This time of year is highlighted for
its fun holiday festivities. However, the
holidays can be a more complicated and dangerous time for those with food
allergies. Because of this, it is
extremely important for those hosting holiday events to be aware of any
allergies their guests may have in order to determine the safety of the food
they are serving. Luckily, there are a
few simple ways to ensure that your guests remain unharmed.
Communication is the first step in
keeping the holiday safe. Knowing if
your guests have an allergy to specific foods is the most important step. In addition, don’t be afraid to ask questions
regarding others’ food allergies if uncertain.
Along with open communication comes
menu modification. When preparing the
holiday meal, be sure to read each ingredient’s food label, looking for key
words such as “contains”, “may contain”,
and “processed in a facility with.” If
the allergen is listed in the ingredient list or after these statements, don’t
use that product. Today’s grocery stores
are stocked with alternative allergen-free ingredients that could prevent you
from spending your holiday in the emergency room—use these products instead. Some common household ingredients can even be
used as substitutes for allergen-containing products, such as using applesauce or
ground flaxseeds instead of eggs.
Another important part of keeping
dishes allergen free is to prevent cross-contamination. This is often a result of serving an
allergen-containing dish and an allergen-free dish at the same time with the
same utensil. This can be avoided by
designating utensils for each dish and setting any allergen-containing and
allergen-free foods apart from one another.
Cleanliness within the kitchen and serving area can also prevent courses
from mixing with one another.
These tips and more can be found at: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/lifestyle/holiday/8-tips-for-allergy-free-holidays
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