Food Allergy Awareness Week

While the picture above may look delicious to some, it can also look deadly to others. In fact, there are many different allergens present in this food which can cause severe allergic reactions in many, some of which can even be fatal. Peanuts, dairy and gluten are just a few examples!

Monday 26th April – Friday 30th April 2021 is Food Allergy Awareness Week. I wanted to raise awareness for this week because if you don’t have food allergies or don’t know anybody with food allergies, it can be an area which is often lacking in awareness and understanding.

I don’t have any allergies, but my husband does!

My husband has a very severe food allergy. His reaction would be anaphylaxis and he would need urgent hospitalisation. This allergy was first discovered when he was just three years old and almost died. He has had to live with this allergy for his entire life and when we met over 15 years ago, it was the first time I had encountered anybody with a severe food allergy. He made me aware of his food allergy almost as soon as we first met. This is important because when you have a severe food allergy, it is not just about what foods or drinks you might eat. You need to be aware and cautious of other people too. For example, if I had eaten or touched the allergen and then held his hand or kissed him, this could bring on a severe reaction. As our relationship developed and we lived together, I quickly grew accustomed to checking food labels and making sure foods in our home were safe. We adjusted to eating out in restaurants that were ‘safest’ for us and always made sure we communicated our needs with the kitchen.

It can be very difficult for people with food allergies because they can often feel like a burden or an inconvenience. Having to check menus in advance and potentially ask friends or family to change their restaurant choice; needing to make people aware of your allergy with work conferences or even small gatherings with friends, and having to always ask to speak with chefs, caterers or event organisers. When you have a severe food allergy, all of these things are essential and could mean the difference between life and death! It is certainly not being a burden or inconvenience when you are taking important steps and measures for your life or the life of a loved one.

That is why I think it is so important to raise awareness and understanding of food allergies. If people were more aware and understanding, it would help remove some of the negative feelings those with allergies have to deal with – they already have enough to worry about!

Food allergies and children

Due to my husband’s severe allergy we were on ‘high alert’ that these allergies may have been passed onto our children. We have two children. One has allergies and the other one does not. When my son was just four months old we found out that he had multiple food allergies. Thankfully none of them were severe and he had a high chance of growing out of them. Now at 7 years old he has grown out of them all and only has two, both of which are now an intolerance as opposed to an allergy.

When we discovered my son had allergies at four months old he was exclusively breastfed. Therefore, it was quite easy for us to manage his multiple allergies. I simply cut all of those things out of my own diet and continued to breast feed him. Things got a little trickier when we started weaning him but they were still manageable. We did baby led weaning so we could introduce foods one at a time and observe any reactions easily, and as his parents we were still very much in control of all the food he ate and his surroundings. However, as our son got older, that is when it was trickiest and this was mostly down to a lack of understanding and awareness with other people. Eating at home or when we were in control was still manageable. As a family we always eat the same. So all four of us will always eat exactly the same and not have food in the house that my son or husband cannot eat. However, as many ‘allergy families’ will know, it is when you leave your home and lose some of that control that it becomes tricky.

Being invited to birthday parties where he wouldn’t be able to eat any of the food, helping him try to find suitable items on a menu in a restaurant when everybody else is able to order the things he wanted – it was difficult BUT he we have always made sure he is aware of his own allergies and understands them. Again, preparation and planning is always key too! Checking restaurant suitability beforehand, checking the menu in advance so he already knew what he was going to order and even ringing the restaurant to see how they would accommodate our allergies. Always taking a lunch box of food and ‘naughty’ treats to a party so he did not have to feel left out was essential for us! I’d like to elaborate more on these party experiences because it is quite a big one for children who have food allergies.

Parties and food allergies

A couple of years ago my two children had a joint birthday party and they both invited friends from their different ‘circles’. I was approached by one of the children’s parents who wanted to know what time food would be served at the party. She explained that this was because her son had a very severe food allergy and she wanted to know whether he would be able to come for a little bit or not. She explained that usually her son can’t attend parties because of the risk but sometimes he can go for a little bit and leave when it is time to eat. She also needed to know whether there would be any kind of soft play or bouncy castle as if food was being consumed and children were then on these items, it would pose a risk to her son. It was clear that she felt a little bit uncomfortable asking these questions and that she was worried she was coming across as a bit of a nuisance. As an understanding allergy mummy and wife I wanted to reassure her straight away. Letting her know our own experiences and understanding of allergies was immediately reassuring and comforting for her. We discussed her son’s allergies and all the ways we could make sure he would be kept safe at the party. I wanted the party to not only be completely inclusive and safe for him, but also for his Mum too. I know the worry that comes with food allergies and I wanted her to be able to enjoy seeing her son have a great and SAFE time at a birthday party. So what did we do?

