Living Successfully With Food Allergies

There are approximately eight different foods that are responsible for the majority of the food allergy symptoms experienced by individuals with peanuts causing the most severe of reactions. The eight most common food allergens are to dairy, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, peanut, tree nut, and egg allergens.

One of the toughest situations for someone with food allergies is when they go out to eat. It is difficult to know exactly how the chef is preparing your food, if cross-contamination is occurring, or what oils or flavorings are being used. One thing that can be done is to call ahead to the restaurant and speak to the manager or to the chef personally. Ask if you can bring special foods that you need prepared separately or ask if they make allowances for individuals with food allergies. Ask how foods are prepared, what oils, flavorings and seasonings are used.

You can also carry a safe snack with you, just in case you get to the restaurant and there is nothing appropriate on the menu that you can eat.

When ordering stick to simple dishes, and ask for any sauces or dressings to be served on the side. Ask your waiter/waitress, questions before placing your order and be careful to mention to them exactly what your food allergy is so that the chef can be aware of it while preparing your food.

Avoid buffets and bakeries, because they tend to use the same utensils and machines for a variety of food items.

When you are going to someone else's house to eat a meal or snack let the host/hostess know about your food allergy in advance so they have time to make special preparations. Offer to bring an item that you can eat along with you. Give the individual specific food items to avoid when preparing dishes for you.

Always make sure that family members and friends are aware of your food allergy and what a food allergy reaction looks like and what emergency procedures they should do if you should have a food allergy reaction in front of them and are unable to speak.

Make sure you always have an emergency treatment kit on you at all times. The kit should contain an EpiPen, Benadryl, or other medication prescribed by your doctor or allergist.

When buying or preparing food always, always read the label to be sure that what you are allergic to is not on the label. Check each and every time because food manufacturers change recipes from time to time and the ingredients may change.

The good news is that as of January 2006, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), requires that any food item that contains any of the above 8 common food allergens have the allergen listed on the label.