmental Health Specialists Network Food Allergen Study Protocol. Results showed that most restaurant staff had limited knowledge of food allergens and their symptoms, and a small proportion had received specific training on food allergies. Moreover, only 14% of restaurants provided allergen information on their menus. Despite these knowledge gaps, most staff exhibited positive attitudes toward managing food allergies. Findings also indicated that factors such as experience, training, and restaurant policies were associated with higher levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes. These results highlight the urgent need for the restaurant sector to implement food allergy measures, including clear policies and comprehensive training, to prevent potentially life-threatening incidents.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0311650","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,23]],"date-time":"2024-10-23T17:23:20Z","timestamp":1729704200000},"page":"e0311650","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Restaurant staff\u2019s knowledge, practices, and attitudes pertaining to food allergy in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional analysis"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Ghadi A.","family":"Alkhalaf","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-2487-957X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Norah A.","family":"Aljuaylan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jolan S.","family":"Alsaud","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boshra A.","family":"Aljokaidb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatima R.","family":"Aljalaood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0311650.ref001","author":"Mayo Clinic","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food allergy"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1120","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2015.02.006","article-title":"Food allergies: the basics","volume":"148","author":"R Valenta","year":"2015","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2222.2005.02162.x","article-title":"Prevalence and main characteristics of schoolchildren diagnosed with food allergies in France","volume":"35","author":"F Ranc\u00e9","year":"2005","journal-title":"Clin Exp Allergy"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref004","article-title":"What is food allergy?","author":"Food Allergy Canada","year":"2018"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref005","article-title":"Food allergies","author":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref006","article-title":"Food allergy treatment is to avoid ingredients that cause it","author":"Saudi Food and Drug Authority","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1046","DOI":"10.1111\/all.12441","article-title":"EAACI food allergy and anaphylaxis guidelines: managing patients with food allergy in the community","volume":"69","author":"A Muraro","year":"2014","journal-title":"Allergy"},{"key":"pone.0311650.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18010347","article-title":"Prevalence of self-reported food allergies and their association with other health conditions among adults","volume":"18","author":"NA Althumiri","year":"2021","journal-title":"Saudi Arabia. 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