• We made sure that all the guests (and their parents) were aware of the food allergy in advance and when they arrived. We asked them not to eat their own food or any snacks they might have brought with them.

• We made sure everybody used hand gel when they got there to avoid any possible allergens from their breakfast time.

• I made sure that ALL food was completely allergen free (including the birthday cake). I know it might have been a little overboard but I also sent the Mum photos of the packaging in advance of the party because I really wanted her to be able to relax and feel at ease as much as possible.

As you can see from above, really that was just three things which made the party completely safe and inclusive for an innocent child with very severe food allergies. Now I know that some of this just might not be possible for everybody, particularly the food and birthday cake. Due to our own families allergies, I only had to make a few food swaps to make all of our food choices completely allergy friendly for the little boy. However, there are still things that can be done that aren’t so extreme. For example, the first two steps would allow a child with severe allergies to attend safely but leave before the food arrives. Food is of course always going to be very difficult and tricky so it is always worth opening up the conversation with the child’s parent and being as understanding as possible. Due to our experiences with food allergies, the mum was happy to trust us in preparing the food. However, do not be offended if a parent does not feel comfortable with their child eating your food. When you realise what is at risk for their family, you will see that they are not being a nuisance but they are instead doing what they must to protect their family – wouldn’t you do the same? Therefore, opening up the discussion and seeing how you can help is the best thing you can do. In the past, I’ve seen little lunch cardboard lunch boxes work brilliantly at a party. All the children had their very own lunch box of party food and this allowed the children with allergies to have their own food and not seem so ‘different’ to the other children. After eating, making sure excellent hygiene and hand washing occurs is vital. Wandering down the ‘free from’ aisle in the supermarket to get a few goodies (if suitable) can also make a huge difference and is especially handy if creating party bags for children to take home.

Travelling with food allergies.

Now If you have been following us for a while, you will probably be very aware that we love to travel. As a couple and a family we have visited many parts of the world. So how do we manage food allergies while travelling? Preparation and planning once again! We have to be very careful when choosing which destinations we will be visiting and how we will be able to manage our diet and a potential reaction while visiting. Some places are far easier than others. For starters, if the country are English-speaking that is a huge advantage so we can make our needs known. If we are visiting a country who does not speak English as their first language, we take translation cards which we purchase from Allergy UK. We also prefer self-catering options over all inclusive! We have done many all inclusive resorts in the past but only once we have researched them fully and spoken with the staff in advance to see how they would accommodate us. We always have to notify the airlines in advance, at check in and again once we board the flight! We also make sure that we have emergency situations figured out (just in case). This includes, knowing the emergency services number for the country we are visiting, making sure we know where the nearest hospital is (we usually choose places near!) and how we will get there. Importantly, we always have enough medication with us and make sure we have the best travel insurance.

When my husband and I first started discussing a world trip together I was very nervous about the idea and where we would visit. However, my husband was adamant that he did not want his allergy to hold him back from things he dreamed of doing. There are of course compromises you have to make and adaptations that have to be made and there are some countries we will never feel comfortable visiting, some we might not return to and many we will visit time and time again!

To date our list of countries we have visited include (and is still growing): Spain, France, Poland, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Australia, United States of America (California, Hawaii and New York), Canada, New Zealand, Fiji, Dubai, Italy, Thailand and Finland.

Raising awareness and understanding

It is possible you are reading this and you or a family member may have food allergies; if so, I hope you find this blog post reassuring and helpful in helping to raise awareness for other people. Maybe you’re reading this with a little knowledge or experience in food allergies? You might have a friend or know of somebody with an allergy? It is also possible that you are reading this and you were completely unaware of food allergies and their severity. Whatever your circumstances or situation, I just want to make it clear that this blog post is in no way an attack or criticism on those who are unaware of allergies and how to accommodate and manage them. Instead, the purpose is on raising awareness and understanding of them. Unless you have an allergy yourself or know a family member with one, it can be very difficult to understand the complications and difficulties they face. Therefore, I simply hope to try and raise a little more awareness and understanding.