Do you have food allergies?

[dawnviola]

Hi Everyone,

I'm working on a project that will help people with food allergies eat worry-free in restaurants throughout the United States. If you have food allergies, please email me your answers to the following questions - if you're not sure, or if some questions do not apply, please type N/A:

1. What food allergies do you have?
2. How severe are your allergies - severe, moderate, mild.
3. Are they life threatening?
4. Do you carry an epi-pen?
3. What type of reaction(s) do you experience (anaphylactic, respiratory, hives, sinus, other)?
4. Is food cross-contamination an issue for you?
5. Are you able to go out to eat with your friends and family?
6. If yes, does the restaurant(s) have a published food allergy plan?
7. Do you bring your own food to restaurants? If yes, what do you bring?
8. What was your most positive experience dealing with a restaurant chef?
9. What was your worst experience dealing with a restaurant chef?
10. What do you miss most about eating out?
11. What do you want restaurant chefs to know and understand about food allergies?

Thanks in advance! My email address is dawn@dawnviola.com

-Dawn

[Food Network Fan]

I will answer here and Email it as well.

1. What food allergies do you have? Sour Cream
2. How severe are your allergies - severe, moderate, mild. Mild I suppose, but annoying.
3. Are they life threatening? No
4. Do you carry an epi-pen? No
3. What type of reaction(s) do you experience (anaphylactic, respiratory, hives, sinus, other)? sores in my mouth and throat.
4. Is food cross-contamination an issue for you? Not usually
5. Are you able to go out to eat with your friends and family? yes
6. If yes, does the restaurant(s) have a published food allergy plan?
7. Do you bring your own food to restaurants? If yes, what do you bring? No
8. What was your most positive experience dealing with a restaurant chef? Just ask them to leave it off, and they will.
9. What was your worst experience dealing with a restaurant chef? Scraping it off what they already served so some still remains.
10. What do you miss most about eating out?
11. What do you want restaurant chefs to know and understand about food allergies? People aren't just trying to be a pain about leaving something out.

[ibcheft]

Do not have any

[Pluff Mudder]

None here either unless you count lactose intolerance. So, I just steer clear of drinking milk and vanilla ice cream. No problems with cheese, sour cream, milk used in cooking or non-vanilla ice creams.

[Apache726]

I can't access outside email portals from my office so I will answer this here

1. What food allergies do you have? I don't have any, but my mom has Celiac Disease so no GLUTEN.
2. How severe are your allergies - severe, moderate, mild. - She is very severe
3. Are they life threatening? - Could be I suppose if reaction is severe enough & potassium & hydration cannot be replenished
4. Do you carry an epi-pen? Yes, but not for food allergies. That she carries for my dad
3. What type of reaction(s) do you experience (anaphylactic, respiratory, hives, sinus, other)?- Severe nausea & major bowel issues
4. Is food cross-contamination an issue for you? - Yes, even the tiniest crumb of gluten
5. Are you able to go out to eat with your friends and family? She does, but many restaurants have no idea about cross contamination so she sticks to establishments that already have gluten free menus
6. If yes, does the restaurant(s) have a published food allergy plan? Some do
7. Do you bring your own food to restaurants? If yes, what do you bring? No
8. What was your most positive experience dealing with a restaurant chef? A manager & Chef at a Tybee Island restaurant came & sat at the table to listen to her needs & guaranteed she'd get a gluten free dinner
9. What was your worst experience dealing with a restaurant chef? Some chefs get insulted by food allergies & having to change their recipes
10. What do you miss most about eating out? Spontaniety
11. What do you want restaurant chefs to know and understand about food allergies? They are growing & your staff needs to be educated about them & cross contamination.