>> Not exactly the foodstream (though that is problematic),<<
The foodstream is the worse problem because even people who want to compensate for that one can't. There's so much contamination, much of it unlabeled, that nothing is really safe unless you know exactly where it came from and where it went through to reach you. >_<
Honestly, we could make a huge improvement just by using separate factories for things including the top 8 allergens vs. things that don't use those. So much stuff that should be safe isn't, unless you pay a premium for a label saying it's safe.
>> but in my experience some people are just effing clueless.<<
That part is fixable with education. If they choose to abuse people, that's a different problem with a different solution. Most folks would rather not murder someone.
>>Allergies also make it far more complicated to travel. Theres a reason "I am allergic to..." is on my shortlist of foreign phrases to learn first.<<
Good plan.
>> And they're a reason I keep fussing about food labels at potlucks... <<
It's a good idea to name or write down the ingredients in things for group meals like that, or tell people in advance what to exclude. Our house rule is that any allergen that would require expert care if consumed should not be served when the allergic person is present; otherwise it's fair to include as long as there are other things they can fill up on and they know what to avoid.
I'm concerned by the state of special dietary needs, though. Just a few decades ago when I was growing up, food issues were extremely rare. Now they're so common that it's getting hard to find things to feed a group that everyone can eat.
Banning potlucks is not a solution, although people are doing that, which is heinous given its history and the sociological damage. You're no safer in a restaurant because hypervigilance is a learned skill and most people can't acquire it without either an allergy or an advanced degree. Most food is prepared by people with only a casual awareness of the issues, and that's not good enough in a foodstream this careless. But if you required every restaurant to train its staff in advanced food safety, that would probably be prohibitively expensive. It's not a good situation at all.
I know plenty of people with serious allergies who never eat out, or do so only at restaurants that advertise their awareness of such issues. Can't say I blame them.
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dancing_serpent
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-01-20 08:00 am (UTC)The foodstream is the worse problem because even people who want to compensate for that one can't. There's so much contamination, much of it unlabeled, that nothing is really safe unless you know exactly where it came from and where it went through to reach you. >_<
Honestly, we could make a huge improvement just by using separate factories for things including the top 8 allergens vs. things that don't use those. So much stuff that should be safe isn't, unless you pay a premium for a label saying it's safe.
>> but in my experience some people are just effing clueless.<<
That part is fixable with education. If they choose to abuse people, that's a different problem with a different solution. Most folks would rather not murder someone.
>>Allergies also make it far more complicated to travel. Theres a reason "I am allergic to..." is on my shortlist of foreign phrases to learn first.<<
Good plan.
>> And they're a reason I keep fussing about food labels at potlucks... <<
It's a good idea to name or write down the ingredients in things for group meals like that, or tell people in advance what to exclude. Our house rule is that any allergen that would require expert care if consumed should not be served when the allergic person is present; otherwise it's fair to include as long as there are other things they can fill up on and they know what to avoid.
I'm concerned by the state of special dietary needs, though. Just a few decades ago when I was growing up, food issues were extremely rare. Now they're so common that it's getting hard to find things to feed a group that everyone can eat.
Banning potlucks is not a solution, although people are doing that, which is heinous given its history and the sociological damage. You're no safer in a restaurant because hypervigilance is a learned skill and most people can't acquire it without either an allergy or an advanced degree. Most food is prepared by people with only a casual awareness of the issues, and that's not good enough in a foodstream this careless. But if you required every restaurant to train its staff in advanced food safety, that would probably be prohibitively expensive. It's not a good situation at all.
I know plenty of people with serious allergies who never eat out, or do so only at restaurants that advertise their awareness of such issues. Can't say I blame them.