Food allergy dangers and how restaurants are taking precautions

The world over has seen a dramatic rise in food allergies – almost a doubling effect in the last decade for certain allergens in many parts of the world.

According to Allergy Foundation South Africa (AFSA), a third of South Africans suffer from an allergy during their lifetime.

While symptoms do vary, a Ballito resident’s recent ordeal after suffering an allergic reaction to food eaten at a restaurant, brought to light just how severe some reactions can be.

Mickey Lottering, who dined out for her birthday last month, spent the remainder of her weekend in bed ill after accidentally eating mushrooms, which she is highly allergic to.

Thanks to fast medical assistance, she made a full recovery, however not all allergy sufferers are as lucky.

Ballito’s Dr Dinesh Patel said a tiny amount of the wrong food could trigger symptoms. These include digestive problems, hives, flushed skin, rash, swollen facial structures, coughing, sudden swollen airways and loss of consciousness.

“This could be short term or it could last days or it could be sudden and fatal,” said Patel.

The food business is a risky one and when working in the kitchen, the surfaces are often lined with food that may cause allergic reactions, such as milk, wheat, nuts, gluten, eggs and shellfish.

According to AFSA, at present there are no laws in South Africa forcing allergen awareness training or allergen management systems in food establishments.

However, local restaurants say they are doing their best to accommodate patrons with allergies.

Pierre van Zyl, owner of Hops Ballito, said he had seen very few severe allergic reactions in his restaurant but that is was important for staff to be trained to know how to handle them.

“When it comes to common allergies such as nuts, my staff are very clued up. If a patron mentions that they are allergic to something, we take precautions,” said Van Zyl.

“We are very conscious when it comes to allergies. It is a dangerous thing and when a patron is affected our staff are trained and know exactly what to do.”

Although van Zyl does cater for patrons who are allergic to certain foods, when it comes to particular dishes that involve elements that are mass-produced and a customer asks for a certain ingredient to be left out, he would rather not take a chance as the risk is too high.

Another important aspect is for patrons to make it known to the waitrons that they are allergic to certain foods.

Shaun Cross, a partner of seafood restaurant Jack Salmon Fish & Grill in Salt Rock, has dealt with a few mild allergic reactions during his career in the food industry.

In many cases, patrons did not make it known that they suffered from allergies.

“Gluten intolerance is also quite common. If a patron suffers from food allergies we are happy to make changes to the way we prepare their meal,” said Cross.

“If we make something to order we can easily make changes, but it is slightly more difficult when it comes to certain more complex sauces that are prepared in advanced.”

Although Jack Salmon, like most restaurants, does not list all the ingredients in their dishes, on request the waitrons can provide patrons with more information on exactly what goes into their meal.

Should you experience an allergic reaction, Dr Patel advises you seek medical assistance immediately.

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