Burning Issue: Catering to special diets

Demand for gluten-free, sugar free and lactose-free dishes are among specialist food options that are growing. But just what are restaurants doing about it? More to the point, should they be forced to do something about it?

In 2011, 32.8million people in the region were diagnosed with diabetes. Four GCC countries made it on the Top 10 Fattest Nations list with Kuwait at 2 followed by Qatar at 4, the UAE at 5 and Bahrain at 10.

These stats got F&B outlets thinking about their offerings in a whole new light, and as awareness of other problems such as celiac disease and lactose intolerance grow, F&B outlets are under even more pressure to cater to the specific dietary needs of their customers.

Many are however, fairly responsive to such demands. Earlier this year, Indian chef Anil Kumar launched the Memsaab restaurant in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lake Towers, whose menus are designed with “wellness in mind”. Alongside offering dishes which use little or no oil — already a big step in Indian cuisine — gluten-free, lactose free and vegan options can be prepared on advanced notice.

Carluccio’s, Dubai Mall, uses a supplier for gluten free pasta. Another of its suppliers is introducing a range of gluten, sugar and dairy-free cakes.

But it’s not just the independent restaurants catering to specialist demands. The NKD Pizza franchise aims to “change the nutritional profile of fast food,” explains Ian Ohan, GCC area owner, NKD Pizza.

“Globally, the food industry and its regulators are largely to blame for the proliferation of diet related illnesses such as obesity and diabetes,” asserts Ohan.

Playing your part
“Our nutritional ethos revolves around the simple idea of natural, whole food ingredients with no freaky chemicals of any kind, no high-fructose corn syrup and no added sugar or salt. Our cheese is half skim milk and lower in trans fats.

We have also added agave (a natural sweetener and a prebiotic dietary fiber) and heat resistant probiotics (like in yoghurt) to support the growth of natural bacteria in your stomach and aid indigestion,” he adds.

But while Ohan talks of offering “fresher”, organic, additive-free options, just how realistic is it in practice for all outlets to do? The truth of the matter is ingredients available mass-produced, often chemically-bound and readily available, are always going to be cheaper than custom-made ones. Is cost one of the biggest obstacles in the industry’s efforts to offer a healthier, balanced, and sometimes niche, offering?

Ushna Abu Dhabi has been offering healthier food options since it opened in 2009. It opened based on the concept of a sattva menu, inspired by ayuverda — a traditional Indian medical science focused on healthy eating and living.

A dedicated offering
Chef Sunil Datt Rai says when you mention “organic and free range” it usually means more expensive.

“There is usually a slightly lower demand so they will cost more as they are not mass
produced. A restaurant like Ushna is renowned for the high quality produce used in our dishes and I think our customers are willing to pay that small percentage extra to ensure they are getting a high quality, deliciously tasting and beautifully presented meal.”

But does your offering have to be backed by a specialised concept like Ushna’s in order for customers to be willing to pay the price?

For Dubai-based gluten free bakery, Sweet Connection, the answer is yes.

Launched out of the frustration of the lack of available options for celiac sufferers, Areej Jomaa, decided to launch the bakery which sells bread, cookies, pizzas, cup cakes and so on, gluten-free.

But Ohan disagrees that you have to be a specialised concept to cater to clients with specific dietary requirements. Outlets must be proactive in exploring options that cater to every demographic he says. One of the problems he finds is that suppliers are often not willing to look at importing better quality products. This, he says, is especially true of the fast food industry.

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Do it yourself
“We have taken the decision to pioneer them ourselves — either go directly to source internationally or develop our own products with regional and reputable suppliers to meet our nutritional rigor.

“If we can source locally, with quality suppliers we save much of the cost of transport and logistics which helps off-set the added cost of high quality ingredients.”

In fact, NKD goes as far as growing its own veg for its salads and pizzas, and recently introduced a gluten-free pizza on its menu.

But Jomaa believes people are more likely to pay a higher price when an outlet specialises in a specific area — primarily because they trust it has been produced in a strict environment.
In a previous interview with Caterer, Jomaa said there is a lack of awareness in the industry, particularly where allergies and intolerances are concerned and their seriousness.

The trust issue
“Bakeries, hotels and pastry kitchens are not doing enough, as they are not dedicating areas in their kitchens to prepare gluten-free meals, breads or pastries. They also lack the knowledge, training and experience in understanding gluten intolerance and the risks associated with cross contamination,” she explains.

And it is challenging too for an outlet to ensure its operation is 100% gluten free for celiac sufferers, 100% dairy-free for those with a lactose intolerance and so on.

Kumar says: “There are always the big wild cards — cross contamination and lack of knowledge at any given establishment on a given day. These concerns remain front and centre for food-allergic customers and require vigilance on the part of the diner.” But, he believes understanding is getting better as does Rai.

“Our staff are extremely well trained and aware of the consequences of including certain foods in one’s diet. Even small things like asking whether the guest has allergies while taking orders.” But chef Alessandro Zulian, Carluccio’s, is not as convinced.

“Not many staff are aware of food intolerances / allergies and the danger associated with them. I have noticed this in various restaurants in Dubai. Carluccios’ holds training sessions focused on food allergies for front of house staff.”

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A forced hand?
So what comes next? The UK government is in talks to introduce legislation where outlets and manufacturers are forced to adhere to legal limits on sugar, fat and salt content. Could the same work in this region?

