Eating Out Safely When You Have Food Allergies

Many kids and adults have food allergies and need to cope with being social and still maintaining safety when it comes to eating out. Some people prefer to stay at home and forego the enjoyment of eating out because of fears associated with food allergies. It has become increasingly safer to eat out today as more establishments are becoming aware that lots of restaurant patrons have food allergies. Approximately 2 million Americans suffer from mild to severe food allergies. To accommodate this large a group of potential customers, restaurants have adapted food preparations, and menus to be more food allergy conscientious.

Many businesses in the food industry have trained staff in ways to accommodate those with food allergies including what to do if they notice that a patron is having symptoms of a food allergic reaction.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and the National Restaurant Association devised a training program for restaurants to become for aware of food allergies making it safer for their patrons to order at their establishments. The program is both educational and an informative tool that makes staff better prepared to deal with preparing foods and to be more aware of what might happen should a patron have an allergic reaction in the restaurant.

Even though restaurants may be more aware of food allergies does not take the responsibility away from the individual who has the allergy or their parents in the case of kids. There are steps that can be taken to help protect the individual who is allergic when dining out.

Since food allergens can be hiding in ingredients such as those in breading, dressing, sauces or baked goods the safest route to take is to tell the waiter and the chef in advance that you have a food allergy and what the food allergen is. Call ahead to the restaurant to give the chef advance notice that you will be dining there and tell exactly what the food allergy is to so that your dishes can be specially prepared.

It is also a good idea for you to know what hidden sources of food are possible for the food allergen that you are allergic to. Here are some common food sources:

Milk/Dairy

Here are some hidden sources - hot dogs, canned tuna, certain chewing gum, margarine made from corn oil (skim milk powder), granola bars, chocolate chips, and also desserts that contain caramel coloring. Some flavorings also contain milk/dairy such as caramel coloring, brown-sugar flavoring, coconut-cream flavoring, and natural chocolate flavoring. Grilled steak can contain butter if restaurant staff rub the steak with butter after grilling it to give it more flavor.

If you are allergic to eggs some hidden sources may include Milky Way or Snickers Candy bars because they contain nougat, which contains eggs. Any baked well that has a shiny surface probably contains egg. Bagels and pretzels contain eggs. The foam on some coffee drinks contains eggs. Pasta and prepared foods like soaps also contain egg.

Nut allergies can also have hidden sources such as barbecue sauce, bouillon, chili (nuts are used as a thickener).

Wheat/Gluten allergies have hidden sources too such as hydrolyzed wheat protein that is sometimes listed only as a flavor enhancer or a binder in some prepared foods and sauces. Alcoholic beverages contain wheat, hotdogs, ice cream cones, licorice, soup mixes, and even coffee creamer substitutes can be grain based. Butter flavoring, caramel coloring, and some brands of butter contain wheat or gluten.

Believe it or not even seafood allergens can be in hidden places like in Caesar Salad (anchovies), Pizza (anchovies), caponata (Italian relish has anchovies), and foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids such as those labeled with (fish source). Some orange juice, baby cereals, and even soymilk can contain seafood.