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July 20, 2006
A Night on the Town with Child Food Allergies
Tips to ensure restaurant food is safe.
1) Contact the restaurant in advance, and make sure it's a food allergy-friendly establishment.
Listen to the person on the phone - usually the manager - have they had this conversation about food allergies before? You can tell if they are well educated on their menu and are able to reference resources to answer your questions. If they stumble and someone else there cannot get you comfortable, go somewhere else.
2) Be clear that this a life-threatening issue and that you don't want an ambulance ride from the restaurant.
This is a serious issue that needs to be taken seriously. The visualization of sirons and flashing lights in front of his/her restaurant paints the seriousness of the situation.
3) When you arrive, talk to the manager and/or chef.
Put a face with the voice and name. Make it personal. Ask about how the ingredients are kept separate and safe. Ask about shared prep surfaces and cooking oils. And, finally, make sure to include your server - they can make or break a safe meal out.
FAAN has many tips on eating out. Read them all. We've also talked about this before. Develop your own going out plan and start your own list of food allergy friendly restaurants... and by all means, share it with us!
Posted by David at July 20, 2006 3:05 PM