Boost Your Bookings

What Accreditation Means for Your Venue

FODMAP Friendly Restaurant Accreditation is a world-first solution that allows your venue to confidently identify and offer low FODMAP menu items. Unlike product certification, which involves laboratory testing, this accreditation is achieved by your restaurant utilizing the FODMAP Friendly app’s Recipe Maker tool. This innovative tool draws from FODMAP Friendly’s extensive database of individually lab-tested ingredients, enabling you to formulate and verify low FODMAP dishes without the need for individual dish laboratory testing.

Who the Accreditation is Suitable For

The FODMAP Friendly Restaurant Accreditation program is designed for a diverse range of food venues:

  • Cafes
  • Restaurants
  • Meal Preparation Boxes
  • Hospitality Venues
  • Food Trucks
Fodmap grey backround shapes

Benefits to FODMAP Friendly Accreditation

Catering to the low FODMAP diet through accreditation offers significant advantages for your business and the IBS community:

Increased diner trust

Become a trusted dining option for the IBS community. Many IBS sufferers will stay at home out of fear of symptoms when eating out. Help them by instilling confidence and trust in your offerings.

Increased exposure

Enjoy free marketing of your business via the FODMAP Friendly app’s ‘Restaurant Directory’ and interactive map, which is visible to hundreds of thousands of app users worldwide.

Upskill your staff

The Recipe Maker tool calculates FODMAP stacking and suggests low FODMAP alternatives, simplifying recipe creation for your staff. Subscription allows access for up to 5 kitchen staff on a single account.

Attract new customers

Tap into the largest untapped market in the health sector, the IBS market, which is 15 times larger than gluten-free. This can increase your bookings by up to 11%. 1

Simplify operations

The accreditation process is simple and does not require external chef training as the app’s Recipe Maker automatically facilitates low FODMAP recipe creation.

Accreditation vs. Certification: What’s the Difference?

It’s important to understand the distinction between FODMAP Friendly’s Product Certification and Restaurant Accreditation. Product Certification involves rigorous laboratory testing of packaged food products by an independent, NATA-approved laboratory to scientifically confirm their low FODMAP status. This results in the globally recognised registered trademark logo on product packaging. In contrast, Restaurant Accreditation does not require laboratory testing of individual dishes. Instead, it is based on the restaurant utilising the FODMAP Friendly app’s Recipe Maker tool, which draws from a database of already lab-tested ingredients, allowing venues to create and verify their own low FODMAP recipes. Accredited restaurants receive a distinct square accreditation logo, differentiating it from the round certification trademark logo used on products.

Fodmap grey backround shapes

How It Works

Achieving FODMAP Friendly Restaurant Accreditation is a straightforward process:

1. Register Inside App

Begin by downloading the FODMAP Friendly app and purchasing an annual subscription to the Accreditation Program.

2. Make a Recipe Inside the Recipe Maker

Use the exclusive in-app Recipe Maker feature to create low FODMAP recipes, leveraging our database of lab-tested ingredients to ensure accuracy.

3. Tick “On the Menu”

Mark your low FODMAP recipe as “On the Menu” within the app to confirm it is currently available to your diners. You can update this at any time – if ingredients change, the dish is removed from the menu, or it’s a seasonal item – simply untick it. Changes are updated live within the app.

4. Receive Accreditation Trademark Logo

Upon successfully listing your low FODMAP dish, you will receive the distinct square Accreditation Trademark logo via email, which you can then use on your menu to signify low FODMAP options.

5. Marketing

Your restaurant will be added to the ‘FODMAP Friendly Restaurants Directory’ and interactive map within the app, making it easy for hundreds of thousands of users to find your venue.

Your Low FODMAP Toolkit Right at Your Fingertips

  • Find certified products while you shop
  • Access real FODMAP data anytime
  • Check your meals with the Recipe Maker
  • Discover FODMAP Friendly restaurants nearby
  • Find a FODMAP trained practitioner near you

Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about getting accredited? Below are some of the most common queries we receive from hospitality venues exploring FODMAP Friendly Accreditation.

Q. What is FODMAP Friendly Restaurant Accreditation?

FODMAP Friendly Restaurant Accreditation is a program for food venues to offer low FODMAP menu items, enabling them to confidently cater to individuals with IBS and those following a low FODMAP diet.

Q. How is Restaurant Accreditation different from Product Certification?

Restaurant Accreditation does not involve laboratory testing of individual dishes; instead, it’s based on recipes created using the app’s database of lab-tested ingredients. Product Certification, conversely, requires rigorous lab testing of packaged food products.

Q. Who can apply for Restaurant Accreditation?

The accreditation is suitable for a wide range of food service venues, including cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars, meal providers, and meal prep boxes, aiming to support the low FODMAP community.

Q. What are the main benefits of becoming an accredited restaurant?

Accreditation can increase your bookings by up to 11%; attract new health-conscious customers (a market 15 times larger than gluten-free), enhance your menu’s credibility, and get your venue listed on the widely used FODMAP Friendly app.1

Q. How much does it cost to get accredited?

The annual subscription fee for the Restaurant Accreditation Program is only USD $99.

Q. What are the steps to get my restaurant accredited?

The process involves downloading the FODMAP Friendly app, registering your restaurant, subscribing to the accreditation program, creating a low FODMAP recipe using the Recipe Maker, and marking it “On the Menu.”

Q. Can my staff use the Recipe Maker?

Yes, your annual subscription provides access for up to 5 kitchen staff or chefs, allowing them to utilise the Recipe Maker tool for seamless low FODMAP recipe creation.

Q. Where can I use the FODMAP Friendly Accreditation logo?

Once accredited, you will receive the distinct square Accreditation Trademark logo via email, which can be used on your menus, in-store signage, website, and marketing materials. It must clearly indicate which specific menu items are accredited.

Q. What happens if my accredited recipe changes or is removed from the menu?

If an accredited recipe changes, it must be updated in the app, as even small changes can impact FODMAP content. If a dish is removed or no longer meets low FODMAP criteria, you must untick “On the Menu” and cease using the logo for that item. Failure to have any accredited items on the menu will result in temporary removal from the Directory and Map.

Q. How can customers find my accredited restaurant?

Accredited restaurants are listed in the ‘FODMAP Friendly Restaurants Directory’ and on an interactive map within the FODMAP Friendly app, making it easy for thousands of users worldwide to locate your venue.

References

  1. Canavan C, West J, Card T. The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2014;6:71–80. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S40245

Choose Style