Good Advice For Avoiding a Reaction

Mary Meehan-Strub gives good advice in her Coulee Consumer column, carried by a number of papers in Wisconsin, like the one in Onalaska. (Just hop on Interstate 90 and head west from Rochester, NY. Stop just before you get to Rochester, WI.)

Here's one on Food allergies are a growing concern.

For people who know they have food allergies, steps can be take prevent a reaction.

• Avoid combination foods like soups and casseroles (hard to trace all ingredients)

• Avoid buffet tables (potential cross contamination)

• Avoid desserts (nuts may be in unexpected places)

• Avoid inhaling vapors from cooking and baking of the allergen. For some peanut sensitive people, dust released from opening a peanut shell can cause a reaction.

• Avoid using the same serving utensil for several foods, or allowing other opportunities for cross-contamination. Store, prepare and serve potential food allergens away from other food

It also is a good idea to:

• Read ingredient labels. Identify ingredients that may cause a reaction. For example, people with a milk allergy must avoid foods that contain cheese, whey, rennet casein, artificial butter flavor, etc.

• Ask about ingredients and cooking methods used when eating away from home.

• Clean equipment/utensils that might have touched the allergen.