How to cater for someone with food allergies

Food Allergy Awareness Week is an international awareness week which aims to raise awareness of potentially life threatening food allergies and the effects that allergies such as gluten, dairy and others have on people’s lives. The week covers those with allergies as well as intolerances and conditions like the coeliac’s and falls between 8^th and 14^th May.

As part of the week, here are some of the things you should definitely avoid, what you can use and more when catering for those who have food allergies.

Did you know there are 14 foods that are known to be associated with allergies and intolerances, some are obvious, like milk and wheat, but others, like celery, can be harder to weed out. It is now the law to display allergens in bold on packaging, so when providing food and drink for those with allergies, make sure to check this carefully as a priority.

Those with coeliac disease must avoid gluten entirely to protect themselves, so it is very important to be aware of this when preparing food. Those with a gluten intolerance or a more mild allergy will also suffer if they eat foods containing gluten, make sure to check the ingredients.

The most common food allergies are dairy and gluten.

Suitable food for those who are gluten free/coeliac

• Dairy
  Normal dairy products, including cream, milk, butter, cheese and yogurt are fine for those on a gluten free diet, just make sure they are natural and unprocessed to avoid any cross contamination.
• Eggs
• Beans
  Unprocessed beans, peas, lentils, pulses and similar are all ok.
• Oils
  Pure oils and fats are safe to use for preparing food
• Grains/Flour
  Make sure that you are only using gluten free options like rice, buckwheat, corn, soy, potato, pea, lentil, chickpeas etc.
• Meat and Fish
  Unprocessed meat and fish will not contain any gluten.

Keep an eye out:

• Anything processed
  If any of your ingredients come from a can or packet, make sure to check the labels to check its suitability.
• Sauces
  Gluten can sneak into all kinds of every day essentials, so be aware.

Never use:

• Grains/Flour
  Never use anything made from wheat or its derivatives, including rye, barley, oats or spelt.
• May contain gluten
  If you see this warning, then assume that it does contain gluten and leave it. The warning is put there in case of cross-contamination, so is best avoided.

Suitable for those with dairy intolerance/ allergy

• Eggs
  Though if you are catering for a vegan, leave these. There are some with egg allergies, so do check beforehand.
• Beans
• Oils
• Meat and Fish
  Be wary of anything that is processed.

Keep an eye out:

• Salad Cream/ Mayonnaise
  These don’t always contain dairy, especially those that are massed produced, but always check the label
• Biscuits, sweets and cakes
• Cereals
• Packet mixes
• Soups

Never use:

• Milk
  Some milks, like sheep or goat have a lower lactose level than cow’s milk, but it is best avoided entirely. This includes all milk products including cream, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter.
• May contain dairy
  Again, this is a warning for cross-contamination but assume that it does contain dairy, especially if you are catering for those who have a severe allergy and avoid.

Cooking for those with intolerances

• Frying
  Use a separate frying pan for anything that is gluten/dairy/allergen free and make sure to deep clean your regular fryer before preparing free from foods and fresh oil. Some detergents will also contain allergens, so make sure to use only a little and hot water to clean in between uses.
• Baking
  When baking for those with allergies, do all the preparation of the free from ingredients first and keep the products separate to avoid confusion.
• Boiling
  Use a clean unused saucepan to boil or steam all foods for those with allergies.
• Toasting
  Did you know you can buy toaster bags that you can use in your toaster to keep gluten free bread away from any errant bread crumbs? It’s a better alternative to having more than one toaster!
• Utensils
  While having a whole separate set can be a bit much, make sure that all your utensils are clean and avoid cross contamination.
• Surfaces
  Clean down all the work surfaces before starting with cooking in case there are any crumbs or flour dust lingering.
• Storage
  Store all alternative or substitute ingredients in sealed labelled containers.

There are a host of Free From producers in Dorset so you don’t have to worry about missing out on those incredible flavours. You can find them here