Posted by bleauberry on February 9, 2009, at 18:38:50
In reply to New MAIO user with questions about food safety, posted by Isabelle on February 8, 2009, at 22:22:09
It looks like Myco gave an awesome response to your question. Very detailed. Very cool.
I just wanted to comment on the restaurant thing. I am gluten free, so it is always a problem at the restaurant. Everything has flour in it. Well, almost everything. I can always find something that doesn't.
What you need to do is ask. Tell the waitperson to be sure that if any cheese is used, only use a tiny amount of mozzarella or american. Avoid anything with a broth or a gravy, or ask for it without the gravy. Ask if the meat is prepared fresh. Etc, etc. Basically, do not be shy about telling the waitperson to inform the cook you are allergic to certain foods. I have even asked the food preparer or cook to come to my table so I could talk with them about my order before they prepare it. They have always been cooperative. Do your part to choose foods on the menu that look safe enough, and then go the next mile by informing them you are very allergic to certain things and to be sure your food is free of those things. They do not want a lawsuit from being preinformed of an allergy and then having you end up in a hospital because they ignored your warning. Businesses get sued that way. You don't need to tell them the whole MAOI thing. Just tell them you are highly allergic. Done deal.
Here's a funny one. I love Subway sandwiches. I go in and ask for a roast beef with all the veggies, but skip the bread. They look at me really puzzled. I repeat, yeah, just skip the bread part. I'll take all the rest. Then they ask, do I want a salad? I say no, I want everything inside the roast beef sandwich with all the veggies, but no bread. They still look puzzled. Finally I say, just put everything you normal pile on the bread onto a plate or in a bowl, or simply wrap it up in wax paper. They do it, still puzzled the whole time. I finally tell them, look, I'm allergic to wheat, that's all. I can't eat the bread, but I want everything else you would normally put in it.
So you can eat in a restaurant just fine, but you have to watch out for yourself and do whatever it takes because no one else is going to know unless you tell them. Then they can help.
poster:bleauberry
thread:879005
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090203/msgs/879143.html