I have been allergic to dairy, among other things, for quite a few years. So when I visit restaurants, I always politely request “no cheese or sour cream”. The next thing you know, I have a main dish with a cream sauce. Most servers don’t even know this contains dairy!
Since menus are never explicit about exactly what allergenic ingredients are in entrees, I’ll ask the server if a certain dish contains dairy if I’m not sure. Sometimes I ask if it contains anything else I’m allergic to. They automatically look at you like you are the most demanding person on the planet! I then have to explain that I am allergic to dairy and certain other ingredients. They’ll get a concerned look and tell me they’ll talk to the chef to find out what’s in the driveway that I’m questioning.
They usually come back to the table and explain that the chef doesn’t know what’s in some of the sauces or ingredients because they are sent to them pre-packaged or bottled. So sometimes I take a risk and ask for a ticket thinking it’s okay. Even tartar sauce for fish is sometimes made with sour cream, although I like it with mayonnaise and have had to stop eating it after trying it.
I once ordered the dinner I was unknowingly allergic to and immediately started having a reaction and asked them to take it away, then just ate the bread that came with the meal. I was very pleased when they took my order off the bill, but it could have been prevented in the first place if they had been more knowledgeable about the ingredients.
I really appreciate the fact that allergenic ingredients are now required to be listed on most types of products in grocery stores! Especially when the label clearly states that the product contains milk, instead of having to read the long list of ingredients that often list milk as “whey” or “casein.” Especially when you are allergic to dairy products, it is always wise to learn the different terms for dairy products because not all products are clearly written on food labels. Some products say “dairy-free” on the front label, but the ingredient label lists casein, so labels should be checked closely.
While we’re on the subject of food labels with allergen information, an idea comes to mind (okay…I’ve been thinking about this for a long time!) Why aren’t restaurants required to Do menus clearly list allergenic ingredients next to the entree description? Are we allergy sufferers asking too much?
I guess if I didn’t have food allergies I wouldn’t really care if restaurants have them or not. But if a person ever experiences what it’s like to have an instant food allergy reaction or some of the “soon to follow” reactions, they would really want this information on all restaurant menus.
How nice it would be to not have to bother the food server and have a dinner where I wouldn’t have to worry about passing out, having trouble breathing, or worse!
Food allergies are becoming more common every day. I am all for including this valuable information on all restaurant menus! When will this happen? Soon I hope.