If you had a severe nut allergy would you risk eating food someone else has prepared such as in a restaurant

[KinderEgg23]

I was at a good friends birthday get together recently, it was a meal out for her closest buddies, most of us knew each other but not all. The lady sitting beside me had a severe nut allergy and has to carry an EpiPen at all times in case of an emergency. Her allergy is airborne too which means even someone sitting near her who was eating food that contained nuts or nut oil could cause her to have a reaction due to the vapour released. I hadn't heard of this part of a nut allergy before so it was good to learn this. When it came to ordering we were all asked not to order anything which could contain nuts, of course this was no problem but ordering took some time as everything had to be scrutinised and checked again with the waiting staff etc. One waiter didn't have a clue so had to keep going back to the kitchen. It made me think if I had a nut allergy that severe then there's no way I could trust anyone preparing my food, how can they be 100% sure? You are literally dealing with someone's life as so many products contain nuts or come into contact with nuts. This lady has to have set procedures at home - separate chopping boards, utensils and cooking equipment and also has to be very careful when popping into someone's house for a coffee. Did you know even some lip balms contain nut products? She is an expert after managing her condition for so many years and happily eats out once a week. I know I just wouldn't be able to relax so I admire her confidence. On the plus side, she is very slim as she said she can't eat most chocolate, cakes or biscuits. Must take note!

If she was so allergic that she couldn't sit at the same table as someone having nuts how could she possibly eat something that came out of a kitchen that used nuts?

Also how did she manage with people on the surrounding tables ordering food with nuts? Did the whole restaurant go nut free?
What about people leaving nut traces on door handles, seat backs, taps?
Was the entire kitchen deep cleaned?
Rather her than me.

I have heard of allergies (particularly peanuts) being this severe before, it’s the reason airlines don’t allow peanuts in such a closed environment.

I don’t know how I’d cope personally but I suppose you can’t stop living your life and learn to take reasonable precautions. Perhaps this lady has already got strategies for dealing with public spaces but it’s a step too far to be in close contact with people eating nuts who may accidentally touch her or her utensils or sneeze or something. I don’t think I’d be that brave if I’m honest with myself.

I always think about this when I read of terrible tragedies happening when someone with a severe allergy dies after eating out somewhere. I don’t mean to blame the poor victims at all but I always think that if I knew either myself or one of my family could die from being exposed to a certain food there is no way I could ever relax and trust a restaurant to be scrupulous enough.

Everybody I know with severe allergies eats out. Because, you know, they want to live their lives. Also because, when you have that level of allergy, so many things are potentially dangerous - catching a plane or a bus, going to school, being in a crowded place, going into a pub.

You either isolate yourself or get on with it.

One of my dc has a nut allergy (not airborne though). Can you imagine never eating at a restaurant, never getting a takeaway, never eating at friends' or family's homes? It would be so very isolating. You learn to manage the risk. There are some places we'd never go to eat. Other places that we know we'd be ok. Most chain places are quite on the ball with it now and have allergy menus that you can check. There is always an element of risk though.

I work with someone with a severe peanut allergy. He eats out regularly. We had a work lunch out on Friday. The restaurant was called and asked at time of booking and again on ordering that there were no peanuts in anything and I had his epipen in my handbag. When he first worked for me I couldn't imagine how he could face eating out, however over time I've realised it is his reality. He checks, double checks again and then eats. He wants a degree of normality in his life as far as he possibly can. That said he never eats dessert in a restaurant because they are often brought in and he's not confident enough that they will have been thoroughly vetted.

He has been hospitalised on multiple occasions. However the vast majority are mistakes made at home by his family or his friends. So far he's only had one reaction in a restaurant.

I have a peanut allergy - it’s rather wicked, I can react to food o contamination with peanuts without knowing that I have come in to contacts with peanuts. Thankfully I have only had life threatening reactions after eating peanut. I will swell up with itchy eyes and feel unwell if I shook hands with some who has just handled peanuts. I view things in terms of risk.

