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Safety Tips for Eating Out when You Have a Shellfish Allergy

Some people say that if you are going to have a food allergy, then have a shellfish allergy. Of all the major food allergies, shellfish is the easiest to avoid as widespread in foods and non-food products, unlike other ingredients such as nuts or soy. The drawback to shellfish is that it tends to linger on from childhood into adulthood, so there is less chance of outgrowing it. Plus, shellfish allergies can produce severe reactions if exposed with the worst being anaphylaxis.

While food allergies make it difficult to dine out, you can still do so with a little due diligence. It may be easy to avoid shellfish at home and even at school, but because restaurants sell a variety of food and much of it is prepared on the same cooking surfaces and butcher blocks, there is a higher probability of cross contamination of food.

There are some restaurants that are more difficult to dine in than others simply because the type of cuisine may lend itself to using shellfish for gravies, sauces and more, even if the dish itself does not have shellfish in it. Therefore, you should always carry epinephrine in case of emergencies and even an inhaler for breathing help should you become exposed.

Talk with your waiter or server and ask to speak with the chef personally so that you can explain your food allergy to shellfish. Better yet - call in advance. If they are aware of it, they can take proper precautions to prepare your meal in a clean area devoid of even the essence of shellfish. Here are some of the different cuisines that may cause problems with your shellfish allergy when eating out:

1. Seafood restaurants - Obviously, you should avoid restaurants that specialize in seafood in particular, even if they do serve things like chicken. There is a much higher risk of cross contamination here.

2. Cajun restaurants - While Cajun food focuses on different types of food like chicken and duck, a large amount of entrees are seafood based, even the gumbos and jambalayas that do not contain actual shellfish flesh. Shellfish may be used to create a roux or gravy that is the basis for the soups even if there are no actual shellfish in them. Plus with the large amount of shellfish in entrees like crab, shrimp and crawfish, it can be quite difficult to dine in a Cajun restaurant without some cross contamination.

3. Chinese or oriental food restaurants - Many Chinese or oriental food restaurants have seafood specials, with most of them centered on shrimp and lobster. Even the basis for a few of the stir fry sauces revolve around shellfish.

Some of the safest restaurants to dine in include those that serve exclusively barbecue, German food, Indian food and of course, vegetarian restaurants. Of course, always assume there is a slight chance of cross contamination and question the server and chef. Chain restaurants that deal with American cuisine or other worldly influences are still possible dining possibilities as well. Just remember to take proper precautions for those "just in case" moments when your shellfish allergy rears its ugly head.