The Cabildo of Lanzarote hosted last week, in the Plenary Hall of the Institution, the official presentation of the project “Gluten-Free Restoration”, an initiative promoted jointly with the Association of Celiacs and Gluten Sensitive People of the Canary Islands (ASOCECA) with the aim of improving the quality of life of people with Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
The event featured the participation of the island Councilor for Hospitality, Armando Santana, accompanied by the vice-president of ASOCECA, Fernando Rafael Domínguez Lanuza, and the president of the Hospitality Union of Lanzarote and La Graciosa (Hostelan), Fernando Ortega. “Gluten-Free Catering” has as its main objective to promote safe environments in the field of hospitality, tourism and food retail outlets, fostering an accessible, inclusive and safe offer for people affected by gluten-related disorders. Likewise, the initiative seeks to raise awareness among the professional sector about the correct handling of gluten-free foods and reinforce the confidence of this group when consuming outside the home.
During his speech, Armando Santana thanked ASOCECA for its collaboration in the development of the project and stressed that this initiative “is part of the program of actions promoted by the Island Restoration Area, created in a novel way during this term, with the aim of professionalizing and diversifying the island's gastronomic offer”.
For his part, Fernando Rafael Domínguez Lanuza highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration, pointing out that “ASOCECA maintains a constant line of work with public entities in the Canary Islands, and in this case the Cabildo de Lanzarote has shown a special sensitivity to promote a necessary project for our collective”.
Along the same lines, Fernando Ortega pointed out that “families and celiac people are a small great minority that is beginning to be taken into account in Lanzarote's catering, which is increasingly diverse and adapted to new demands.”
Initial training on April 29
As a starting point, the project contemplates the holding of a training talk aimed at the restaurant sector next Wednesday, April 29, at 12:00, in the Assembly Hall of the Cabildo. This meeting has as its purpose to make known the project, resolve doubts and promote the adherence of new establishments.
This project is part of the restoration program promoted by the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain, an entity that works mainly with large national chains. In this context, ASOCECA is responsible for the implementation and local support, adapting the project to the reality of the business fabric of the islands.
Among the specific objectives of the initiative stand out: increase the number of safe establishments on the island; train sector professionals in gluten-free food safety; generate confidence in the celiac community when consuming outside the home; and position Lanzarote as a benchmark in inclusive and safe tourism.
Establishments interested in being part of the project must follow a process that includes application, initial evaluation, staff training, adaptation of processes, supervision and validation, until their inclusion in the network of safe spaces.