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Want to scare the parents of a child with food allergies... Invite the child to a birthday party! The invite reads… Birthday Party to celebrate Little Classmate Johnny! There will be pizza, snacks, drinks, cake, and ice cream! Talk about SCARY! Due to a strong dairy allergy in our house, this is a life-threatening party! I’ve never been to a dairy free pizza party I didn’t host. We’ve never been to a party with a full-size dairy free birthday cake we didn't make. Most people aren’t celebrating with dairy free ice cream. How do we navigate this scary situation? The logical answer is to say no, we’re busy, thank you for the invite. We don't think we can avoid these situations forever. If our daughter wants to go, we say yes to the party! Here’s how we ensure food safety... First - we pack our daughter’s food. Second - our daughter knows how to say no thank you. Third - our daughter comes with her own birthday snack (either store bought or homemade). Notice how we took action to ensure our daughter was not left out while adding no additional stress to the hosts? Many times, we've heard from party hosts, we had no idea you had a dairy allergy. We're sorry we didn't have anything for your daughter. We quickly respond, there's no need to apologize, you did nothing wrong. Go celebrate your child, we’re happy to celebrate with you. Our daughter is just fine and happy to celebrate with Little Classmate Johnny. Each food allergy is different. Each situation is unique. For us, we're living life. Preparing our daughter for the world that awaits her each time she leaves our nest. Don't let fear be the reason you say no to the party. #foodallergyawareness #foodsafety #fooddistribution #foodlabels #foodlabeling #foodallergy #foodinspiration

❓ To use hand gel or not to use hand gel, this is the question… 🤔 This week is Allergy Awareness Week ❣️ I would like to take this opportunity for another food allergen related post. And again, this will be obvious to many of you - food safety counterparts, but I have unfortunately observed that it isn’t obvious to everyone. So here is for a little clarification… ‼️You cannot use hand sanitiser instead of washing your hands with soap and water when it comes to food allergens !! ⚠️ Hand sanitisers are designed to deal with microbiological contaminants (to kill bacteria and/or to inactivate viruses). They will NOT reliably remove potential traces of food allergens (which mostly are proteins). At best they will move them around and spread them on your skin, which is totally ineffective. ❓What does it mean for those working with food? ☕️ It means that after your short break & cuppa with a dash of milk, you make sure you wash your hands properly before resuming work. You don’t just rub your hands with hand gel (you will do that AFTER washing your hands). 🥪 It means that after your egg & mayo non gluten-free sandwich, you make sure you wash your hands before resuming work. You don’t just rub your hands with hand gel (you will do that AFTER washing your hands). 🍤🍣🥚🌭🍰🥜Etc… ☝️ You wash your hands after any breaks EVEN if you think your hands aren’t ‘really dirty’ because you didn’t go to the loo !! ☺️ And remember, there are circa 200 foods that allergy sufferers could react to, not just the 14 regulated ones (EU/UK). So it’s really important that you DO wash hands after any breaks before you return to work. Thank you for spreading the word… rather than the allergen traces! 🙏 #foodsafety #foodallergens www.ask-sonia.com Ask Sonia Limited Photo credit: Allergy UK (an old one! 😊)

For 20 years, I lived thinking I was allergic to eggs. 😞 I felt so bad whenever my family would cook eggs and I had to take beans or an alternative. 😔 How about in high school, where I gave away my egg each week? The mere thought made me sick.😣 It turns out it wasn't an egg allergy, but an intolerance. What happened is that whenever I would take eggs, I would be nauseous, have a stomach upset, and sometimes even vomit. The smell alone was upsetting. 🤢 You see, I was not actually allergic to eggs; I was just intolerant. ❌ How I started eating eggs just a few years ago is another story, but today I would like us to understand the difference between these two terms, which confuse many people. So what is the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance? 🤔 A food allergy triggers the immune system, causing severe reactions even in small amounts. Intolerance, on the other hand, affects digestion with milder symptoms. Please like and share if you found the information useful. 👍 Understanding these differences matters. Let's learn and share to raise awareness! Feel free to comment on your experiences and thoughts below. 💬 #FoodAllergy #FoodIntolerance #EggIntolerance #AllergicReactions #HealthAwareness #FoodSensitivity #UnderstandingAllergies #NutritionFacts #WellnessTips #HealthJourney #HealthFacts #AllergyAwareness #ShareTheKnowledge

In this latest installment of our "You be the Judge" series, we present a story of friends dining out, a child reacting to peanuts, and a wedding called off. Read about it here, then let us know what you think in the comments section based on your expertise and experience with food allergies.

