Almost all chefs (94%) consider gluten when planning a menu, and also plan for dairy (82%), peanut (72%) and egg (59%) intolerances.
However, the survey finds that when it comes to diet and nutrition 56% of chefs think restaurants should be responsible for providing customers with better balanced and more nutritious meals.
Also, around a quarter of chefs (27%) surveyed think that restaurants should not be made responsible for helping reduce obesity.
On a day to day basis, only around one in four of the chefs who responded to The Change Group are actively taking steps to reduce sugar (27%), fat (29%) or salt (29%) in their menus.
Craig Allen, co-owner of The Change Group, said: “When we recruit for the top London restaurants, the emphasis is on experience, skills, knowledge of flavours, cuisines and techniques. We are very rarely asked about a chef’s training in diet and nutrition.
“But this could change given the high focus on food right now. What our survey shows is that a lot of chefs – over half – have already had some training in diet and nutrition, so the knowledge is definitely there. Plus, chefs think they need to keep up to date with the latest research, which could impact on long term training.
“Our research suggests that at the moment, the priority for chefs and restaurants seems to be on adapting to food intolerances and allergies. But the next generation of chefs could become much more focused on combining outstanding flavour with dishes that provide balanced nutrition.”