In today’s foodservice landscape, managing food allergies and dietary restrictions isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. With nearly 33 million Americans suffering from food allergies, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), and millions more following dietary preferences due to health, religious, or ethical reasons, foodservice businesses are under increasing pressure to serve every guest safely and accurately. Guests are also taking it upon themselves to research ahead, educating themselves on menu items long before walking into a restaurant, according to FoodAllergy.org.

This growing demand for allergen awareness and specialized diet management means the tools you use to run your operation matter more than ever. A modern, allergy-aware Point-of-Sale (POS) system can be a game-changer, helping mitigate risk, improve customer satisfaction, and ensure staff are always informed. Here’s how.

The Hidden Risks of Poor Allergy Management

Miscommunication between the front of house and kitchen, inaccurate labeling, or manual order entry errors can have serious—and sometimes life-threatening—consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 50% increase in food allergy prevalence among children between 1997 and 2011, and the trend continues today.

For foodservice operators, this translates into a critical need for precision. Without proper tools to manage allergens and dietary preferences, businesses risk:

• Severe allergic reactions among patrons
• Legal liability and financial penalties
• Damaged reputation and lost customer trust
• Operational inefficiencies and order inaccuracies

How a POS System Like Volanté Systems Supports Allergy Management

Volanté Systems is a leading POS platform tailored to meet the complex needs of foodservice operations, especially in healthcare, higher education campuses, senior living homes, and other dietary-sensitive environments. Here’s how it helps businesses better manage allergies and dietary restrictions:

1. Restriction-Oriented Ordering Processes

Volanté enables restriction-based filtering and customized ordering experiences for both staff and patrons. On the self-service kiosk, users can filter menus by allergens or dietary preferences—preventing unsafe selections before the order is even placed. Identifying icons are placed on menu items to ensure allergens are visible, with text descriptions of the allergens also included.

This level of control helps ensure that gluten, nuts, dairy, shellfish, or other allergens are automatically flagged or excluded from the ordering flow.

2. BackOffice Allergen Flags

In the Volanté BackOffice, administrators can tag menu items with specific allergens or dietary properties (e.g., vegan, low sodium, halal). These flags appear in both customer-facing and kitchen-facing interfaces—ensuring transparency at every level of the ordering process.

This tagging not only supports allergen compliance but also helps with menu planning and nutritional reporting.

3. Kitchen Alerts and Notifications

Once an order is placed, Volanté’s POS automatically pushes alerts and modifiers to the kitchen or food preparation team, ensuring that meals are handled with the necessary precautions. These notifications can appear on kitchen display systems (KDS), printed tickets, or handheld devices—reducing the risk of human error. Notifications can be displayed in an alternate color to increase visibility and reduce the likelihood that the allergen flag is overlooked.

4. EHR/EMR Integration for Healthcare Settings

In hospitals, long-term care facilities, or retirement communities, Volanté can integrate directly into Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems. This allows dietary data such as allergies, intolerances, and nutritional restrictions to sync in real-time with the POS.

With this level of connectivity, kitchen staff are always working with up-to-date dietary profiles, ensuring compliance with physician-prescribed diets and providing the ability for staff to make recommendations that suit dietary needs.

Safety, Loyalty, and Efficiency

By incorporating dietary restriction management into your POS workflow, you’re not just protecting your guests—you’re also improving your business operations:

• Fewer order errors and costly remakes
• Improved guest loyalty and satisfaction
• Reduced liability risk
• Streamlined communication between FOH and BOH
• Data-driven insights into dining trends and needs

Volanté Systems helps operators tackle all of these challenges with an allergy-conscious design and seamless integration with essential tools.

A POS System That Cares About What Your Guests Eat

In a world where one mistake can mean a medical emergency, foodservice businesses need tools they can trust. Volanté Systems offers a comprehensive, intelligent POS platform designed with allergy and dietary management at its core.

Whether you’re running a hospital cafeteria, a university food court, or a senior living facility, having a POS system that actively helps manage dietary restrictions and allergies isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

Want to learn how Volanté can help you deliver stronger service? Please call us at 1.877.490.6333 ext. 3 or by email at sales@volantesystems.com.