Thanksgiving Allergy Tips

Thanksgiving is just around the corner - a time when family and friends commonly get together for feasting.  People with food allergies can benefit from the following tips to stay safe during gatherings:

1. Planning ahead: a conversation between host and guest(s) about food allergens and ingredients planned for the meal can be helpful in preventing accidental food allergy reaction.
2. If you have a food allergy, always carry an up-to-date epinephrine autoinjector to use in case of accidental ingestion leading to a systemic allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
3. Consider bringing your own safe food/meal/snacks, utensils, and plates/bowls/containers to the gathering if avoidance of a food allergen cannot be reasonably guaranteed.
4. Do some research on common ingredients used in Thanksgiving foods that could be a food allergen.  Examples include: pecan or walnut nuts used in desserts like pies, specially prepared vegetable dishes or stuffing that can contain non-obvious ingredients like cow's milk and egg, sauces and bread/pastry washes that can contain egg/cow's milk, soy in basting liquids, grains like wheat in gravy/dressings. Foodallergy.org (website for Food Allergy Research & Education = FARE) is a great website for learning much of this information and more about food allergies.
5. Food preparers should try and hold on to or take a photo of any ingredients labels, to be able to share the information with guests and also because this information can be useful if an accidental food reaction were to occur.
6. Everyone should wash hands before and after handling food, preparing food, and consuming foods--this will reduce risk of cross-contact of food allergens as well as reduce transmission of bacteria and viruses.