As I have grown up and am now in college, I have unfortunately experienced what cross contamination can do…It has put me in the hospital a few times now with anaphylactic reactions. Having food allergies has taught me many lessons throughout my life, and asking myself “when has cross contamination occurred” allows me to share these tips and tricks with others.

First, people at a young age are embarrassed to talk about their food allergies. This is normal for a lot of people, and it has taken me my whole life to try and get over this, but I still struggle. Growing up, I was lucky to have amazing parents who advocated for me, and I think that I have learned a lot about how to advocate for myself. Again, it takes a long time to build up this skill, but it is the first thing you need to do in order to try and avoid cross contamination. Especially as kids start going out to eat with friends and not having a parent around, it can seem like a burden to speak up when you feel uncomfortable about the food being served. But at the end of the day it is your life in your hands. So remember to always stand up for yourself in situations where the person creating your food may not be educated on cross contamination.This Chart shows kids with food allergies and parents of kids with food allergies having fear and anxiety. You are not alone when you feel uncomfortable talking about allergies or always feeling scared to be around people who are eating foods you're allergic to. It is okay to feel this fear but it is also okay to stand up for yourself and your safety. You would stand up for your friends so why not yourself!

Kids With Food Allergies

Knowing that you're not alone feels great! Many other kids and young adults with food allergies also feel the anxiety that you are feeling. The number one best way to prevent cross contaminaiton is to speak up for yourself. Don't be afraid to get the manager or chef from the restaurant to speak with you directly. If you don't make your allergies clear, they will not know how to best serve you and keep you safe. It is also important to stand up for yourself around your friends as well. At school lunch, make it known that you have allergies and don’t feel comfortable around what they are eating or if you are at a friend's house, tell their parent. The people who care about you are the first to want to help protect you and your life. It may seem scary but at the end of the day, no one will feel bothered by keeping you alive.

As I have grown up, I have also seen the importance of telling your friends that you have allergies and making sure that they know how to use an EpiPen. When you show them how to use an EpiPen, make it fun. I like to collect old fruits and teach them how to inject an expired EpiPen into the fruit. I have found that a lot of people love doing this, and it is a great way to grow closer to your friend group. Be careful when doing this! Anyway, having close friends you trust is very important when going out because you are putting yourself in a possible position to have them give life saving aid. Have these conversations with them, and if they can't take this seriously, then it is time to find people in your life who are willing to learn about food allergies and be understanding of what precautions you have to take.

How to Prevent Cross Contamination When You are Still at Your House

Another way that you can reduce your exposure to food allergies is to look at the menu before you even leave the house. If you know what place you're going to eat at, take a couple of minutes to look through what foods they have to offer. Go with something that is easy to makeand has the least amount of allergens they would need to take off. Usually, for me, this means a salad or some type of meat dish and vegetables.

As you are looking through the foods, if you don't feel comfortable going to that restaurant, then choose another option. Something you should always do is call ahead of time and ask the manager or chef how they handle food allergies, and even ask for a recommendation for what dish will work best for your set of allergies. This actually helped me get over my anxiety of talking about my food allergies. It is easier to talk to people on the phone than face-to-face. Calling ahead of time will also allow the staff to prepare and not be as surprised when they have to change their routine for preventing cross contamination. It also gives you a sense of their attitude towards being educated on food allergies. You deserve to eat out in public as much as anyone else.

Look Through Your Food Before Eating

Something that has saved me a couple of times is looking through my food before I eat it. Even when you try your hardest to prevent cross contaminaiton, it can still happen, and taking that extra time to visually look and see if there is an allergen can save you from having a reaction. Another tip is to have a friend or loved one try a bit of food first and see if it tastes like an allergen you are trying to avoid. I do this a lot with any drink that I fear may contain dairy since it is one of my main allergens!

You might see that the best way to avoid cross contamination is just good communication and thinking ahead. Keep your standards of care for yourself high, no matter what restaurant you are at. When I am at really nice restaurants, I have gotten cross-contamination, and when I am at “lower end” restaurants, they serve me perfect food. What I am trying to say is treat every restaurant like there is a possibility of cross contamination because there is no place that gets things right 100% of the time. Your safety is the most important thing and the quicker you are able to stand up for yourself, the quicker you can enjoy eating at restaurants.

It all begins with an idea.