In this latest installment of our "You be the Judge" series, we present a story of friends dining out, a child reacting to peanuts, and a wedding called off. Read about it here, then let us know what you think in the comments section based on your expertise and experience with food allergies. https://lnkd.in/dHXXp-JU

Food Allergy Alert: Findlater's Fine Foods are recalling Findlater's Roast Salmon Pate, 115g pack, Use By 9th August 2023 as the product contains mustard not identified on the label. The product is therefore a possible health risk for those allergic to mustard. The recall only applies to products sold in Waitrose stores. #foodallergy #foodallergyawareness #foodsafety #HACCP #foodsafetytraining https://lnkd.in/eG3WVCJW

Food Allergen Certification may not be required in all states BUT with the rise of food allergies, we believe it's better safe than sorry. So, what is a Food Allergen Certification? Here are some of our most common questions: 👉 Why is food allergen training important? Over 15 million Americans now have a food-based allergy and the number is growing. Frighteningly, over 150 people a year die from a food allergy, and as an industry, we all have a moral and legal duty to protect the customers we serve. Food Allergens are a serious and growing threat you need to be aware of. Simply put, a basic mistake could cause a life-threatening allergic reaction. This course is designed to provide managers, food handlers, and servers with an understanding of food allergens, where it can go wrong, and how you can help to minimize the risks to a sufferer, day in, day out. 👉 Is Always Food Safe's Allergen training similar to ServSafe or other allergen awareness certificates? Yes, it is! All these other training providers meet the required standards for accrediting courses. The course content is basically the same, although chapter headings and the order of the chapters may vary. However, all training materials must be in line with current government guidelines (FDA Food Code 2017). 👉 When will I need to renew my certificate of Allergen Awareness training? Again, different states, counties, and cities have different rules on how often they expect you to refresh your Allergen Awareness learning. As a recommended guide, Allergen Awareness training needs to be re-taken/refreshed every 3 years (Illinois is a mandatory 3-year renewal). We do suggest you check with your local health authority. ⭐ If you want a food allergen awareness certification or are still not sure if this is what you need - reach out! Let us help you get certified! ⭐ #foodsafetytraining #foodsafetytips #education #FAQs #foodsafety #training #compliance #allergens #foodallergies

What are the allergens? In the UK and EU there are 14 food groups that must be identified and notified to customers when they are ingredients within a meal. I say ‘groups’ because we have to think about gluten grains (of which there are four named, yet several more as sub-species), molluscs, crustaceans, fish, and nuts. Under each category there are several known items, which some people who have allergies may have been able to identify an individual species. With ‘nuts’, there are eight specific named items which must be identified to customers. When we think about allergens in more detail, we begin to realise that within the stated, legally notifiable #14allergens, there are in fact around 50 individual ingredients, so it may not be so straightforward as we think at first. In the USA, they now have a list of nine allergens, Australia has ten, Canada eleven, and Japan has a list of 27 mandatory allergens to be labelled.    Within those lists there are many which are common across the countries, however, there are also some variables, so if you are a traveller with food allergies, it is best to do your research. Another thing of note is that the USA recently added sesame to their list. There have been cases of recipes being changed to include sesame, to avoid having to deep-clean the machinery and carry out the testing to verify that all traces of sesame have been removed. For more information about the 14 notifiable allergens in the UK and EU, take a look at my website https://lnkd.in/ePjGu2Am I'm Stella, the chef who was almost killed by a raw onion, the chef who had to get out of the kitchen because of allergies and EoE. I am passionate to bridge the chasm between hospitality and the food hypersensitive customer. Follow me to learn more. Drop me a DM to arrange a conversation about how we can work together to build those bridges.

Many allergic reactions to food can be mild, but some can be very serious. The only way people can deal with a food allergy is to avoid the foods that make them ill, so it's important that if you have a food allergy that you speak up when you're eating out. If you have a food allergy, there are three important things that you can do to stay safe if you're eating out: 1. Always ask about the ingredients when you're ordering or buying food. 2. Remember to tell people about your food allergy when you're eating at theirs. 3. Remember to take your allergy pen whenever you leave the house if you have one. For more information on food allergies visit our website at: https://bit.ly/38o3z0o #FoodSafetyWeek #AllergyAwarenessWeek #tobigtoignore

This week’s DEIAB moment focuses on food accessibility. If you are planning meetings and events for the year where food and beverages will be served, we encourage you to think about creating an accessible menu. According to research from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, nearly 20 million people have food allergies in our country. This means that at any JLW event, at least one or two people may suffer from a severe allergy. One easy way to ensure that all attendees have something to eat and drink at an event is to ask. When collecting registration information, ask if attendees have allergies or dietary restrictions. If members are required to bring food for meetings, ask your committee the same question and encourage those contributing refreshments that week to ensure something for everyone (within reason). This also applies to alcoholic beverages. We encourage members to think beyond alcohol-centric marketing for events and instead focus on the other experiences and value that attendees will receive. Consider adding one or two mocktails to the menu or serving sparkling water. This will ensure that each guest feels welcome and seen. #JuniorLeagueOfWashington #DEIAB #JLWGoAndGrow #JLWDC #JLBetterTogether #JuniorLeague