Rai at Ushna agrees people need forcing into a healthier lifestyle and while Ohan thinks outlets should be offering better options without being bound by legislation, ultimately the choice should be left to the consumer. Going “all-heathy” could put your customer base off he says.

“I think it is universally true that most people do not want to be preached to about what they should eat. We generally avoid calorie discussions in our marketing. For example, we are generally 30-50% less calories than other pizzas but we do not use that to sell our pizza. We are also a low-glycemic index food but again not a lead discussion point,” he adds.

Kumar agrees: “It would be reasonable to say that it is an increasing lack of self-discipline among most people, which is leading to a clear health problem.

“Should the government be sending us to “boot camp” through ever involved legislation clearly proposing to force everyone against their will just because it is deemed good for them? In some cases this may be warranted but at some point the man in the street will have to understand that he has to be responsible for his own health by choosing a lifestyle that is healthy enough for his body.”

Zulian agrees: “Chefs should be able to cook and prepare dishes as they want. It’s not just up to restaurants to work to a limit, people need to know what their limits are.”

A special-diet future
But where gluten, lactose and dairy are concerned — “genuine ailments”, should outlets be legally required to have a “special diets” menu? Should kitchens be regulated to ensure lactose-free, gluten-free and sugar-free options are prepared in the correct environment? Of course then there’s nut-free, yeast-free — the list is quite possibly endless, and that is one of the arguments against.

But Zulian believes such an idea could be a winner: “Food intolerances seem to be on the rise so I’m sure the demand will continue to grow. People also choose sugar free, dairy free items for health reasons, not only because of food intolerances.”

Ohan agrees, particularly where gluten-free is concerned: “Increased awareness of diet related illnesses have also created increased demand for niche products. Gluten free crusts are one such product we offer to cater to this demand.

Celiacs represent less than 1% of the global population yet account for over 6% of our pizza sales. However gluten intolerance is increasingly being diagnosed as a root cause of other ailments. Vegan and lactose intolerant products are another area we are working on,” adds Ohan.

Supplies are still not strong, but it’s getting there, gradually.

“Imported items exist through distributors but at exorbitant prices so in these cases we import directly. Our gluten free crusts are imported from the US for example from a company that specialises in only gluten-free products where cross contamination with gluten is 0%. We have been seeking a high quality vegan cheese without success now for two years,” says Ohan.

Food allergy conscious meals were among the top ten in NRA’s Hottest Menu Trends survey completed by 1500 chefs and Kumar says acknowledging this demand is the way forward: “From offering gluten-free options to separate menus, more chefs are paying attention to this market.”

It is evident that tailoring to such requests is what will seal an outlet’s success.

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A Closer Look
NKD Pizza

A bit of background:
Founded in late 2006 as one small store in New Orleans, Naked Pizza was launched as an ambitious business model that seeks to change the nutritional profile of fast food. It was branded to NKD Pizza for the Middle East launch.

By way of example, NKD Pizza is demonstrating that pizza, while still of a fast food profile, does not have to be part of the problem in our global epidemic of obesity and chronic disease, but in fact can be part of the solution.

What it offers as part of its special diets menu:
The first thing is the opening warning on its online menu that explains which ingredients may affect customers with certain allergies. For example it states its Ancestral Blend (crust, cheesy breadstixx, and manakeesh) contains wheat and soy; its mozzarella and feta cheese contain milk; its BBQ sauce contains wheat and is also produced in a facility that processes peanuts. For the gluten-free audience, it recently launched a gluten-free crust pizza and is currently looking into lactose-free offerings and vegan cheese.

Other cool facts:
To ensure the vegetables used on its pizzas and in its salads is additive and chemical free, it works with the organisation Greenheart Organic Farms to create the NKD Greenheart Garden here in the UAE. The organically produced vegetables are then handpicked daily for its dishes.

A Closer Look
Memsaab Restaurant, JLT, Dubai

A bit of background: Launched earlier this year in the Jumeirah Lake Towers area of Dubai, by chef Anil Kumar, the restaurant is dedicated to offering dishes that are healthy. It does this by preparing them with little or no oil. The kitchen also promises to offer gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan dishes to suit a diner’s dietary requirements provided the kitchen is given notice.

What it offers as part of its special diets menu:
Menu options at Memsaab have reduced or lower fat versions of milk, spreads, cream, yogurt, butter and so on. Specialised cooking techniques such as grilling, using the tandoor-hearth oven, steaming and baking are favoured over frying. Cooking in the tandoor melts off all remaining traces of fat without compromising on the nutrients, flavour or texture. Sugar-free lassis are an alternative to the traditional lassis.

The restaurant is also almost trans-fat free as it does not use hydrogenated fat in any of its dishes and it doesn’t feature biscuits or cakes in the menu.

Other cool facts:
To ensure the food is as natural and healthy as possible, chef Anil swears against “tinkering with it”. Instead he prefers serving it in its raw and most natural state. The further away food gets from it's natural, original state, the worse it gets in terms of taste and benefits he says. Gluten-free for example, it doesn’t mean you have to add other whole grains.

Top 3
challenges in offering a special diet menu

Supply – Suppliers are not willing to seek out better quality products, due to the price and low demand.

Demand – While gluten-free is gaining momentum, with the opening of independent gluten-free stores, this along with dairy-free and sugar free are still not demanded enough for all outlets to offer it as part of a mainstream menu. Many have to have such items specially requested.

Price – Low demand and poor supply often results in ingredients that are made available here being very pricey.