1. I carry an epipen whenever i will eat anything. I won’t have anything but tap water if I haven’t got a pen with me,
2. I am selective of where I chose to eat out. There is a phenomenal difference between the understanding of allergen contamination between establishments. Surprisingly chain restaurants are often worse than independents (as everything on the menu comes with the caveat of ‘may contain nut traces’ Restaurants also implode at the concept that I can eat other nuts - infact I quite like walnut/cashew/pistachio etc
3. the sensation of early anaphylaxis is exactly the same as the the sensation achieved by combining citrus salt and chilli, As such I won’t eat Thai food out purely due to the fear it induces. I can only enjoy such food if I’ve cooked it myself so know there is no peanut.
4. I never shop in Sainsbury’s as even fresh fruit or milk contains the caveat ‘may contain nuts’ they are so over cautious it is impossible to purchase any food there,
5. I have a peanut free house and cook from scratch. I can get quite stroppy if people try to bring peanut products into my home. I’ve had my allergy for so long it’s the only way of life I know- some times it would be nice to be able to try things without having to ask “any peanut?”

Dh has a nut allergy and he's a bit too casual about it at times - doesn't like the fuss, thinks he can predict where nuts lie, like he has a sixth sense - doesn't have an epipen - although it's likely that's because he thinks he can deal with it. He has had some scary episodes - he knows on the first mouthful and refused to attend the hospital - too much fuss but I have spent all day worrying about him - the reaction from restaurant staff has gone from - it's only a few nuts to garnish, so they don't bother telling you to refusing outright to serve him. As for the may contain - Crunchie was the only reaction he ever had from a "may contain nuts" - and he has never had it since.

Restaurants also implode at the concept that I can eat other nuts - infact I quite like walnut/cashew/pistachio etc Dh can eat peanuts but no tree nuts but he associates all nuts with feeling so awful that he just can't eat them - despite not being in the least bit fussy.

ExH has a nut allergy, When we out out a birthday meal (mine) he checked about the starter and was re assured (he had eaten there before). Ended up in A&E.

My kids have severe allergies. We eat out all the time. Like others have said we are quite selective about where, chain restaurants have the best allergy information.

The reactions that they have had that put them in hospital have all been at home rather than at restaurants. Every time they eat anything there's a risk, it's just our normal, you get used to managing it.

We have had a few places that have refused to serve us and we've left places when we didn't feel comfortable with the way they were dealing with our order, offering us gluten free when it's a milk allergy we are dealing with.

A friend of mine has severe food allergies inc airborne ones. She's hospitilised on average once a month. Always has epipens. One memorable time she needed 8 shots of adrenaline before she was stable enough to be put in an ambulance. She eats out a lot. I'm often with her, we spend a lot of time interrogating staff.

I'm used to it, dd has coeliac disease. Not as bad as an allergy but she is violently sick of a waiter gets it wrong or there's cross contamination. I quiz staff not just on ingredients but also food prepping methods. Sometimes we leave without ordering if I don't feel confident in their procedures.

Why does she have set procedures at home? Wouldn't you just have a nut free house?

I don't know, I can't imagine it really. Scary to deal with daily.

My children have severe food allergies and we still eat out. Like others though I am careful in the questions I ask and wouldn't hesitate to leave if I didn't think the staff understood the seriousness or if I couldn't get details of all the ingredients.

There is always risk in life. We do our best to keep those risks as minimal as possible but life still has to be lived. I don't want my children missing out on socialising or new adventures.

As others have said, the actual times they have had anaphylaxis have been at home (when they were tiny and we didn't know they had allergies; manufacturer cross contamination and a mistake by a relative).

Do you also insist that anyone eating at your table doesn't have nuts?

I have a severe food allergy, I eat out regularly, I have only been exposed to my allergen once when eating out.