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Prairie Fare: Take precautions when serving guests with allergies

As we enter the season of holiday get-togethers, consider ways to help protect your guests who may have issues with allergens, intolerances or auto-immune diseases.

“Did you get sick when you stayed with us?” I asked.  

“No, not once,” he responded.

“Whew!” I thought to myself.

He probably noticed my observations while he lived with us for a month.

Our former guest has celiac disease so I took many precautions. I moved all the flour out of the kitchen. I taught myself how to bake with alternative ingredients or bought specialty mixes and food products.

I am a regular food label reader. With a special diet to consider, label reading became critical. Some food packages are labeled “gluten free,” and you can trust that information.

People with celiac disease must permanently avoid having wheat, rye, barley and anything cross-contaminated with those grains.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, which is different from a wheat allergy. For those with celiac disease, consuming gluten-containing foods damages the small intestine and affects the absorption of nutrients from food. When gluten is avoided, the intestine can heal.

Celiac disease is a genetic condition that affects about one in 133 people. People with the disease may experience weight loss, gastrointestinal distress, including bloating, anemia, diarrhea and other symptoms.

You may find yourself providing food for people with allergies or intolerances during the holiday season. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame are the “Big 9” that must be listed by the ingredient statement on food packages.

In all, at least 160 foods can cause issues for people. For example, some people are allergic to the sugar alpha-galactose found in red meat. Others may have allergies or sensitivities to sulfites, which can be found in wine, dried fruit and condiments.

Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe and can affect the skin, stomach and/or lungs. Some allergens cause vomiting, sneezing or a dry cough. Others can cause a swelling of the lips, tongue or throat and result in difficulty breathing, a loss of consciousness or death.

Yes, this is very serious.

Children may have more vague symptoms that can be confused with a cold or other illness. They might have a runny nose, congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, and ear aches or infections.

The other day I was at a buffet. They did the right thing by signaling which items were gluten free. However, anyone at the buffet could have used a spoon or tongs from a gluten-containing food to retrieve other food in the gluten-free bowls.

Avoid cross-contamination from kitchen preparation through serving. Allergens can be passed around, just like germs.

As we enter the season of holiday get-togethers, here are a few tips to help protect your guests who may have issues with allergens, intolerances or auto-immune diseases.

If you are the host, make an effort to find out about any food issues. Make labels to go in front of the dishes to alert guests of the allergen-containing foods. Have the packages available so people can study the ingredient lists, because some allergens are not among the major allergens.

Provide separate serving utensils and keep allergenic foods away from each other.

If you or family members have severe allergies, you probably want to bring your own food to avoid the risk.

In the kitchen, start with clean hands, utensils and containers. For example, if flour somehow made its way into your utensil drawer, carefully wash everything in the drawer. Even tiny amounts of wheat can pose an issue for those with celiac disease.

If you have multiple guests with a peanut allergy, plan a menu that contains no peanuts or potential cross-contamination with peanuts.

If you attend with a friend who has severe allergies, be sure to keep an eye on the person. Do they have an auto-injector pen containing epinephrine that you may need to use?

We have a series of publications at NDSU Extension (“All About Allergens”) with more tips.

Here’s a treat that does not contain wheat, but it contains another allergen, peanuts. You could substitute sunflower, soy or almond butter for peanut butter, and sunflower seeds for the peanuts.

Honey-Peanut Cereal Bars (Wheat free)

¼ c. sugar, granulated
½ c. honey
½ c. peanut butter
3 c. wheat-free cereal (Cheerios, Rice Chex, etc.)
½ c. salted peanuts

In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, heat sugar and honey just to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in cereal and peanuts until evenly coated. Press evenly in 9- by 9-inch buttered pan, using the buttered back of a spoon. Cool one hour. Cut into four rows by three rows. Store loosely covered.

Makes 12 servings. Each serving has 180 calories, 9 grams (g) fat, 5 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 130 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)


NDSU Agriculture Communication – Nov. 14, 2024

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-7006, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu


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