Diary of an ex-banker: Living with a food allergy.
When I was growing up an allergy was something that made you sneeze.
You were allergic to dogs or cats or freshly cut grass or, in my case, silver birch trees (How?! Why?!). I can’t recall a single person at my primary or secondary school having a food allergy. Not eating some of your school dinner simply meant that you were fussy and it was frowned upon.
Yet today it’s not uncommon to read about a food allergy ‘explosion’ or ‘crisis’, with schools needing food allergy policies. The following, taken from a local primary school, is pretty typical:
“All members of staff are given the names of children who have specific food allergies through the confidential information sheets issued at the beginning of each school term. Photographs of pupils with severe food allergies are displayed in the staff room and the canteen supervisor’s office.”
“All children with food allergies wear or carry a badge that details their allergy. Red allergy alert bands are also worn by all children with food allergies as an extra precaution.”
How many people in the UK suffer from food allergies?
According to the Food Standards Agency in 2017, an estimated 2 million people living in the UK have a diagnosed food allergy (5% to 8% of children / 1% to 2% of adults) and another 600,000 have coeliac disease. These figures exclude those with food intolerances e.g. lactose intolerance. Although research in other countries is often not reliable, the best available evidence indicates that food allergies have increased in many westernised countries and are starting to increase in developing countries in line with economic growth and urbanisation.
What’s the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
Food allergies involve the immune system and can be life-threatening. Symptoms typically show themselves within minutes of eating or ingesting the allergen and can include vomiting, breathing problems, throat tightness, lip swelling, itchiness, diarrhoea or a drop in blood pressure. Then there’s coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition that causes serious harm if sufferers eat even small amounts of gluten-containing foods. Antibodies are generated against the gluten. Symptoms include diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, stomach cramps, mouth ulcers, fatigue and anaemia.
Food intolerances, on the other hand, tend to generate symptoms such as bloating or abdominal pain, and these set in more slowly — sometimes several hours or even days after eating. They aren’t thought to involve the immune system. Although a lot of the symptoms can be very unpleasant, they generally aren’t life-threatening.
Depending on the type of food intolerance you have, you may be able to eat small amounts without a reaction. By contrast, if you have a food allergy, even a tiny amount of food may trigger an allergic reaction.
How long have food allergies been known about?
Although food allergies feel like a recent phenomenon, the first case of anaphylactic shock (an extreme, often life-threatening, allergic reaction to an antigen to which the body has become hypersensitive) was described by two French scientists, Richet and Portier, in 1902, with Richet going on to win the 1913 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work in the field.
But for Richet and Portier food allergies were a curiosity rather than the serious public health issue we have today.
Why has there been an explosion in food allergies?
I wish I could give an answer, but there seem to be nearly as many theories as there are allergens!
I have seen studies blaming a lack of Vitamin D, a lack of exposure to germs (‘hygiene hypothesis’), overuse of antibiotics, pollution, pesticides, GMOs, modern diets (both unhealthy processed foods and more exotic foods in our diets), late weaning of babies and an increase in caesarean births (baby does not acquire mother’s gastrointestinal bacteria). As far as I can see no-one knows for sure and, whilst there has been some progress in desensitising people to nuts, a cure seems a distant prospect.
So, for now, all we can do is manage our food allergies.
Living with a nut allergy
I have a nut allergy. I didn’t become aware of it until I was 23 years old.
I try to be careful but, on average, I inadvertently eat food containing nuts once or twice a year.
I love eating out but, at times, it feels like playing Russian roulette. Especially when it comes to spicy food where traces of nuts can be hard to detect at first. My heart sinks whenever friends suggest going out for a curry! But even the humble fish and chips can be a challenge with more and more shops frying in peanut oil. And I have to accept that I’ll never be able to try the fries at Five Guys for the same reason. (I have read that refined peanut oil is unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction…but why take the risk!).
Of course, you learn which types of cuisine are best for you and which restaurants to trust pretty quickly. But, whilst you should make a restaurant aware if you have an allergy, that is not always a guarantee of your safety…even in places that really should know better. I’ve ordered a nut-free meal in Business Class on a BA flight, only to be offered walnut bread from the bread basket. I’ve also had a pistachio covered dessert placed in front of me at a 5* Park Lane Hotel despite notifying them in advance and being assured upon arrival that they were aware of my allergy and would ‘take good care of me’.
In fact, my adult life has been littered with ruined dinners and parties where an overzealous chef has perhaps added nuts to a traditionally nut-free recipe or maybe there was cross contamination. I have abandoned a first date before even getting to the main course (she just thought I was rude and using my allergy as an excuse!) and spent an entire company Christmas party unwell and locked in the toilets (it was on a boat on the Thames so there was no escape until we docked).
A food allergy can be particularly stressful if travelling overseas. My tip is to print off a few slips of paper before leaving saying “I am allergic to x” or “Does the food contain x?” in the local language(s) and show the paper to your waiter when eating out.
Since December, 2014 life has been a lot easier as restaurants and takeaways in the EU have been required by law to record if their food contains any of the 14 main allergens (packaged food in supermarkets is also covered). And there are some great apps out there. For example Spoon Guru helps you find food and recipes to suit your dietary requirements and Eat Safe makes eating out at restaurants a lot easier.
I’m curious to hear your stories and how many people reading this have food allergies or have a close relative who has. If you have 30 secs to spare, please add your answer to our Facebook poll.
Originally published at jsixq.com.
