Nervous before going out to dinner at a new restaurant or hesitant to have meals at a friend’s place? All of this is understandable if you’re one of the 32 million people in the U.S. who have food allergies. According to the most recent numbers, 26 million or nearly 11% of U.S. adults have a food allergy and about 5.6 million or nearly 8% of children have it as well. This number has been steadily rising over the past 20 years making it essential to raise awareness.
So what are the likely culprits? Milk is the most common allergen in children, followed by egg and peanut. While adults also share peanut as an allergen as well as other tree nuts, the most common allergen is actually shellfish. In 2021, sesame was declared the newest allergen as it impacts nearly 1 million people in the U.S.
So what can you do armed with all of this information? Here are some helpful tips:
- Be proactive and don’t shy away from raising any concerns.
- Be prepared and always carry your autoinjectable epinepherine with you.
- Educate family and friends how to recognize allergic reactions and how to treat them.
- Call the restaurant or your friend beforehand and alert them of any restrictions to ensure your meal will be safe. Do the same at the time of dining and be sure to alert the waiter, manager, and chef.
- Be more vigilant at high allergic types of restaurants that use nuts and peanuts in food or serve heavy seafood if any of these are allergens for you.
- When cooking for yourself, decontaminate utensils as well as cooking and eating surfaces as cross contamination between foods can trigger allergic reactions.
With spreading more awareness and vigilance, a meal out can be lots of fun!